Actuarial student program

Are you an aspiring actuary? Sun Life has developed a supportive environment that will give you the resources you need to be successful. Our Actuarial student programs are a great way for you to:

Are you an aspiring actuary? Sun Life has developed a supportive environment that will give you the resources you need to be successful. Our Actuarial student programs are a great way for you to:

Accelerate your leadership development 

Learn from business leaders you work alongside and see how we lead as actuaries to help drive business success. 

You'll participate in a rotational program and get the opportunity to experience different areas of our business. 

Make an impact that matters in the real world 

Here is your chance to work on real, challenging problems that have a direct impact on the results and success of both our company and our Clients. 

We’ll look to you to help solve problems that don't always have an easy or existing answer and that may require new and innovative solutions. 

Collaborate with other high performers in a supportive team environment 

We work in a fun, open and collaborative environment. 

We have a great team with diverse backgrounds and we continue to look for more great members. 

You'll receive guidance from colleagues who have gone through the program already. These colleagues become friends and a support system. 

Preparing for the exams 

As an actuarial analyst in the program, you'll get the opportunity to rotate among different areas within Sun Life. This way, you'll gain exposure to different fields of actuarial work and find the area that's most interesting – and most suited – to you. 

The Actuarial Development Program will help you pass the actuarial exams and develop the skills necessary for success in the actuarial field. Sponsored by the Society of Actuaries, this is an intense series of exams that requires dedication, commitment and the discipline to maximize study time. You'll receive time off from work to study, compensation incentives for passing exams and exam fee reimbursement. 

Student opportunities 

In addition to our full-time actuarial staff, we also provide opportunities for internships by offering roles for students currently enrolled in a university program. You'll work on quality projects and gain valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities the actuarial profession can offer. Get a head start on your career – and start developing the skills you'll need before you graduate. 

Frequently asked questions 

If you're an actuarial student interested in a future with Sun Life, you may be curious about a few of these topics:

We offer paid internships throughout the year in a variety of areas. The summer internship is a 10-week program, which begins in early June. These roles are for students who are in the process of completing their university education. During your time with us, you will have challenging work and be part of the actuarial community. This includes participating in education sessions and taking part in social events.

The Actuarial Development Program is a package of benefits created to foster an environment that will help you pass your actuarial exams and develop your actuarial skills. As a member of the Actuarial Development Program, you will be exposed to a wide variety of actuarial experiences in diverse business units through our rotation program. Our competitive study program will assist you in progressing through actuarial exams, and enable you to apply the knowledge you gain from your studies to current actuarial issues. You will also have opportunities to expand your knowledge through formal education sessions and to meet other actuarial students and actuaries at Sun Life through social events.

The rotation program gives full-time actuarial analysts the opportunity to broaden their actuarial and business experience and develop into well-rounded actuaries. As part of this program, you will rotate every 18-24 months to another team within Sun Life (e.g., Group Benefits, Individual Insurance, Specialty Products, Asset and Liability Management, and Central Actuarial). Rotating among different roles helps you improve your technical skills and enhance your leadership abilities by allowing you to see different areas of our business and work with different leaders. The majority of rotations occur within the same work location.

The Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, in particular Excel and Excel-related Visual Basic programming will be essential to your success. We use industry-related applications such as AXIS (a Moody’s Analytics modeling system) and other specialized actuarial and financial software for advanced forecasting and projecting. This is just a sample of the commercial software packages used for pricing, reserving and risk management. Students typically learn to use specialized software while on the job. A basic understanding of computer science can be useful.

Sun Life is an established and trusted name in insurance and financial services, with offices and operations in key markets around the world. Our worldwide headquarters is in Toronto, Ontario. U.S. actuarial roles are located within our Wellesley (MA), Windsor (CT), Portland, ME and Kansas City (MO) offices. However, due to the current pandemic, Sun Life has moved to a work from home environment, which we see continuing for the long-term.

Before you even considered joining Sun Life, you may have seen us when we visited your university. Typically, we send an actuarial recruiting team to several schools and often run events on campus at universities at other times throughout the year. Additionally, virtual events and information sessions are held during the academic year and can be found on your school’s careers site 

As soon as you start working at Sun Life, you will be paired up with a more experienced actuarial student who will assist you in navigating the actuarial student program, introduce you to other actuarial students and answer questions you have about Sun Life. 

The Actuarial Community hosts meetings and forums each year sponsored by the Chief Actuary. Community meetings are used for general news and information-sharing, while forums are used as teaching sessions for advanced topics. 

In addition to the work-related events, there are also social events throughout the year. These are great opportunities to get to know other students and actuaries across the company.

Sun Life’s Actuarial Development Program provides coverage for exam fees and study materials as well as paid time off for studying and bonuses for passing exams. Please consult your recruiter for details.

We are looking for bright people with the potential to develop into well-rounded actuaries. In particular, we look for people who are: 

• Well-rounded both in academics and extra-curricular activities 

• Strong academic performers 

• Demonstrated commitment and intention to pass actuarial exams; (For full time employment, we require at least two exams or one exam with an applicable internship 

• Technically inclined 

• Solid leaders and communicators 

• Fast learners 

• Decisive and get positive results 

•  Collaborative

We have operations in many countries and an increasing presence in key worldwide markets. This opens up global opportunities for employees seeking an exciting challenge. Short-term or long-term actuarial opportunities may arise in Canada, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, India and the U.K.

Yes. We are committed to helping you increase your technical and business skills as well as supporting you in meeting the Continuing Professional Development requirements. So, we offer regular education sessions on a variety of topics, through internal speakers, external speakers or industry-wide webcasts.

To learn about our application process and what you can expect - read our FAQ

Group insurance policies are underwritten by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, MA) in all states, except New York. In New York group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, MI). Product offerings may not be available in all states and may vary depending on state laws and regulations.

SLPC 30733 08/23 (exp. 08/25)