Matthew Masenheimer
Risk Management Summer 2019
Video |
Role
Health Consulting Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
As a health consulting intern, I was responsible for supporting the health consulting team on a variety of tasks. In general, the program was relatively unstructured, allowing each intern to carve out their niche and work more frequently on work they found interesting, while developing relationships with members of the health practice. Throughout my time at Mercer, I was exposed to tons of different types of work, all of which was something that assisted the client in some way. Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
The buddy program at Mercer helped ease the transition into the workforce and gave me someone I felt reaching out to with my "dumb" questions. In addition, since we got our work from analysts/senior analysts mainly, this immediately helped me begin building my internal network.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
100%. Although it's hard to mimic real life work in class because each company is going to have different processes in place for various tasks, my RMI classes at Temple helped give me a strong basis of knowledge that I was able to apply to my day to day work.
Were you assigned any special projects?
One of the main projects that interns worked on throughout the summer was the completion of the annual Mercer Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans. This survey is an aggregation of data surrounding employer health and wellness plans. The data found from the survey is used for a number of purposes moving into the next plan year.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
There were plenty of opportunities to have lunch with vendors and carriers, attend happy hours with both coworkers and vendors, as well as a few other cool perks such as the Insurance Softball Tournament and our Phillies Tailgate.
Describe the company's internship program.
Mercer provided a wonderful experience through the internship program. The atmosphere allowed me to further myself both from a knowledge standpoint and a networking standpoint. Everyone I worked alongside at the company was more than willing to help out in any way they could so that we as interns could learn as much as possible. The workload definitely had peaks and valleys throughout the summer but that's normal for any company. The outside of work activities like the tailgate, happy hours, and softball tournament were great opportunities to get to know the other interns and our coworkers even better on a personal level.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes, I think the individuals I spoke with throughout the hiring process very clearly laid out the expectations of the program and what we would be able to get out of it.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Aside from holidays (like the 4th of July), not explicitly. However, other interns had some vacations/outside circumstances that necessitated some time off and the company was more than willing to accommodate on a case-by-case basis it seemed.
Health Consulting Intern
Location
Philadelphia
When did you work there?
Summer 2019
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
As a health consulting intern, I was responsible for supporting the health consulting team on a variety of tasks. In general, the program was relatively unstructured, allowing each intern to carve out their niche and work more frequently on work they found interesting, while developing relationships with members of the health practice. Throughout my time at Mercer, I was exposed to tons of different types of work, all of which was something that assisted the client in some way. Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
The buddy program at Mercer helped ease the transition into the workforce and gave me someone I felt reaching out to with my "dumb" questions. In addition, since we got our work from analysts/senior analysts mainly, this immediately helped me begin building my internal network.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
100%. Although it's hard to mimic real life work in class because each company is going to have different processes in place for various tasks, my RMI classes at Temple helped give me a strong basis of knowledge that I was able to apply to my day to day work.
Were you assigned any special projects?
One of the main projects that interns worked on throughout the summer was the completion of the annual Mercer Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans. This survey is an aggregation of data surrounding employer health and wellness plans. The data found from the survey is used for a number of purposes moving into the next plan year.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
There were plenty of opportunities to have lunch with vendors and carriers, attend happy hours with both coworkers and vendors, as well as a few other cool perks such as the Insurance Softball Tournament and our Phillies Tailgate.
Describe the company's internship program.
Mercer provided a wonderful experience through the internship program. The atmosphere allowed me to further myself both from a knowledge standpoint and a networking standpoint. Everyone I worked alongside at the company was more than willing to help out in any way they could so that we as interns could learn as much as possible. The workload definitely had peaks and valleys throughout the summer but that's normal for any company. The outside of work activities like the tailgate, happy hours, and softball tournament were great opportunities to get to know the other interns and our coworkers even better on a personal level.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes, I think the individuals I spoke with throughout the hiring process very clearly laid out the expectations of the program and what we would be able to get out of it.
