Graduate summer opportunities

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1 & Graduate summer opportunities

2 Introduction Barnett Waddingham STRIVES to recruit graduates who share our values and can bring special skills which will ENHANCE the service we provide to our clients. We look for graduates with good relevant degrees who are eager to join a company where they can make a difference. Graduates who are ambitious and who value the chance to join the partnership in due course are very much the focus of our actuarial recruitment. We are proud of our reputation and unbroken growth since we were founded in Continuing growth is important if we are to meet the aspirations of the graduates who join us every September and those joining must be willing to work hard! Graduates are the powerhouse of our actuarial team and get early opportunities to work directly with clients and build up their confidence in consulting. Barnett Waddingham will provide you with the opportunity to thrive in a business which believes strongly in being supportive, developing its people and offering a good work/life balance. Barnett Waddingham will provide you with the opportunity to thrive in a business which believes strongly in being supportive, developing its people and offering a good work/life balance. We expect graduates to make good progress through the professional examinations and the healthy competition between the recruits every year helps us to maintain our record of better-than-average examination successes. Our actuarial training is challenging, but enables our graduates to be the best that they can. Nick Salter Nick Salter, Senior Partner

3 Our profile Founded in 1989, we have grown to become the UK s LARGEST independent provider of actuarial, administration and consultancy services. Our business has grown predominantly through referrals from our clients and professional contacts. We are a customer led business, putting our clients needs at the FOREFRONT of everything we do. We are very aware that without clients we do not have a business. Find out more at

4 What we do We act for a breadth of clients, small and large, in both the private and public sector including a number of not-for-profit organisations providing the following professional services: Scheme Actuary and associated services to trustees and employers with defined benefit pension schemes. Advice to companies on their employee benefit package including defined contribution pension schemes and group risk arrangements. Administration and management services including pensioner payroll, preparation of annual accounts and secretarial services. Investment strategy reviews and advice on funding strategy. Management of closed schemes, wind-ups and reconstructions. Provision of self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), small self-administered pension schemes (SSASs), specialist executive pension plans (EPPs) and other retirement arrangements. Through our associated company, Barnett Waddingham Investments LLP, we provide assistance to individuals in respect of all aspects of their financial wealth management. These services include investment advice together with executive pension counselling and retirement options advice including an annuity bureau.

5 Graduate scheme From day one you will be an INTEGRAL part of our company, working in our actuarial teams who advise various bodies and organisations including pension plan trustees, insurers and employers. The work you carry out could relate to anything from the broad spectrum of areas on which we advise examples include analysing longevity trends, providing strategic investment advice and advising on acquisitions. Each client is the responsibility of a Partner who builds a team DEDICATED to meeting that client s particular needs. The Partner maintains a close personal involvement at all levels of work. You will be given GENUINE OPPORTUNITIES to contribute to our success, both working as part of a client team and in assuming responsibility at an early stage of your career. We are keen for our employees to obtain wider business knowledge and GAIN EXPERIENCE of our other Practice Areas where possible. You will be encouraged to show initiative and develop areas of responsibility that are not directly related to client work, raising both your own and your team s profile whilst gaining good experience. Our organisational structure also ensures short communication lines and quick decisions. The study package is tailored to my own needs, giving me the best chance to pass first time and allowing me to focus more clearly on work issues when not studying.

6 Your development Employees professional and personal development is important to the Company and we are strongly committed to developing our employees. As an actuarial trainee you will work towards qualification and we will give you every SUPPORT to achieve this including offering a GENEROUS study package. As part of this you will receive study days, funding for exams and external courses, and a mentor from within the Company to support you. You will also be REWARDED for passing exams as you progress. As well as supporting your study, your mentor will review your work based experience and help you to identify the development OPPORTUNITIES available, with the aim of enabling you to reach your full potential. In addition, the Company will help you to develop your technical and consulting skills with regular performance development reviews, internal courses and most importantly, EXPERIENCE. The Company will help you to develop your technical and consulting skills with regular performance development reviews, internal courses and most importantly, experience. Barnett Waddingham has always been actively involved in supporting the key professional bodies. This helps us to stay AHEAD OF CHANGE and to help influence policy direction at the highest level for the benefit of our clients.

