100% chance of moving onwards and upwards at Aon. Graduate and Intern Opportunities aonearlycareers.co.uk You’re 100% welcome Contents Introduction Introduction 1 Few things are certain in life. Economic upheaval, political crises, natural disasters – and plenty more besides – all mean the world can be full of surprises. At Aon, we draw on the expertise of 65,000 people to help the biggest names in business plan for every eventuality – be it in actuarial consulting; insurance, reinsurance and risk management; investment consulting; health & benefits broking and consulting; global risk consulting or human capital consulting. We are the world’s #1 insurance broker, #1 provider of reinsurance and #1 in human resource consulting. Our size, global network and emphasis on innovation mean where we lead, the industry follows. Diversity 2-3 Actuarial Consulting – General Insurance 4-5 Actuarial Consulting – Pensions 6-7 Investment Consulting 8-9 Insurance, Reinsurance and Risk Management 10-11 Health & Benefits Broking and Consulting 12-13 Global Risk Consulting – Captive Solutions 14-15 Human Capital Consulting 16-17 Graduate Development Programme 18-21 Professional Studies 22 Benefits 23 Summer Internships 24-25 In the UK we rely on 6,500 employees across 30 offices to uphold our hard-won reputation for excellence, insight and outstanding service delivery. It’s the skills, knowledge and attitude of our people that help us do what we do best. So, if you’re looking for a sure-fire way to start your career and have a 2:1 degree or are on track for one, we’d like you to join them. We recruit summer interns and graduates into seven Streams representing each of our business areas. Throughout this brochure, we’ll explore in depth the opportunities and benefits we can offer you and how we’ll transform you into one of our stars of the future through early responsibility and a focus on your development. Our Values 26-27 Application Process 28-29 aonearlycareers.co.uk | 1 100% chance you’ll feel right at home. Diversity at Aon Whoever you are and whatever your background, we welcome you. We challenge discrimination based on age, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. You will be valued as an individual and recognised for your skills and the contribution you can make to our organisation. 2 | aonearlycareers.co.uk Positive culture Global We believe diversity is about creating a positive attitude towards difference as we encourage a culture where people are free to be themselves. Our culture is one of inclusion and open-mindedness and this in turn makes Aon a rich and diverse place to work. We are a global business with clients all over the world. We believe that by valuing and supporting each individual within our organisation, this gives us a competitive edge, enabling us to seize opportunities and succeed. Community Approach Aon people come from all backgrounds and communities. We capture that essence and put that message across as a way of life rather than a policy. Our respect for individuals inspires loyalty in both our colleagues and our clients, which in turn helps us to achieve our goals. Our approach goes far beyond equal opportunities legislation. We actively encourage and embrace diversity supported by our Diversity Council and Diversity Groups. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 3 92% chance of China dominating global insurance. 78% chance of increased regulation across the industry. £ 57% chance of further quantitative easing.  7% chance of a drop in inflation. 100% chance of fulfilling your potential at Aon. Actuarial Consulting – General Insurance Ongoing volatility within financial markets highlights the critical importance of sound risk and capital management. Our Actuarial & Analytics (A&A) team is a group of actuarial, insurance and software specialists who are uniquely placed to provide tailored consulting solutions to clients ranging from multinational corporations to captive insurers, and insurance and reinsurance companies throughout the world. Together, we help our clients implement effective risk management approaches to operate efficiently in a sophisticated, dynamic global market. 4 | aonearlycareers.co.uk You will experience an unbeatable breadth of scope as we aim to expose you to all areas of general insurance actuarial consulting. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will follow a balanced training programme that covers all areas of risk management. There will also be plenty of scope to specialise when you are ready. To apply for our Actuarial Consulting – General Insurance Stream, you will need at least a 2:1 in a numerate discipline, strong analytical skills and the drive to deliver excellent work to our clients. What’s more, we will fully support your study towards qualification as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries – professional study materials, tailored tutorials and study days will all help you pass your exams. You will also be allocated a mentor to provide advice and guidance whenever you need it. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 5 68% chance of increase in pensioner fuel poverty. 