Tips for interns to succeed

Roger Tran, FSA, ACIA, CERA

Manager, Capital Management

Wawanesa Life

Background

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Tip #1: Opportunity for you to learn

Intern’s main focus for an internship is to learn as much as possible.

Often focused too much on results.

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Our goal is to provide you opportunities and experiences that will help achieve this, by providing work that is:

• Challenging yet rewarding.
• Interesting and new (to you)
• Meaningful and valuable to the organization

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Tip #2: Setting Clear Expectations

What do you want to get out of this internship?

• Technical skills?
• Soft skills?
• Industry experience?
• Developing competencies?

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Leaders want to help you achieve your goals, so having clear expectations will help your leader a lot!

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Tip #3: Ask lots of questions

Leaders generally prefer you ask questions, even if you think it’s silly or obvious.

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Some Benefits:

• Clarifying questions can save significant time and effort, helping you do more!
• Learning how to ask questions is an important skill in effective communication
• Taking the time to phrase your question can help broaden your understanding of the topic
• Asking questions demonstrates courage, engagement, and curiosity – very important !!
• Improve quality of work product

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Additional tips:

• Questions should be specific, clear, concise.
• Asking the same question a few times is fine, try to avoid asking it 5+ times!!
• For problem-solving, it is viewed positively when the intern has demonstrated effort towards figuring it out themselves first (google is your friend) before asking for help.

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Tip #4: Understanding the “Why”

Doing the work and delivering quality results are very important, but what sets an intern apart from others is understanding the why.

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Bigger picture thinking 🡪

• How does this work contribute to the success of the company?
• Why is this project so valuable for my team?

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Common interview question: Can you describe this [specific project/task/experience on resume] and what did you learn?

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Often, candidates spend the entire time explain “how” they completed the work – Step by step walkthrough of the process & results.

• Interviewers are looking for broader understanding of the bigger picture
• Did the candidate just do the work? Or did they take it another step further to understand it?

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Take initiative to understand the ‘why’ shows that a candidate is engaged, eager to learn, and has greater potential to put their own spin on the process to improve it!

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Tip #5: Stay Organized

Information overload will happen 🡪 easy to get lost

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• Come prepared to take notes (meetings, presentations, huddles, working calls)
• Prioritize your work (to-do list, talk with your leader)
• Open communication with your team

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Your leader will have increased confidence in you knowing that you are trying to stay on top of things!

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Tip #6: Navigating Remote/Hybrid environment

Forms of communication have evolved with hybrid/remote work.

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• Virtual meetings push for greater emphasis on verbal communication, facial cues.
• Showing up to meetings on time is even more important (no elevator or stairs to get to the meeting room)
• Ready, set, CAMERA!
• Turning on your camera for every meeting
• Tidy your background (within reason)
• Setting camera angle to increase visibility and recognition

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Tip #7: Feedback & Reflect

Taking time to ask for feedback and reflecting is key to success!

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• Asking for feedback can be scary, but it is well worth it
• Valuable insights on your performance
• Demonstrates that you are here to learn and that you engaged and ready to grow.
• A lot can happen during your internship, so make sure to reflect on everything, good or bad.
• Celebrate your accomplishments, development and learnings.
• Recognize challenges and areas of improvement.

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Tip #8: Have fun, get involved, stay connected

Internships are an opportunity for you to expand your network, make friends, and have lots of fun.

• Staff love coffee chats – take initiative, set up chats with your peers!
• Participate in activities and in-office days
• Engage with your fellow interns

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The actuarial community is relatively small, you’ll likely be working alongside your peers/friends again sooner than you think!

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