Alicja Nocon - Actuarial Analyst, Deloitte, Edinburgh

Name: Alicja Nocon Position: Actuarial Analyst Company: Deloitte Location: Edinburgh Degree and university: BSc (Hons) Mathematics and Statistics, University of Edinburgh

Profile

An actuary, a risk management specialist, a consultant - these are all different ways of saying what I do for a living (or to be precise, what my title is). Still, I do not think it says much about what I actually do at work. For this reason, I would like to say a bit more about what my job involves rather what I can call myself.

What does Deloitte do?

In simple words, Deloitte helps businesses grow, makes them more efficient and develops their potential. Deloitte gives advice in areas such as Audit, Tax, Consulting and Corporate Finance.

I work in Actuarial Consulting where I provide advice to insurance companies and banks. I help businesses adjust their models to reflect current conditions and risks facing the company, to understand the risks and benefits when thinking of buying another company, or to be compliant with regulations (among others).    

What is a typical day like for you?

It is a tricky question because there is no typical day in my job! Every day is different and what I do depends on type of work I am given and whether I work in the office or on client site. Just to give you an idea, I might be:

• Building a model to check whether a client’s calculations are correct
• Extracting and updating results from a model and comparing them with results obtained using a different set of assumptions
• Writing a report explaining to our client the work I have completed for them

Or I might be doing some non-client tasks such as:

• Organising a team meeting (creating an agenda, looking for speakers, etc)
• Gathering information on developments in the insurance industry or changes to regulations
• Studying at home towards my exams (the firm provides a generous study day allowance)

However, there are certain ‘o’clocks’ I tend to stick to:

•  12.30: This is the time for lunch! Sometimes it is a team lunch outside, sometimes it is lunch with a friend, and sometimes it is lunch with my laptop (trying to have least of the latter!). During my break, I tend to go for a short walk to get some breezy Scottish air and run some errands nearby.
• 5.30: This is the time to go home. I try not to stay at work until too late unless it is necessary for successful completion of a project.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

If I were to answer using one word I would say: variety.

I have been doing my job for almost a year now and have worked on a variety of projects and in various locations. I have worked on a Solvency II project in Edinburgh, a modelling project in Bristol, a Mergers & Acquisitions project in London and Barcelona, just to to name a few.

What are the most stressful parts of the job?

I find it quite stressful when I get a system error which I have not seen before and do not know how to fix. In such situations I try to stay cool and ask my project team about what the error could mean. If they do not know, I think about other people in the company who could help me and give them a call. Sooner or later, I always find someone who is more experienced and knows how to deal with it.

It gets even more stressful when things get complicated a few days before the project deadline; a key team member gets ill, the model produces errors or the data I am waiting for arrives late. Such situations are unpredictable and all I can do is to do my best to complete the project within the deadline given the circumstances. 

How do you manage your work/life balance?

I found it quite difficult to manage my work/life balance when I first started. Everything was new to me and on top of that, I had to fit a full-time job and studying for exams into my agenda – quite a difference from when I was a student!

However, I have learnt that I need to find time for myself and for my friends. I go to yoga classes twice a week and spend at least half of each Sunday with my friends – these are two things I never miss or postpone.

Any advice for the interview process?

Research your options by attending relevant events (for example, careers fairs or company presentations) and talk to people working at places you are interested in to find out more about them. This will help you decide which companies you would really like to work for – there is no point in applying for and getting a job you never wanted!

Personally, I found my university’s careers service very helpful. I used their help to learn how to write successful application forms and had a mock interview with them. I would recommend popping in to careers service at your university if you are still a student to find out how they can help you with the interview process.

On the day of the interview, be natural and smile. Do not worry if you feel nervous – all interviewees are. And think positive – having a positive mindset will help you calm down and will make a difference on the day (and give you experience of difficult situations you might face in your dream job!).