Campus Club ambassador Guruprasad Mukund shares his top tips for landing an actuarial internship, from researching your interviewers to mastering technical questions. Follow his advice to walk into your interview with confidence.
Internship interviews are important, life-changing events for students. Here are some tips to help you prepare!
Instead of stating that you resonate with the company's values, explain which specific values you resonate with and why.
1. Be Punctual and Dress Formally
First impressions matter. Arrive on time and dress professionally to show you take the opportunity seriously.
Connect with former interns [and] mention these conversations in your interview!
2. Do Your Research
Check the company’s About Us page and the Newsroom. Instead of stating that you resonate with the company's values, explain which specific values you resonate with and why.
For technical interviewers, ask about their role in the context of recent company news. For both technical and non-technical interviewers, ask personalized questions (e.g., "What got you interested in company XYZ?").
Lastly, ask questions about the internship. Some examples include:
- "What is the study program like?"
- "How are interns assigned to rotations?"
Additionally, connect with former interns (especially alumni) via LinkedIn to learn more about their experiences. Mention these conversations in your interview!
3. Prepare Your Responses
Using your research, craft 1.5–2 minute answers for behavioral questions using the STAR method. Check job sites (e.g., Glassdoor) for company-specific questions and adapt your answers to demonstrate how your experiences align with the role.
For technical interviews, here are four common question types and how to prepare:
- Casing questions — Practice explaining your thought process clearly, and join actuarial case competitions to gain exposure.
- Understanding specific types of insurance (e.g., life insurance) — Generate a brief overview with AI and study it.
- Technical project — Take a programming class, create a coding project, and explain how it works using the STAR method.
- Excel assessments — Take courses to review beginner-to-advanced Excel skills.
Be ready to explain anything on your resume, proofread with AI, and practice until you are fluent!
Be ready to explain anything on your resume, proofread with AI, and practice until you are fluent!
4. Practice with Mock Interviews
Ask the Career Center and upperclassmen for mock interviews to strengthen your interviewing skills. Follow these tips, crush your interview, and land your dream actuarial internship!
About the Author
Guruprasad Mukund is a junior at NYU Stern studying finance, mathematics, and Mandarin. He has passed Exams P and FM and will be an actuarial intern at MetLife in the upcoming summer. He currently serves as co-president of the NYU Actuarial Society (NYU ActSoc) and has previously served as vice president of mentorship and webmaster. In ActSoc, he works with the executive board to raise awareness about actuarial science and connect NYU students with actuarial career opportunities. A fun fact: Guruprasad is actually more fluent in Mandarin than Hindi!