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Aside from holidays (like the 4th of July), not explicitly. However, other interns had some vacations/outside circumstances that necessitated some time off and the company was more than willing to accommodate on a case-by-case basis it seemed.
Christian Mozeleski
Risk Management Summer 2018
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Role
Health & Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI Major, Marketing Minor
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Assist Analysts and consultants with day to day tasks including: PCORI estimates, 5500 forms, Mercer Surveys, and Benchmarking.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
Help find work to do and answer questions about the work that was given
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Conversational based. 4 groups of 2 people, 30 minutes each.
Were you assigned any special projects?
No presentation or formal project. I did work on long term project involving STD throughout the summer, among other things.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunches a few times a week. Happy hours most weeks. Office also had a Phillies game outing.
Describe the company's internship program.
Very relaxed atmosphere. Work load varied by the week, generally had to ask for work to be given. Easy commute from temple. Everyone was very friendly and easy to get along with both in and outside of work.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Off for 4th of July. Other than that I didn't ask; however, I'm sure they would be willing to work with you if needed.
Health & Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI Major, Marketing Minor
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Assist Analysts and consultants with day to day tasks including: PCORI estimates, 5500 forms, Mercer Surveys, and Benchmarking.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
Help find work to do and answer questions about the work that was given
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
Conversational based. 4 groups of 2 people, 30 minutes each.
Were you assigned any special projects?
No presentation or formal project. I did work on long term project involving STD throughout the summer, among other things.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunches a few times a week. Happy hours most weeks. Office also had a Phillies game outing.
Describe the company's internship program.
Very relaxed atmosphere. Work load varied by the week, generally had to ask for work to be given. Easy commute from temple. Everyone was very friendly and easy to get along with both in and outside of work.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Off for 4th of July. Other than that I didn't ask; however, I'm sure they would be willing to work with you if needed.
Hannah Song
Risk Management Summer 2018
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Role
Health and Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Assisted consultants
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
Gave me work, answered all of my questions
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Were you assigned any special projects?
No
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunches, happy hours
Describe the company's internship program
Welcoming atmosphere, everyone was very open and willing to answer any questions. Work load varied by day
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
July 4th
Health and Benefits Intern
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Please list your major(s) and minor(s).
RMI
Provide a general description of the work at your internship.
Assisted consultants
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
Gave me work, answered all of my questions
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Yes
Were you assigned any special projects?
No
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay?
Lunches, happy hours
Describe the company's internship program
Welcoming atmosphere, everyone was very open and willing to answer any questions. Work load varied by day
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
July 4th
Brenna Horan
Provide a General Description of the Internship. Include daily tasks completed, the company and its employees, and any other information.
A typical work day started at 9 am. For about 2 weeks of my internship, I was working on a data audit for a large client. This required me looking into the raw data from the client and the data that we had previously on the client and comparing the two to make sure that all data such as DOB, SSN, Name, etc were correct as they would be needed for our pension valuation. I worked on roughly 2 benefit calculations per week. These popped up randomly throughout the week and needed to be completed within the day and the next. If I ever had a day that was slow, the company offered modules for their interns and new hires that could be completed when time permitted. This modules included information on life contingencies, interest theory, data reconciliation, and retirement in general. I also worked on an intern project doing market research for new business for the company, creating a presentation that would be given at the end of the internship. We had a half hour for lunch each day and the typical end of day time was5:30pm.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
My mentor was awesome. She checked in on us every morning to make sure that we were on schedule for the things we were working on, or to ask us if our work load was light and she could pass something off. She sat down with us many times throughout the semester to talk about how the internship was going and if we had any comments or concerns. In those meetings, she would also give us advice and ask us our opinions about how the summer was going.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
I think they provided a solid foundation for a lot of the work I did. The things I learned in the classroom helped with my understanding of calculating accrued benefits. We did have templates that were formatted to calculate the benefits, but in special cases, which was a lot of the benefits we did, some manipulation of the tool was needed, so it was good to know how to do it by hand so that you could break the formulas down and figure out what was actually needed fora particular calculation.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I went to the Career Reception and within the few days that followed received an email for an onsite interview. At my onsite interview, I was asked which 3 places I wouldn't mind working, since my resume said "willing to relocate." I was called by the Norwalk office in mid November about coming to the office for an onsite interview. My interview was on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I met with about 10 people throughout my day at Mercer. I spent about 30 minutes with each person and they asked me basic interview questions and also asked me about my interests outside the classroom. I received my offer the next day and had a week to let them know my decision
