Alyssa Yew, BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science with a Year in Industry student, chatted to us about her experiences on her degree, her placement year, and her Intern of the Year award!
Why did you choose to study at Kent?
I choose to study at Kent because it is a campus uni. I am an exchange student, and I transferred to the university of Kent on my second year. My previous university in my home country did not have a campus, and so I chose Kent. It has literally everything you need, gym, restaurants, shops, and even a nightclub. It was one of the best unis for course, Actuarial Science as well, have it been recognised by the Actuarial body IFOA, and I get a maximum of 8 exemptions from the professional papers too.
Could you tell us about the support available when looking for a placement?
There were more people willing to help than I thought, I had support on every step of my application journey. There were workshops and events organised by the university to help you on finding your placement, such as Career Fairs, Excel for business, etc. The employability and placement team helped me so much on my CV as well, giving me tips and advice to polish it.
Where did you spend your placement year?
I spent my placement year doing an internship at Travelport Headquarters in Langley, Slough.
What was the highlight of your placement?
The highlight of my placement was on the 17th of May when the office reopened after lockdown. I went into the office and met a lot of people face to face. Having morning coffees, random talks while I walk to the bathroom, going out for drinks after work, having lots of social activities, etc. I am very grateful to have an office experience for 4 months. Not everyone gets to have this experience during the pandemic, most of the people have it fully on remote.
Could you tell us about your award?
For our internship program, we have an award ceremony towards the end of our internship, where interns, the intern panel, and some mystery voters, will vote the interns for different awards. The award that I have received was intern of the year.
What are your plans for the future?
I went into this internship knowing that I want to be an actuary in the future in a life insurance company. But now, I am not sure anymore. Ever since I stepped foot into the travel industry, I realised that there is so much more out there to explore. Instead of limiting myself to just actuarial roles / the insurance industry, I am planning to apply for graduate jobs to different roles and industries that interests me.
What advice would you give to students considering taking a placement year?
Try to get involved into as many projects as possible. We are still students, and we are on placement to learn. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.