What made you choose to work for Pacific Life Re?
I got a sense of the great company culture from my initial interviews, and I really enjoyed my 8 month internship in their London office, so when they offered me a permanent role after university, there was no question of me accepting.
What support did Pacific Life Re give you throughout your internship?
I moved from Canada to London for my internship and Pacific Life Re was hugely supportive throughout the process; my colleagues provided me with so much advice about life in the UK, and the wide variety of social events helped with the move too. On the actuarial exam side, Pacific Life Re also reimbursed my study materials and provided me with study days.
What advice would you give to aspiring Actuaries?
Especially when you are starting out, it is important to ask questions and think critically about how what you are doing fits into the wider business context.
What made you decide to become an Actuary?
I’ve always liked maths and I really enjoy solving problems, so I wanted to be able to apply that at work. For me, being an Actuary is the perfect fit; I love that it gets me thinking every day.
What skills do you feel are essential for being an Actuary?
Numerical, analytical and communication skills. You’ve got to be good with numbers, be able to translate them into a decision, and effectively communicate that to your colleagues.
What do you do day-to-day?
My current role involves both reviewing data quality and analysing data using machine learning models. I’m particularly glad that my role has given me the opportunity to develop my R and SQL skills.
What have you enjoyed most about your time with Pacific Life Re so far?
The people: everyone is so friendly and there is a very open working culture. I am also thinking and problem solving every day. I’ve also enjoyed having the opportunity to work in different departments (Internal Audit, Risk and Research and Development) and develop a wide range of skills and experience.
What three words would you use to describe Pacific Life Re?
Friendly. Open. Interesting.
