Graduate views

In the actuary, retail banking, insurance, regulation and risk management career sectors there are over 50 different job roles and most are open to graduates of all degree disciplines – but many graduates, unaware of them, miss out. So TARGETjobs Finance has found out from graduates in different jobs at different employers what they do and what you’ll need to get hired in similar roles. Why did an exposure management analyst choose an insurance career over investment banking? Is the typical risk manager anything like Ben Stiller’s character in Along Came Polly? Is an arts graduate at a disadvantage in retail banking? Find out here.

Actuarial graduate job roles

• An actuarial analyst at Lane Clark and Peacock LLP: Hannah Gillinson
• An actuarial trainee at Mercer: Judy Anunda
• An actuarial assistant at Barnett Waddingham LLP: Melanie Stephenson

Insurance graduate job roles

• A business management graduate trainee at Aviva: Andrew Rowlandson
• An insurance international projects executive at Lloyd’s of London: Carys Lawton
• An exposure management analyst for Lloyd’s of London: Dishni Payagalage-Don
• A claims graduate trainee at Xchanging Claims Services: Jenny Hague
• A graduate underwriter at Allianz: Josh Graham
• A fast-track graduate trainee in life assurance and pensions at AXA UK: Mashfiq Khan
• An account analyst on an underwriting graduate training scheme at Allianz: Matt Thompson
• An operations manager at Aviva: Philippa Holmes
• An aviation insurance broker at Aon: William Lace

Compliance graduate job roles

• An external auditor at Swiss Re: Gwyneth Stokes
• A graduate trainee in internal audit at Santander: Martyn Hibberd

Regulation graduate job roles (working at the Financial Services Authority)

• An associate in the small firms division at the FSA: Alysha Paterson
• An associate in the enforcement division at the FSA: Herjinder Dhesi

Retail banking graduate job roles

• An arts graduate working as a branch manager at Barclays: Carla Leonard
• A savings product manager at Lloyd’s Banking Group: Fernando Sucre
• A UK retail banking graduate at Barclays: Gemma Hyde
• A project manager in credit card services at Nationwide: Helen Ryan
• A retail banking graduate trainee at Barclays: Sepha Brook

Risk management graduate job roles

• A junior actuary in risk management at Swiss Re: Julia Bartelt
• A risk consultant in capital forecasting at Nationwide: Phoebe Allott