Insider profil
Keen to receive questions about
Top Insider Advice
I understand this isn't for everyone but we're in a business and company which thrives on change so we should be accustomed to it. Change is good for your career progression and also ties in with personal challenge which helps with development. You don't know whether your good at something until you've tried it and you'll be surprised how the skills gained in one role can be translated and enhanced in another.
Career path
Senior Review Actuary
Phoenix Group
From 06/2005 to 06/2024Company
What do you like about your job and the company?
I used to moan about having too much work and things constantly changing, but then when projects landed and work got more manageable, I'd find myself having itchy feet and wanting to find something more challenging. That's a good thing about Phoenix, the business is changing so much, that each valuation, each annual review (of anything) isn't the same as the previous one. There's also plenty of projects on the go which means more opportunity for seconding / moving onto one, and also plenty of secondment / role opportunities in other actuarial teams in Phoenix.
Greatest achievements
Sounds cheesy, but there's a few to choose from including qualifying as an actuary, winning the Phoenix football tournament a number of times (despite not being that great), running two marathons (with minimal training) and becoming a family man. However, I've chosen the example above because the latest career step-up always seemed far off and a large leap. But I took on a lot of constructive feedback, a lot of knocks along the way but my previous managers put a lot of faith in me. I took myself out of my comfort zone to take on a project role which was a stretch for me and proved to myself and others that I had to skills to do the role but could also improve myself to take ownership of the role and bring it into BAU.
Alexis A
Lead Business Analyst
Top Insider Advice
I started as a Pensions Administrator when I first joined the company. Since then, I have worked in Finance, Mortgages, Testing and then onto Analysis where I became a Lead managing others to develop in their role. The company is large, and opportunities are presented regularly to allow you to try out jobs you may have an interest in until you find the right job for you. The company also supports staff in life changing events allowing me to go part time and then when the kids are older to increase my hours to ensure I have the right work life balance.
Navdish W
Top Insider Advice
Throughout my career I have taken risks - I quit a role with no job lined up and more recently left a permanent position to join Phoenix on a 12-month fixed term contract, three years on I am still here (after securing a permanent position!). I appreciate not everyone is in a position to do this but those risks have truly paid off in shaping my career.
Jane A
Employer Brand Manager
Top Insider Advice
If you love doing something but don't have the 'typical' experience for the role, try it anyway or find a company who will give you the opportunity to. At Phoenix and in my previous roles I have tried new things either side-of-desk or via trying a new job and I've learned a lot by doing that. I think ultimately trying different things has led me to be really happy in my current job as I've figured out my strengths and what I genuinely enjoy doing. I appreciate that you need the right environment for that and I've been fortunate enough to work for a couple of organisations who have focused on internal talent and development opportunities. This year I'm doing work in areas that I didn't know much about 12 months ago, and learning about more complex topics and processes which may not outwardly be directly associated with my day-to-day job but will help me when I'm considering what's next!