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I was assigned to work on an experience study for one of our clients. In this study, I analyzed retirement and turnover for the company from the previous year. We also looked at form of payment, lump sum, and payment analysis. Each analysis was done to check against the assumptions that we had made for the company and how close the actual results were. From that information, we could make our recommendations to the company regarding their retirement and turnover and what they could expect of their workforce over the next year.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
I received a stipend at the beginning of the summer that helped me pay for my housing. We were not allowed to have paid study time, but we were allowed to come in early or stay late after work to do so. There were only 2 happy hours and we went to the company softball game once at the end of the summer.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
It was a very collaborative atmosphere. Everyone sat at cubicles, but if you needed to ask someone a question or tell them something, they were within talking distance. Mercer offered modules for the interns and their new hires that covered basic retirement information and practices, life contingencies, interest theory, data reconciliation, and more. I complete about 4 before my internship was over. They were very involved and detailed and were really applicable to the work I was doing during my internship. My work load was steady. There was always at least one big project we were working on and we were able to helpful with smaller ones here and there as well. We also had a speaker series and a town hall series. The speaker series featured many colleagues across the country in the company and the town halls were specific to the actuarial interns
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
We had holidays such as the 4th of July off and also had a Friday where we only had a half day. They were very lenient if we needed to take a day off throughout the summer. We just needed to let out supervisor know in advance the day we would not be there
If you had to relocate, describe the process of adapting to a new city.
It was tough relocating at first. The other intern in the office lived about an hour outside of Norwalk and she commuted everyday, so down time was very lonely and boring sometimes. I did enjoy exploring Norwalk and seeing its sights. Norwalk is about an hour train ride outside NYC, so I also spent a few Saturdays in New York being a tourist.
A typical work day started at 9 am. For about 2 weeks of my internship, I was working on a data audit for a large client. This required me looking into the raw data from the client and the data that we had previously on the client and comparing the two to make sure that all data such as DOB, SSN, Name, etc were correct as they would be needed for our pension valuation. I worked on roughly 2 benefit calculations per week. These popped up randomly throughout the week and needed to be completed within the day and the next. If I ever had a day that was slow, the company offered modules for their interns and new hires that could be completed when time permitted. This modules included information on life contingencies, interest theory, data reconciliation, and retirement in general. I also worked on an intern project doing market research for new business for the company, creating a presentation that would be given at the end of the internship. We had a half hour for lunch each day and the typical end of day time was5:30pm.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
My mentor was awesome. She checked in on us every morning to make sure that we were on schedule for the things we were working on, or to ask us if our work load was light and she could pass something off. She sat down with us many times throughout the semester to talk about how the internship was going and if we had any comments or concerns. In those meetings, she would also give us advice and ask us our opinions about how the summer was going.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
I think they provided a solid foundation for a lot of the work I did. The things I learned in the classroom helped with my understanding of calculating accrued benefits. We did have templates that were formatted to calculate the benefits, but in special cases, which was a lot of the benefits we did, some manipulation of the tool was needed, so it was good to know how to do it by hand so that you could break the formulas down and figure out what was actually needed fora particular calculation.
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I went to the Career Reception and within the few days that followed received an email for an onsite interview. At my onsite interview, I was asked which 3 places I wouldn't mind working, since my resume said "willing to relocate." I was called by the Norwalk office in mid November about coming to the office for an onsite interview. My interview was on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I met with about 10 people throughout my day at Mercer. I spent about 30 minutes with each person and they asked me basic interview questions and also asked me about my interests outside the classroom. I received my offer the next day and had a week to let them know my decision
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I was assigned to work on an experience study for one of our clients. In this study, I analyzed retirement and turnover for the company from the previous year. We also looked at form of payment, lump sum, and payment analysis. Each analysis was done to check against the assumptions that we had made for the company and how close the actual results were. From that information, we could make our recommendations to the company regarding their retirement and turnover and what they could expect of their workforce over the next year.