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8 Summer programme Can you simply communicate a solution to a complex problem? Do you want to work for a company who will enable you to be the best that you can? If the answer is YES and you are considering an actuarial career why not join our Pension or Insurance Actuarial Summer Programme. Our 8 WEEK PROGRAMME offers first class training and work experience enabling you to gain an excellent understanding of what an Actuary and our company does. Our 8 week programme offers first class training and work experience enabling you to gain an excellent understanding of what an Actuary, the Company, our Practice Areas and our teams do. You will be given real responsibility to contribute to client work and be encouraged to attend client events where possible. In addition you will get the OPPORTUNITY to spend time in our other Practice Areas and complete a company-wide project. Your personal mentor will HELP and SUPPORT you throughout the programme, working with you to ensure that you gain the best EXPERIENCE possible. As well as learning about our work and our excellent approach to training, you will also have the opportunity to take part in social events and join one of our sports activities if this is of interest. Since our programme started we have received EXCELLENT FEEDBACK from the students who have taken part, many of whom have gone on to develop their career with us after university. Your experience will enable you to understand why our employees ENJOY working at Barnett Waddingham and why as a graduate this is an excellent environment in which to start and build your actuarial career.

9 The social side Social activity is important across the Company; from inter office sporting events to the annual Christmas party. Sporting events include golf, football, netball, cricket, table tennis, croquet, bowls and pool. The non-sporting side is equally active and includes walking weekends, weekend excursions to UK and European cities, wine and beer tasting, charity events and picnics. In addition to our firmwide activities, each office has a social committee which organises events for staff at a local level. There is something for everyone to choose from, but, suggestions for further social events will always be welcome!

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11 Our values Our business is built on a reputation for being open, honest and dealing fairly with our clients - we all operate with a strong set of values, which have been built around Doing it the Right Way. Being open, honest and dealing fairly Our business is built on a reputation for being open, honest and dealing fairly with our clients. Every client is important We are a customer led business, putting our clients needs at the forefront of everything we do. Supporting innovation We actively look to develop new and better ways of doing things. We recognise that not all new ideas succeed but we support and value the testing of them. Taking personal responsibility A good team needs everyone to take personal responsibility for the growth and continuing success of that team. Acting as one team Valuing people and praising success An organisation where we help and support each other is a more enjoyable and rewarding place to work and more effective. We will be more successful if we work together to achieve our common objectives. We treat each other fairly with honesty, empathy and respect. We reward people competitively in order to help attract and retain the best employees. We support and encourage people to develop skills that benefit both them and the business. Caring about quality Quality applies to all the advice we provide, the way we present ourselves and our advice as well as how we communicate with each other and the outside world.

12 Case study I applied to Barnett Waddingham after studying French and German literature at college for six years and after a year working for a charity. I was offered a job in 1996 and am still here 17 years on, having qualified as an actuary in 2001, becoming an Associate in 2003 and a Partner in I have been lucky enough to work in three offices, with the opportunity to learn from lots of different people. The attractions are for me the same now as they were then: real human beings, who want to do their work well and help their clients. The success we have had in recent years has been based on teams of people who are prepared to muck in, empathise with the needs of the client and do a good job for them. Our challenge as we grow is to make sure that our personal culture is not lost. Highlights include: heading up our Liverpool office for seven years, and being part of the action and personally involved with our close-knit team of 35 people. being involved as a junior in expert witness work for the court. standing up in front of a roomful of young lawyers to teach them about corporate transactions. Adam Walker Partner, Liverpool The firm s attractions are for me the same now as they were then: real human beings, who want to do their work well and help their clients. chairing our internal committee on pensions information software. Not to mention: taking five wickets in an inter-office cricket match! beating all the other actuaries two years running at the industry s biggest quiz night!