35% chance of becoming a centenarian. 29% chance of diffusing the £7 trillion-pension time bomb. ¡ 3% chance of drawing your pension before you hit 70. 100% chance of realising your ambitions at Aon. Actuarial Consulting – Pensions UK companies presently have over £1 trillion invested in pension schemes, more than the rest of Europe put together. That’s a breathtaking sum, but the question remains whether individual companies have set aside enough to meet their pensions’ obligations 20, 30 or even 40 years down the line. We analyse the pensions that are promised to our clients’ employees, working to analyse the past, assess current trends and helping predict future pensions payments in order to identify and manage the associated financial and operational risks. You can expect to work on diverse projects, enjoying early client exposure. Your role will range from doing the essential actuarial calculations to assess the financial health of the pension scheme, and to determine individual members’ benefits, through to assisting with corporate transactions where the pension scheme liability cost can be a significant part of the deal and, ultimately, helping the client with the final close-down of the pension scheme when risk is passed to a third party. 6 | aonearlycareers.co.uk We’ll support your study towards professional qualification as a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. There will be plenty of onthe-job experience, as well as fully interactive technical and consulting workshops to enable you to provide innovative solutions that meet our clients’ needs. To join us as a Trainee Actuarial Consultant, you will need a 2:1 degree or equivalent in a numerate or semi-numerate discipline, plus commercial awareness and lots of ambition and enthusiasm. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 7 78% chance of continued protests against globalisation. € 49% chance of Eurozone disintegrating. 64% chance of increase in internet piracy. 2% chance of Green Party forming a government. 100% chance of making an impact at Aon. Investment Consulting Aon advises on pension funds and institutional investors whose assets total nearly £2.5 trillion. In a fast moving and increasingly complex investment world, we enable our clients to take advantage of longterm investment trends and short-term opportunities in order to meet their objectives. Our consultants are trusted advisors with a wide range of general and specific investment skills. 8 | aonearlycareers.co.uk Our Consultant Development Group is the starting point for graduates specialising in providing investment advice. Some will focus on technical research while others will support consultants advising clients while they develop the skills and specialism that will ensure a successful career. You will help meet the expectations of our global clients through the delivery of high quality service and advice, covering investment markets and strategic issues. We will give you early experience of dealing with a wide range of investments and adapting them around economic conditions and outlooks. As well as support to study for either Actuarial or CFA exams and the Investment Management Certificate, we’ll give you four years’ intensive training and regular exposure to senior colleagues to help you progress into a client-facing role. To join us as a graduate with the Investment Practice, you will need a 2:1 degree or equivalent, commercial awareness, numeracy, effective communication skills and the ability to develop your own views on economic and investment markets. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 9 88% chance of increased demand from China. 74% chance of a spike on oil prices. 22% chance of tanker hijack by Somali pirates. 13% chance of running your car on water. 100% chance of a role with real responsibility at Aon. Insurance, Reinsurance and Risk Management Hurricanes and earthquakes to terrorism and piracy – life is full of risk. It can’t be controlled, but it can be managed. Aon’s Insurance, Reinsurance and Risk Management Stream predicts and spreads risk to minimise the impact of major catastrophes. On our 18-month rotational programme, you will experience a rounded view of our business – from sales and marketing to winning new clients, and from the trading of risk in the market to understanding the importance of claims. The variety of placements and classes of business, covering both technical and client-facing roles, will help you decide where you are best suited to specialise. Your development will also be enhanced by gaining the industry-recognised ACII qualification. 10 | aonearlycareers.co.uk To join us in Insurance, Reinsurance and Risk Management, you will need a 2:1 in any discipline, a high level of numeracy and the ability to build relationships with industry specialists, our clients and members of the London and wider international insurance markets. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 11 72% chance of increasing cutbacks in the NHS. ¡ 65% chance of retirement threshold going up. 24% chance of controlling economic migration. 7% chance of decrease in work-related stress. 