Why Get Involved in Professional Programs?
Professional programs are a great way to kick start your actuarial career and can often be as important as your degree itself. There are a number of companies in Perth who show great interest in Actuarial Science students.
If you are in your second last (penultimate) year vacation programs and internship are a great way to advance your career prospects. Students are employed temporarily, usually over the summer holidays, in order to gain practical experience. This can directly lead to graduate employment, provide you with quality professional connections and improve your opportunities for graduate roles elsewhere. They typically last between 3 and 12 weeks.
if you are in your last year of study then Graduate programs will enable you to line up a job before graduating (*sigh of relief*). These programs often have a focus on development and learning, each program is unique - so it is important to read the job posting carefully to understand if the program is rotational, whether you are a fixed term employee (e.g non-permanent) or a permanent employee who’s guaranteed a job at the end of the program.
Please do not see this as an exhaustive list, there are countless more opportunities in Perth as well as many more interstate or overseas. If you are aware of any additional opportunities, please help us improve this list by contacting a member of the committee.
Consulting
Consulting firms are a professional services business which provide analysis, advice or other specific services to their clients, generally other businesses. Each consulting business generally has several branches or teams offering specialised services such as tax, auditing, legal or advisory. Many consulting businesses even have their own dedicated actuarial teams. Actuaries commonly choose to work in consulting as the problem-solving skills and deep financial understanding that they gain are generally directly applicable and highly sought after.
Companies Include:
EY*
(Typically Opens February, Closes Once Filled)
Deloitte*
(Typically Opens February, Closes March)
PWC*
(Typically Opens March, Closes April)
KPMG*
(Typically Opens February, Closes March)
Visagio
(Typically Opens March/August, Closes April/September)
Actuarial Consulting Firms:
Finity [Sydney/Melbourne]
(Typically Opens February, Closes March)
Taylor Fry [Sydney/Melbourne]
(Typically Opens February, Closes March)
* all these firms have Actuarial Consulting teams, however do not offer roles for them in Perth - mostly they are based across Sydney and Melbourne, with some having smaller offices in Canberra and/or Brisbane
Insurance
Insurance companies are one of the biggest employers of Actuaries. Working in insurance is a very traditional domain for Actuaries, where they use their specialist knowledge to assess and calculate risk to make informed decisions about pricing, products, policies, and reserving (a.k.a ensuring enough money is put aside to cover future claims).
Companies Include:
HBF
(No Regular Graduate Program)
RAC
(Typically Opens March/April, Closes April/May)
Suncorp
(Typically Opens July, Closes August)
IAG [Sydney/Melbourne]
(Typically Opens February, Closes March)
QBE [Sydney]
(Typically Opens April, Closes May)
TAL [Sydney]
(Typically Opens June, Closes July)
Banking
Banks are financial institutions which accept monetary deposits and deliver loans to customers. Actuaries are often employed to use their specific knowledge to assess the risk of loans, design investment products, and make informed decisions about pricing, policies and setting interest rates. Furthermore, Actuaries have the opportunity to specialise in the different types of banking including consumer, corporate and investment banking depending on the individual’s preference and skills.
Companies Include:
ANZ
(Typically Opens July, Closes August)
Commonwealth Bank
(Typically Opens January/February, Closes March/April)
Suncorp
(Typically Opens July, Closes August)
Macquarie [Sydney]
(Typically Opens March [Grad] /May [Intern], Closes April [Grad] /August [Intern])
Data Science
Data science and analysis is one of the fastest growing areas in the global market. Harnessing and analysing data allows for advancements and positive change on every scale and has become integral in every business. Statistics is one of an actuaries key skills and as a result, a large portion of actuaries/actuarial students are choosing to pursue this career path where they have the opportunity to utilise their strong understanding and skillset.
Companies Include:
Quantium [Sydney/Melbourne]
(Typically Opens February , Closes March)
Accenture
(Typically Opens March , Closes April)
Inovation Central
(Typically Opens July , Closes August)
Mining and Resources
Mining companies have formed the backbone of Western Australia’s economy and make up a large share of Australia's market. Today, mining companies employ large data analysis and risk teams to aid in their mining operations. Actuaries fit perfectly into these roles and can provide great advantages to any resource firm they move into.
Companies Include:
Rio Tinto
(Typically Opens March, Closes April)
BHP
(Typically Opens March, Closes April)
Woodside
(Typically Opens July, Closes August)
Trading
The world of trading is extremely vast but is built on the principles of risk and analysis, two very important components of an Actuaries skillset. In the world of trading or ‘market making’, firms develop strategies and tech to effectively invest in companies through the stock market on a large scale. Furthermore, without market makers the stock market would likely grind to a halt. Working in trading is generally open to any STEM students but actuarial students are often very attractive candidates due to their deep understanding of risk and pricing.
Companies Include:
(Typically Open February/March, Close Once Filled)
Optiver [Sydney]
IMC [Sydney]
SIG [Sydney]
Jane Street [Hong Kong]
VivCourt [Sydney]