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14 Highlights of my week TJ Dhutia Actuarial Analyst, London Monday 09:30 - Team work-planning meeting Discussing our workload over the coming week 14:00 - Back to the grind! I spend the afternoon checking data for a pension scheme s triennial valuation. Tuesday 08:30 - Breakfast seminar I attend a breakfast seminar held by the Executive Pensions Practice Area. It s an event for clients and prospective clients, and it s a chance to learn a little more about what other practice areas do. 11:00 - Success! Great news - a complicated individual member calculation check ties up with the expected figure! 15:00 - Presentation training We have training on giving presentations, which involves presenting slides on a topic of our own choosing. Wednesday 10:00 - Trustee meeting Off to a trustee meeting this morning - I m here to take the minutes of the meeting. It s only the second client meeting I ve been to and I learn a lot about how different trustee meetings can be for different clients. Following the meeting I send an update to the client team. 17:30 - It s just not cricket! A few of us head over to Regent s Park to watch the London cricket team lose yet another match. It s a close one but our batting line-up leaves much to be desired. I learn a lot about how trustee meetings can differ depending on the client. Thursday No rest for the wicked! I spend the day studying at home for upcoming exams. Friday Six monthly mentoring session I have my six-monthly meeting with my study mentor where we go through the essays and form which make up the work-based skills part of the actuarial qualification. 14:00 - Time to plan I fill out my page of the team work-planning spreadsheet for the next week and for any large projects coming up. Leave work feeling ready for the weekend but looking forward to doing it all again next week!

15 Application process Our application process is designed to ensure you meet our high expectations As a STAR PERFORMER, you will have a minimum of a 2:1 degree and at least 300 UCAS tariff points, including an A grade in A level maths 1. Similar qualification results will apply for SQA exams. A reasonable command of the English language is evidenced by a C or above in English language GCSE (or equivalent qualifications). EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION skills are essential, together with a PROFESSIONAL APPROACH and a positive and enthusiastic attitude. As a selfstarter you have ambitions to develop both individually and in a team environment. A TEAM PLAYER, you work in a co-operative and supportive way for the benefit of the team, understanding how your actions impact on other team members or goals and how they affect the bigger picture. In addition, you must be organised with a meticulous ATTENTION TO DETAIL, capable of solving problems of all sizes. 1 Higher grade requirement effective for applications from September 2014 A team player, you work in a co-operative and supportive way for the benefit of the team, understanding how your actions impact on other team members or goals and how they affect the bigger picture

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17 How to apply If you meet the criteria and would like to apply, please visit our website to view our vacancies and complete our online application form Stage 1 - online application form On receipt of this form your application will be considered against others, in line with our criteria and the competencies advertised. Stage 2 - telephone interview We will conduct a short telephone interview to assess your communication skills. If you are successful at Stages 1 and 2, you will be invited to Stage 3. Stage 3 - one day assessment centre Usually held at the office to which you have applied. We have designed the day not only as an assessment tool for us, but also for you to gain further insight into the Company. Information provided and opportunities to meet current employees and Partners on the day will enable you to gain a greater understanding of the Company, our culture and people. graduaterecruitment The day will include a series of exercises and an interview, together with a presentation from a senior member of the Company. A lunch will also be held during which you will meet some of the team. The intention is to keep the day informative yet relaxed. The exercises are to enable us to assess your performance against the competencies required for the role and how you would fit into the team.

18 Connect with us Keep up-to-date, share our content and find out more about us through our social networks /barnettwaddingham /barnettwaddingham

19 Amersham

20 For further information about our Graduate and summer opportunities please contact our HR department on: Amersham Bromsgrove Cheltenham Glasgow Leeds Liverpool London