Summer Intern Review

On a day to day basis I was assisting the team with spreadsheeting, sitting in on client and internal meetings and doing a lot of the supporting jobs that helped to take the load off the team. It was nice to have been given some responsibility and help the team. I also got taken to some off-site client lunches and got to experience what the actual day to day would be like for an employee rather than the stereotypical 'intern' jobs of getting people coffee or doing the grunt work.

Yes. Touching on the previous point I was given tasks to do that impacted the team. They were tasks such as inputting information from a document into a database, or using excel to create relevant charts and tables that would be used for the coming renewals and also giving feedback on client products during meetings. I felt like I was actually learning whilst doing the internship and was valued too. The Excel skills that I learnt during the internship were invaluable during the interview process for my subsequent interview at Howden Re as well as during the position now.

Yes, along with soft skills, terminology and general reinsurance knowledge, my Excel skills drastically improved. I had to use Excel every day during the internship and everyone was always happy to take time out of their day to explain things to me or sit down and go over things with me.
Moreover, the 2 weeks of re/insurance lectures before joining team was invaluable. Having no prior insurance knowledge it really helped to lay some good foundations and it meant that I wasn't struggling to understand concepts when it came to doing work for the team. Also sitting in on the 'Intro to Business' meetings was useful too to get a wider view of what it is Howden does.

Everyone was so nice and helpful across the whole company, not just the team I was working with. Whenever I had any questions, even if I thought they were silly to ask, I was never made to feel as if what I was asking was silly. Also, the team took time to section off once a week for 'silly question time'. If there was anything that I was unsure of, or didn't understand during meetings, that was the time to ask. Also, there was also time sectioned off for reinsurance lessons too. It was a very nice environment.
Also, when I came to the team to ask about job opportunities, or asking about what I should do about any other internal vacancies, the team were very supportive of what was best for myself.

The culture was so nice and welcoming and I felt that from everyone, from the messages from David Howden, to the reception, to the team, everyone was very nice. It was very light hearted but at the same time professional.
I do want to make a point of Darren Young being very supportive and kind. He was so helpful with getting the most out of my internship. He went out of his way to introduce me to his network, getting me time at a syndicate at Lloyd's, as well as any potential job openings if I didn't secure a job following my internship.

I really enjoyed the internship, it exceeded every expectation I had.
Starting with the interview process, the assessment day was very well done. The informal breakfast networking event was really nice. It definitely helped to settle my nerves and make me more comfortable. Also, once I had heard that I got the internship the giftbox and letter from David Howden was a really nice touch.
The 2 weeks of introductions was really good. Meeting the other interns, having lunch provided so we could get to know each other more was nice. Also the MDA training was very well done, the lectures were engaging and the team building work/ practical learning, which I would usually find tedious, I actually really enjoyed. It was light hearted and was informative too.
When I met the team they were all really nice and inclusive. I got stuck in some work and as I said before, everyone was always available for any questions. I would definitely recommend to anyone.
Lastly, it definitely didn't feel like it was the first time Howden had done a structured internship programme. It was all very well done and I loved all of it.

Yes