100% chance of a long and prosperous career at Aon. Health & Benefits Broking and Consulting People are living longer. In fact, 35% of babies born today will live to blow out 100 candles on their birthday cakes. With this in mind, planning for the future has never been more important. Aon is a leader in the design, implementation and management of modern employee health & benefits programmes. A business to business operation, working with many household-name corporations, as well as smaller enterprises, we have been voted the best financial benefits advisory firm for the past five years by Business Insurance magazine. We deliver for our clients in three distinct areas of employee benefits: health and risk benefits; defined contribution pensions; communication and flexible benefits. Spending time in each of these areas on a rotational programme, you will be meeting clients from the outset to learn about their businesses and advise them on employee health & benefits programmes. Your learning and development will be fast-paced and hands-on to give you the necessary technical knowledge and client management skills. To join us as a Health & Benefits Broking Consultant, you will need a 2:1 degree or equivalent in any discipline, plus enthusiasm, creativity and ambition. 12 | aonearlycareers.co.uk aonearlycareers.co.uk | 13 92% chance of a catastrophe on a global scale. 42% chance of a meteor strike this decade. 76% chance of a company’s PCs being hacked. 1% chance of a dry summer. 100% chance of a great future at Aon. Global Risk Consulting – Captive Solutions From earthquakes and meteor strikes to cyber-terrorism and widespread flooding, the risk of catastrophes on a global scale should never be underestimated. But what happens when the conventional insurance market isn’t able to provide the best possible cover for such occurrences? This is the type of challenge that Aon Global Risk Consulting tackles on a regular basis, by providing a process to determine the strategy for achieving the optimal balance of risk retention within an organisation. The Risk Consulting Team considers all alternatives for the client, often performing detailed financial analysis to reach their recommendations. The Global Risk Consulting European Captives Graduate Programme lasts 18 months and has been designed to identify and develop the future leaders of our business. As such, we’re looking for those of you who can demonstrate a genuine enthusiasm and potential for building a lasting career at Aon. 14 | aonearlycareers.co.uk During the Programme and your career with Aon, you will be expected to obtain a professional qualification, preferably one in Insurance or Accounting or at a level that is appropriate and relevant to your position. To apply for the Global Risk Consulting European Captives Graduate Programme, you will have achieved (or be on track to achieve) at least a 2:1 degree within an international insurance and finance-related discipline. You will also need the ability to combine numeracy and analytical abilities with customer service skills. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 15 75% chance of economic recovery taking root. 30% chance of a FTSE 100 CEO’s salary being frozen this year. 15% chance of shareholders voting against executive pay. 10% chance of a FTSE 100 CEO receiving a maximum bonus this year. 100% chance of making your mark at Aon. Human Capital Consulting People are the strongest asset in every business. But how do you attract, motivate and retain the best staff? Aon’s Human Capital Consulting team works with businesses to develop performance, remuneration and talent programmes that will ensure employees thrive. Our work ensures that our clients can get the best from their people and retain a competitive edge in the marketplace. We help develop solutions that take account of the external market, company culture, corporate strategy and the expectations of external stakeholders. As a result, our Human Capital Consultants have varied and challenging roles. Whether you choose to specialise in performance management, employee engagement, reward or executive remuneration, you will be working with some of the UK’s and Europe’s leading employers. 16 | aonearlycareers.co.uk Your learning and development will be fast-paced and hands-on to give you the necessary technical knowledge and client management skills, with the opportunity to develop client relationships early on in your career. You will also have the option to undertake professional study (e.g. IMC, CFA, CIPD, World at Work) in due course. To join us, you’ll need a 2:1 degree or equivalent in any discipline, commercial awareness, numeracy, strong analytical skills, effective communication skills, as well as enthusiasm, creativity and ambition. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 17 100% chance of developing your talents Graduate Development Programme Our Graduate Development Programme, Launch, has been designed with a clear ultimate goal: to develop high-performers who will grow and, potentially, lead our business in the future. This means providing you with the technical expertise, business knowledge, professional skills and opportunities to make the most of your talent – and develop your career. The Launch Programme will complement your specific role and the objectives of the Stream you join. As such, it will arm you with the key skills you’ll need to move onwards and upwards. Business Knowledge Professional Skills Clients rely on our expertise. So our consultants need to be more knowledgeable than those of our competitors. The Launch Programme will give you broad-based business acumen, as well as a comprehensive grounding in all our business solutions through: Putting the knowledge you gain into practice will require skill. The professional skills development we provide is focused, commercial and experiential. It will include: • Hands-on learning will give you the compliance and regulatory knowledge to help clients receive exemplary advice and service • Industry qualifications will help you to develop technical expertise and add real value to our clients 18 | aonearlycareers.co.uk • Knowledge sessions offer access to a wealth of experienced individuals who will spend time with you to explain the make-up and technical capabilities of our business. • Presentation skills to engage effectively and professionally with your audience • Advanced communication skills which lie at the heart of everything we do • Project management skills to exceed our clients’ expectations • Team-working skills through practical development and real-life experiences • Client management development that will bring together many of the above. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 19 100% committed to excellence Graduate Development Programme Relationships Our business leaders are committed to your future and we encourage you to make the most of their time. Some specific relationships we will help you develop are: “My days are really varied. At the moment I’m assisting in the development of a proposition that will revolutionise the Defined Contribution pensions space within Aon and the market as a whole. It’s been a great learning curve to work on a project that will have a big impact on the business going forward.” Jennifer, University of Exeter Graduate Trainee, Health & Benefits Broking and Consulting • Your graduate network will introduce you to your peers and help you to build your support network from day one • Your mentor will be an experienced colleague who will help guide your career • Business seniors will take an active interest in your development • The Early Careers Team will help smooth the way, open doors and advise you on developing your knowledge, skills and career. 20 | aonearlycareers.co.uk aonearlycareers.co.uk | 21 100% chance of reaping the rewards “I’ve learnt that, while numerical skills are essential for producing accurate figures, what clients truly value is a consultant they can relate to. ” Jennifer, University of Bath Actuarial Analyst, Actuarial Consulting – Pensions Professional Studies Benefits We’re committed to your ongoing development. That’s why we fully support professional study and qualifications. Most areas of our business will require you to study as part of your development programme but some qualifications are optional. Professional qualifications commonly studied by our graduates include: As a market leader in all our businesses, we are able to offer our graduates a highly attractive rewards package. In addition to a competitive salary and outstanding development prospects you will benefit from: • Institute and Faculty of Actuaries • Membership of our pension and life assurance schemes • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) • Chartered Insurance Institute • Pensions Management Institute 22 | aonearlycareers.co.uk We recognise studying while you’re learning a new role can be difficult – and we expect you to progress quickly. So our study packages are generous both in terms of study leave and exam bonuses to ensure your success. • Access to private healthcare • Employee assistance in the form of confidential, impartial advice to help you deal with everyday issues including legal and consumer advice. • Access to flexible benefits which allows you to choose the benefits that are important to you – including travel and dental insurance, health protection, discounted gym membership and the opportunity to buy or sell holiday days aonearlycareers.co.uk | 23 100% chance of improving your prospects “In my opinion, the study package offered at Aon is second-to-none and one that fits perfectly with my work-life balance.” Harry, University of Warwick Investment Analyst, Investment Consulting Summer Internships Our paid summer internships last for nine weeks. They are designed to give you an insight into our business, an understanding of our culture and an invaluable opportunity to help us forge lasting legacies with worthy causes through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. During your placement, you will be contributing to our business and taking on real responsibility. You will be supported by a ‘buddy’, a mentor and comprehensive training to give you the necessary technical knowledge and business skills. In line with our CSR policies, we’ll also challenge you to make a difference. You’ll be involved in group charity projects which help local communities allowing you to demonstrate your ability to work with clients, as well as develop team working and communication skills. 