The first time I really considered career when making any decision was in choosing my degree. I really enjoyed Maths in school and so I thought I might like to pursue an actuarial career. I (wrongly) thought that if I did an actuarial-specific degree, I would be limiting myself to this career path and I didn’t feel I was in a position to make that decision at age 18. So I did a BSc in Financial Maths and Economics in NUIG. While I enjoyed the course and loved living in Galway, the course only offered a handful of exemptions from actuarial exams so when I did decide to pursue a career as an actuary, I was left with a longer and more difficult journey than would otherwise have been the case. I initially went into a traditional actuarial role in Mercer with some general pensions consultancy also. While I got great experience in various teams and have always worked with lovely, hard-working, driven people, I’ve only really started to enjoy my job since moving to Investment.

I was already working in Mercer when my current job was advertised. I was working in a very technical role at the time. While I didn’t dislike it, working on Excel the majority of the time was not for me. I find Investments a more vibrant area, it’s dynamic and I enjoy dealing with clients on a more frequent basis than in a traditional actuarial role.

Every day starts the same…I look at two things: 1. Bloomberg’s “5 things you need to know to start your day” and 2. my “to-do” list in Excel. Everything in my to-do list is colour-coded, depending on how urgent it is. I have a plan for every day but I rarely complete the tasks I had intended to as you’ll get an “urgent” email / call / Teams message from a colleague or client that interrupts your plan and it goes from there! I find prioritising is a major part of every day, with the most “urgent” task on my list changing as the day goes on.

My day-to-day work entails preparing meeting papers for upcoming client meetings, progressing actions from previous client meetings and responding to emails. People management consumes a chunk of my time – with a growing client base and a few people moving internally within Mercer, hiring is also a feature of my role.

I find my days busy and I have to be flexible and willing to adapt when unexpected issues arise during the day. While sometimes, I do crave 2 uninterrupted hours to focus on a particular task, I really enjoy regularly interacting with colleagues and clients alike. If I have a client meeting on a particular day, I’ll set aside some time to prep for that. Deadlines are a key feature of every day. You need lots of energy to stay on top of everything, monitor deadlines and ensure tasks are progressing well.

My primary role is as investment consultant to a range of clients, predominantly trustees of defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes. Responsibilities include managing these clients on a day-to-day basis, providing proactive advice and recommendations on a range of investment-related issues.

Additionally, I meet with clients to review current investment arrangements, discuss market and industry developments and potential strategy changes to consider / implement. I would also be involved in overseeing the implementation of any investment changes agreed. It’s also important to liaise with colleagues across other departments to ensure a consistent approach is taken across the board.

I also have a people management role. This entails having responsibility for more junior colleagues’ training and development.

Finally, I also have revenue targets, both on behalf of myself but also those who report into me.

Staying in control of my to-do list is the main challenge… You need to be very organised in this job. You need to plan ahead, know what meetings are coming up, make sure those who work with you on a particular client are aware of the upcoming meeting and what’s required for it.

Keeping up-to-speed can be challenging – what’s moving markets, any developments with investment managers or funds. Sustainability continues to gather momentum and it can be challenging to stay up-to-date with regulatory developments in that area.

The job can be tiring. I find it takes a lot of energy and proactivity to keep on top of all the tasks that are ongoing with all my clients…to keep projects moving. At times, it can feel like you’re being pulled in different directions and it’s really important not to drop a ball.

Having said that, I’m very lucky to work in a team of highly-motivated, hard-working and conscientious people. We work well together as a team, helping each other out as and when necessary. There’s always someone ready and willing to help if you have a problem or if you simply need to bounce an idea off someone.

I love people management and I love building a rapport with my busiest clients who I’m in frequent contact with. The ability to build strong relationships with clients is important in this job and it’s something I enjoy.

Definitely drafting meeting minutes. I don’t think anyone enjoys that.

My background in other areas of Mercer is definitely beneficial in understanding the “bigger picture” for clients. On a practical level, it also means I know people in other departments better than I otherwise would. Having a good rapport with colleagues both within your own department but also more broadly across Mercer makes life much easier at work.

Genuine desire to achieve the best outcomes for clients and colleagues alike. As clichéd as it might sound, I find helping clients and members of my team is the most satisfying aspect of my job. If you want what’s best for your clients then you’re half-way there to doing a good job.

I chose Biology, Chemistry, Applied Maths and Accounting for my Leaving Cert. All largely irrelevant!

With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I’d done Economics but it can be difficult to know at age 18 what job you’ll end up in and what subjects would be beneficial.

I have a BSc in Financial Maths and Economics from NUIG, I’m a QFA and an actuary.

My job is very client-centric. For me, the most rewarding days are those where you’ve put a lot of work into a meeting, there’s a good discussion about, say, investment strategy and some constructive decisions are made. It can be particularly rewarding to help those clients who don’t work in investments day-to-day and so require more guidance.

It’s very rewarding to be involved in a successful project that extends over a few months…I can think of a few projects that caused me to lose sleep but were well worth it in the end when the job was done and done well and, most importantly, the client is happy.

I’m organised and know how to prioritise. My working day is full of deadlines with lots of tasks on the go simultaneously so you need a fool proof method for staying on top of your workload. There are never enough hours in the day so being able to prioritise is very important. You need to know what’s most important.

And you need to know the difference between jobs you “have” to do and jobs you’d ideally like to get done but sometimes simply can’t. It can be helpful to categorise tasks as one of “Do it, Delegate it, Defer it, Dump it”!

I like to think I’m diligent. I want to do the best I can for both my clients and for those who report into me. I don’t cut corners.

I’m able to put myself in someone else’s shoes. It’s important to think of things from the client’s perspective. Each client has their own unique set of objectives, their own risk appetite and clients’ investment expertise can vary greatly too. It’s important to step back and think about things from their point so view. The same principle applies when dealing with colleagues.

My dream job would be to work in a theme park such as Legoland or Disneyland. I love rollercoasters. Sadly, I don’t see my career heading in that direction…

I always knew I’d prefer a “Monday to Friday” type job with regular hours where you can plan ahead more easily and have two consecutive days off each week. Since I’ve had kids, it works well to be off at weekends. I feel I’ve got job security in my current role and I like that there’s a clear progression path, with ample opportunities to progress for those who wish to avail of them.

In terms of education, people on my team are generally either actuaries or hold the CFA qualification. While I’m an actuary, I would advise anyone setting out on this career path to head down the CFA route. It’s (arguably) more relevant and, while the exams are very challenging, there are “only” three of them, so even if you’re finding it tough, at least the end is always in sight!

Having a genuine interest in markets and the world around us is a big benefit.

As a consultant, you need to enjoy dealing with people. The key skills required are strong communication skills – both with clients and colleagues alike. Team work. I’m lucky to work on a great team in Mercer, with a strong team spirit – I’m surrounded by very professional people who are obliging and keen to help each other out.

In terms of advice, don’t under-estimate the skills you’re developing while still a student – regardless of what career you choose, communication skills are really important. Any presentation you do in school or college is fantastic experience. Any part-time or summer job you have is so helpful in developing really important life-skills that will stand to you in any career e.g. the ability to work well as part of a team, meeting deadlines, prioritising etc.

• Having the right balance between being diligent and being pragmatic
• Good communication skills
• Proactivity – keeping on top of projects and keeping them moving / progressing…sometimes I feel I spend nearly as much time managing my workload as I do actually working!

People saying “I’ll have that for you by Wednesday”….Wednesday comes and goes but the task isn’t done…

Probably not! I’ve done more than my fair share of exams!

Investment Consultant