What you'll learn
- Find analyst and actuarial internships
- Identify what employers screen for in actuarial, statistics and OR roles
- Plan a focused, early and tailored application campaign
Find analyst, statistical and actuarial internships and entry roles, and prepare to apply.
Why this matters
Most people in these careers get their first job through an internshipA temporary role that gives real data, deadlines and a reference, and often leads to a permanent job. or an entry-level programme. Internships give you real data, real deadlines and a reference, and many employers hire interns into permanent roles. Knowing where to look, what employers screen for and when to apply makes the search much more effective.
Where the jobs are
| Career | Typical employers | Entry titles to search |
|---|---|---|
| Statistician | Government statistical agencies, pharmaceutical and clinical research companies, health systems, research institutes, tech companies, universities | Statistical analyst, research assistant, statistical programmer, biostatistician I, survey statistician, data analyst |
| Actuary | Life, health and property and casualty insurers, reinsurers, consulting firms, pension administrators, regulators | Actuarial intern, actuarial analyst, actuarial assistant, pricing analyst |
| Operations research analyst | Airlines, logistics and delivery companies, manufacturers, retailers, hospitals, defence and government, consultancies | Operations research analyst, operations analyst, supply chain analyst, decision science analyst, analytics associate |
In the US, federal agencies post jobs and student programmes at usajobs.gov. Government statistical agencies and defence organisations hire many statisticians and OR analysts. Checked on 2026-10-23.
What employers screen for
For actuarial internships, exam progressThe number of actuarial exams passed, a major screening factor for actuarial internships. is a major factor. Many employers look for at least one passed preliminary exam (often Exam P or FM), along with strong grades in math courses, spreadsheet skills and some programming. The SOA and CAS student site beanactuary.org has internship and career guidance. Checked on 2026-10-23.
For statistics roles, employers look for coursework in probability, statistics and regression, experience with R, Python or SAS, and evidence of analysis such as a project, research assistantship or consulting work.
For OR and analyst roles, employers look for optimisation or simulation coursework, Python or a modelling language, SQL, spreadsheet skills and a project that solved a practical decision problem.
All three value clear communication. Many interviews include explaining a past project to a non-specialist.
Timing
Large employers often recruit for summer internships many months ahead, sometimes starting in late summer or autumn of the previous year. Smaller companies and public agencies may post later. Check postings and university careers services early, and keep a calendar of deadlines.
Worked example: a focused search
Kai is a third-year math student who has passed Exam P and wants an actuarial internship.
- Titles: actuarial intern, actuarial analyst intern, pricing analyst intern.
- Sources: the careers pages of a few insurers and consultancies, the university careers portal, beanactuary.org, and a state insurance regulator's student programme.
- Gap checkComparing the requirements in postings with your own skills to find what you need to strengthen.: most postings mention Excel and "exam progress"; several prefer SQL or Python. Kai has strong Excel and Exam P, some Python, no SQL.
- Plan: take a free SQL course this month, add a small claims-frequency project to the CV, and register for Exam FM.
- Networking: attend the university's actuarial club meeting and ask a visiting actuary what their team looks for in interns.
- Applications: submit to eight internships, each with a CV adjusted to the posting's top three requirements.
Applying well
- One-page CV with relevant courses, exams passed, technical skills, projects (with a one-line result each) and work experience.
- TailorTo adjust your CV and cover note to the main requirements of each posting. the CV and cover note to each posting's main requirements.
- Prepare stories about a project: the question, your method, the result and what you would do differently.
- Expect technical questions: probability puzzles, interpreting a regression, a spreadsheet exercise or a simple SQL query.
- Follow up politely after interviews.
If you do not land an internship
Other strong options: a research assistant role with a professor, a statistics or analytics job in a non-profit or campus office, a case competition, or an independent project using public data (previous lesson). Entry analyst roles in related areas such as data analysis, underwriting support or operations can also lead into these careers.
Common mistakes
- Applying too late. Large programmes can fill months ahead.
- Sending the same CV everywhere. Match it to each posting.
- Listing tools without evidence. "Python" means more with a project behind it.
- Ignoring the public sector. Government agencies are major employers of statisticians and OR analysts.
- Neglecting exams if you are aiming at actuarial work.
Quick recap
- Search several titles at insurers, agencies, health and research organisations, logistics and consulting firms.
- Actuarial internships weigh exam progress; statistics and OR roles weigh coursework, programming and projects.
- Apply early, tailor each application and prepare to explain a project clearly.
Try it
Open the Do tab and build a target list with a gap table and an application plan.
Key terms (4)
- internship
- A temporary role that gives real data, deadlines and a reference, and often leads to a permanent job.
- exam progress
- The number of actuarial exams passed, a major screening factor for actuarial internships.
- Gap check
- Comparing the requirements in postings with your own skills to find what you need to strengthen.
- Tailor
- To adjust your CV and cover note to the main requirements of each posting.