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
I received a stipend at the beginning of the summer that helped me pay for my housing. We were not allowed to have paid study time, but we were allowed to come in early or stay late after work to do so. There were only 2 happy hours and we went to the company softball game once at the end of the summer.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
It was a very collaborative atmosphere. Everyone sat at cubicles, but if you needed to ask someone a question or tell them something, they were within talking distance. Mercer offered modules for the interns and their new hires that covered basic retirement information and practices, life contingencies, interest theory, data reconciliation, and more. I complete about 4 before my internship was over. They were very involved and detailed and were really applicable to the work I was doing during my internship. My work load was steady. There was always at least one big project we were working on and we were able to helpful with smaller ones here and there as well. We also had a speaker series and a town hall series. The speaker series featured many colleagues across the country in the company and the town halls were specific to the actuarial interns
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
We had holidays such as the 4th of July off and also had a Friday where we only had a half day. They were very lenient if we needed to take a day off throughout the summer. We just needed to let out supervisor know in advance the day we would not be there
If you had to relocate, describe the process of adapting to a new city.
It was tough relocating at first. The other intern in the office lived about an hour outside of Norwalk and she commuted everyday, so down time was very lonely and boring sometimes. I did enjoy exploring Norwalk and seeing its sights. Norwalk is about an hour train ride outside NYC, so I also spent a few Saturdays in New York being a tourist.
CJ Szafran
Provide a General Description of the Internship. Include daily tasks completed, the company and its employees, and any other information.
I assisted in consulting analyst functions on Mercer's online private exchange.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I worked along side Keith Dickey and all of his clients. He delegated certain projects to me and mentored me on what it takes to be an account manager.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I had 3 interviews including the intern reception. I had an offer within a couple hours after the final interview.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I worked on multiple client deliverables that were major parts of the consulting process (i.e stewardships, executive financial slides, marketing results deck, etc.)
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
We went to multiple happy hours, had training which came with lunches and a pizza party. They also took us to two Phillies games and the first one was in the company's box suite right behind home plate.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
Mercer was a really fun place to work. It was a work hard play harder atmosphere. At times, I had alot of work load and at times I had a lot of capacity. I did have some standard training videos that I completed.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Yes. My sister had graduation which they allowed me to attend and they allowed us to go to a company baseball outing.
I assisted in consulting analyst functions on Mercer's online private exchange.
Did you have a mentor?
Yes
If so, how did he/she help you during your internship?
I worked along side Keith Dickey and all of his clients. He delegated certain projects to me and mentored me on what it takes to be an account manager.
Did you feel your RMI/AS classes better prepared you for the internship?
Interviewing/Hiring Process Comments:
I had 3 interviews including the intern reception. I had an offer within a couple hours after the final interview.
Were you assigned any special projects? If so please describe.
I worked on multiple client deliverables that were major parts of the consulting process (i.e stewardships, executive financial slides, marketing results deck, etc.)
What were the supplemental benefits besides the pay? (Internship Lunches, Housing, Sports Games, Happy Hours, etc.)
We went to multiple happy hours, had training which came with lunches and a pizza party. They also took us to two Phillies games and the first one was in the company's box suite right behind home plate.
Describe the company's internship program(atmosphere, work load, work, housing, outside work activities, etc.).
Mercer was a really fun place to work. It was a work hard play harder atmosphere. At times, I had alot of work load and at times I had a lot of capacity. I did have some standard training videos that I completed.
Was the internship what you expected after the interviewing/hiring process?
Yes
Were you provided time off besides the weekend?
Yes. My sister had graduation which they allowed me to attend and they allowed us to go to a company baseball outing.