Occupation: Actuarial Assistant - Reading

Degree: MMath (Hons) Mathematics, University of Nottingham

Joined Xafinity Consulting: January 2007

When I graduated in 2004, I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue. After two years working in temporary and customer service jobs I decided that it was about time I made a decision and the idea of training for a well respected professional qualification as an actuary was very appealing.

Having built up some experience in the pensions industry previously it seemed a natural choice to continue in that field and Xafinity Consulting, with its long history of providing outstanding pension consultancy services, seemed the perfect fit. The recruitment process was intense but enjoyable. I was impressed with the professional and efficient manner in which it was organised.

I became involved in a variety of different activities from very early on, from producing transfer values for individual member benefits, to valuing the benefits for whole pension schemes. Recently I have been given the opportunity to involve myself in some more technical work for one of our largest clients, helping to produce detailed cashflow models for the purposes of pension scheme buyouts. At Xafinity Consulting there are many opportunities to get involved with different projects and to expand your skills as well as the opportunity to move between teams to widen your experience.

One of the best parts of working at Xafinity Consulting is the office atmosphere. Everyone is very friendly and happy to help if you have a question or get into difficulties, and there is a healthy social scene. You definitely feel appreciated and not just a “cog in the machine”, which can happen at larger companies.

Obviously the exams require a significant investment of any actuarial student’s time, but the study package available from Xafinity Consulting is excellent and you are given a lot of support to help give you the best chance of passing. Everyone is assigned a mentor who you can go to for advice on the best route through the exams or if you have any questions or problems. I was encouraged to get stuck in as soon as possible and took my first exam after just three months, and was rewarded with a pass mark that I was very pleased to get. One down, fourteen to go!

Overall I am very happy with my decision to join Xafinity Consulting and I am looking forward to a long and successful career with the support of everyone here at Xafinity.