Occupation: Actuarial Assistant - Reading
Degree: BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences with Physics, The Open University
Joined Xafinity Consulting: April 2006
After spending six years studying for my university degree I was determined to find a career that utilised some of the skills I had worked so hard to acquire rather than letting them all go to waste. A career as an actuary seemed to me to provide just the sort of challenge I was looking for.
The recruitment process, while challenging, was very enjoyable and I was made to feel comfortable and welcome both by the members of the recruitment team and all the other employees that I met during the process.
In the eighteen months I have been with Xafinity Consulting, the type of work that I have been involved in has rapidly progressed from straightforward tasks such as calculating the benefits of individual pension scheme members to larger projects such as taking responsibility for the valuation of entire company pension schemes. I am currently involved with a project to “wind-up” a pension scheme, which has exposed me to a whole new area of pensions work.
Xafinity Consulting provide you with all the training and support you need to carry out your job and nobody is ever too busy to answer your questions, no matter how simple or silly you may think they are. I am amazed when I look back and realise how much I have learnt in the role in such a short period of time.
Of course, the major challenge facing any actuarial student is balancing their commitments in the office with the study required to pass the actuarial exams. Again, I receive full support from Xafinity Consulting, who cover the cost of all my study materials and exam fees as well as providing me with generous study leave.
Overall I feel I made the right choice in choosing Xafinity Consulting and look forward to the challenges ahead in my career, confident that my employer will be supporting me all the way.