24 | aonearlycareers.co.uk Although an internship does not guarantee a place on our Graduate Programme, a significant proportion of our summer interns have gone on to embark on a successful career with Aon. “Every day brings variety and it’s rare that I spend all day at my desk; it’s a very sociable job which depends hugely upon building relationships. Going forward I see many opportunities for development and progression within my specialism and within Aon itself.” Claire, University of Bristol Broker and previous summer intern, Insurance, Reinsurance and Risk Management Internships are open to students at university who are predicted to gain at least a 2:1 or equivalent and can show commercial awareness, ambition and enthusiasm. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 25 100% chance of meeting your match Our Values One of the key differentiators between Aon and our competitors is our people and how they behave with our clients and each other. How we do things is just as important as what we do. In our application and selection process, we look for candidates who share our values and have the potential to integrate our five principles into their roles – and thrive. Our principles are: 3. Building differentiated capability 1. Delivering distinctive client value This means we innovate to solve our clients’ problems. Innovation is focused and comes from a deep understanding of our own and our customers’ businesses. This means that our people are empowered to make an impact, building relationships and using their knowledge and the best available resources at Aon to provide clients with distinctive solutions to their challenges. 2. Developing unmatched teams This means we identify and develop talented individuals. We create high-performing teams by encouraging continuous learning and development, giving honest feedback and providing positive management. 26 | aonearlycareers.co.uk 4. Delivering business results This means we go the extra mile and use everything at our disposal to deliver with excellence. 5. Living the values of Aon This means we act with integrity at all times, making a positive impact on colleagues, clients and communities alike. We want our people to be proud of Aon and the values we stand for. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 27 100% chance of making the right start We wish you the best of luck with the application process. To explore it in more detail, please visit the application process section on: aonearlycareers.co.uk Application Process We want our application process to be a two-way street. We get to know more about you. You get to know more about us. That way, we can all arrive at the right decision. Below is a brief summary of each stage of the process so you’ll know exactly what to expect: Stage 1 – Online Application Stage 2 – Situational Judgement Test This is your first chance to make a good impression. So be sure to make it count. As well as looking at your academic achievements, we’ll be looking for evidence that you’re a well-rounded individual with bags of potential. Keep this front of mind when responding. This online test puts forward a number of challenging and realistic scenarios to which there are a range of possible solutions. You’ll be asked to select how desirable each solution is based on the information provided. 28 | aonearlycareers.co.uk Stage 3 – Numerical Test (Actuarial Consulting - Pensions, Investment Consulting and Human Capital Consulting Streams only) This test has been specifically designed to assess your understanding of tables of statistical and numerical data, as well as your ability to make logical deductions. Stage 5 – Final Interview In some instances, you may be invited to a final formal interview which will focus on: • Your knowledge about our business and the industry • Your motivation • Your attitude. Stage 4 – Assessment Centre Next, we’ll put you to the test through a range of group and individual exercises, as well as asking you to complete two prepared presentations, an interview and a fact-find exercise. Depending on your performance, you could be offered a position at this stage. aonearlycareers.co.uk | 29 100% behind you For more information and to apply, please visit our website aonearlycareers.co.uk Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of insurance mediation activities only. Aon Hewitt Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Published by Aon UK Limited. Registered office: 8 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4PL. © Aon UK Limited, 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any way or by any means, including photocopying or recording, without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the copyright holder. This document has been produced using a minimum of 50% recycled material from a sustainable forest. Scan the QR code to be 100% better informed.