Investment Consulting Summer Intern Review

During my time as an Investment Consulting Intern at Aon, I provided essential support to the consulting team, contributing to the delivery of investment services for a diverse client base. Although I was not directly involved in complex investment consulting or client advisory work, my responsibilities were foundational to the team’s daily operations and the quality of client deliverables.
My day-to-day work primarily involved preparing and formatting presentations, conducting file and valuation checks, and supporting cashflow-driven investment (CDI) processes. I regularly updated and organized presentation materials, ensuring data was accurate and professionally displayed. Additionally, I performed routine checks on investment valuations and CDI documentation, helping to identify discrepancies and ensuring all records were complete and up to date.
These experiences allowed me to develop strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and a solid understanding of the importance of accuracy in investment reporting. While many of my tasks were administrative or repetitive, they provided valuable insight into the operational side of investment consulting and reinforced the critical role that support functions play in a successful consulting practice.

During my internship at Aon, I was given some responsibility, though not directly within the core investment consulting work of my team. Most of my contributions were related to supporting broader initiatives and projects across the business. For example, I was responsible for preparing presentations for the Wealth Insight Conference in October, as well as creating a central deck for the Investment Sales team. These tasks allowed me to develop my communication and organizational skills, and gave me exposure to different areas of the company.
In addition to these projects, I was selected to lead the summer intern project focused on Aon’s culture. This role involved coordinating with other interns, organizing meetings, and ensuring our project met its objectives and deadlines. Leading this initiative helped me build leadership and teamwork skills, and gave me valuable experience in managing a group project from start to finish.
However, I found that my responsibilities within my immediate investment consulting team were quite limited, which was somewhat frustrating. While I was eager to take on more meaningful investment-related work, most of my tasks were administrative or involved supporting other departments. Although this was a bit disappointing, it did give me a broader perspective on the organization and helped me develop transferable skills that I hope to apply in future roles.

During my internship at Aon, I didn’t necessarily learn brand new skills, but I was able to further develop my existing abilities, especially in communication, organization, and project management. Working on presentations for company-wide events and leading the summer intern project gave me more experience collaborating with colleagues from different backgrounds and departments, even though I was already comfortable working in diverse teams. While I would have liked more exposure to core investment consulting tasks, I still gained valuable experience applying my skills in a large, professional environment.

During my internship at Aon, I received a significant amount of support from the Aon Health department, particularly in accommodating my needs as a disabled student with scoliosis. Their assistance made a meaningful difference in my day-to-day experience. However, when it came to guidance and support from my immediate team and other colleagues, it was somewhat limited. While people were generally open to meeting and discussing career paths, I found it challenging to get involved in more substantial tasks or projects—despite reaching out and expressing my interest, I rarely received additional opportunities, often because others were busy with their own workloads. Overall, while the support for my wellbeing was excellent, the level of professional guidance and involvement in meaningful work was less than I had hoped for.

The company culture and general atmosphere at Aon were very positive, and I genuinely enjoyed being part of the team. The people were friendly, approachable, and always willing to help, which made a big difference in my experience. Although I think there’s still room for Aon to do more in terms of engagement and activities in regional offices like Bristol, I felt that our office offered quite a lot compared to other locations of a similar size. Ultimately, it was the supportive and welcoming attitude of my colleagues that made the work environment enjoyable and helped me feel comfortable from day one.

I enjoyed my placement at Aon mainly because of the people I worked with and the networking opportunities it provided. The team was friendly and supportive, which made the day-to-day experience much more enjoyable. However, I found that the work in investment consulting was more back-office and operational than I expected, and I didn’t really have the chance to apply much of what I’ve learned during my economics and innovation degree. While the internship gave me valuable exposure to a corporate environment and helped me build connections, I realized that I’m looking for a role where I can use more of my academic background and get involved in work that feels more directly related to my studies.

Yes