Mercer Application Process

Mercer's application process is clear and thorough. Our aim is to ensure that you get a real idea of what working at Mercer is like and that you get exposure to different members of our business. So not only are we ensuring that you are right for us, but you get the opportunity to decide if an open and encouraging workplace like Mercer is right for you. Please see below for a summary of the different stages of our process that you will complete:

An online application form - you will also need to attach your CV -which will be screened by a member of the graduate recruitment team.

A telephone interview - with a member of the graduate recruitment team.
The telephone interview can last for up to half an hour. The areas that will be covered are:

-Your academic history and CV
-Knowledge of Mercer, the role and the industry
-A few general competency based questions.

An assessment centre - usually held in the location you have applied to work in and you will meet both graduate recruitment and members of the business line that you have applied to. The day is designed to simulate a real day in the office and consists of:

-1 or 2 interviews
-Group task
-Presentation (topic given on the day)
-Verbal reasoning test
-Written tasks

Mercer Graduate Schemes

Mercer Graduate Schemes

The requirements for any position or at Mercer are a minimum of 300 UCAS points obtained in 3 subjects including a numerical or semi-numerical A level at a minimum of grade B, with at least a predicted/obtained 2:1 honours degree in a numerical or semi numerical degree discipline.

Graduate Schemes Available

There are a variety of graduate jobs available at Mercer. These include:

• Trainee Pensions Consultants
• Actuarial Trainees
• Benefits Trainees
• Retirement Analysts
• Investment Consultants
• Financial Strategy Analysts (FSG)
• Asset Transitions Coordinators (Sentinel)
• Reward Analysts

Trainee Pensions Consultants

As a key part of the Outsourcing team, graduates will play a vital role in providing comprehensive pension scheme management services and consulting advice to clients.

This is a great opportunity to develop specialist pensions’ knowledge, strong scheme management and client relationship skills. Day-to-day you’ll be researching, coordinating and delivering information from a range of sources. Working alongside other lines of businesses, you’ll be dealing with routine queries received from clients, scheme members and third parties.

As your career progresses you’ll develop specialist pensions knowledge, strong scheme management and client relationship skills. You’ll do so by researching, coordinating and delivering information from across a range of sources, thereby ensuring your success as a consultant.

As a Trainee Pensions Consultant you will complete the Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision, facilitated by the Pensions Management Institute [PMI]. The Advanced Diploma is a comprehensive and in-depth qualification aimed at retirement benefit professionals. To become an Associate of the Institute you need to complete 9 exams and have a minimum of 3 years’ work experience

Actuarial Trainees

An ideal opportunity for natural problem-solvers, this role involves advising clients on a range of issues relating to their retirement plans.

Working with a wide range of clients, you’ll advise on the design, funding, administration and communication of a host of retirement plans. You’ll help manage benefit plan-related risks too, while working alongside experienced consultants to deliver innovative solutions. We will also support you as you study towards completing the Actuarial qualification

Actuarial Trainees work with a diverse range of clients including both companies and trustees; on a range of pension plans – large and small; defined benefit and defined contribution; and on a wide range of topics and issues.

To become an Actuary you need to complete a total of 15 exams. Core topics include statistical modelling, economics, financial and actuarial mathematics, and then there is a choice of more specialist subjects including pensions and investments. Exemptions from some examinations are possible depending on your degree course. On average it takes approximately 4.5 years to qualify.

Benefits Trainees

This is a client-focused role which offers wide exposure to project management and all aspects of retirement benefits.

Focusing on ensuring that our clients receive a streamlined and effective service, you’ll draft communications and play a key role in the management and delivery of all kinds of projects. You’ll also get to complete a number of separate qualifications which will enable you to become an Associate of the Pensions Management Institute [PMI].

Benefits Trainees, work with a diverse range of clients including both companies and trustees on a range of pension plans, large and small, defined benefit and defined contribution and on a wide range of topics and projects.

You will complete the Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision, facilitated by the Pensions Management Institute [PMI]. The Advanced Diploma is a comprehensive and in-depth qualification aimed at retirement benefit professionals. To become an Associate of the Pensions Management Institute, you need to complete 9 exams and have a minimum of 3 years’ work experience.

Retirement Analysts

As part of a specialist team producing actuarial valuations for our clients, you’ll undertake a raft of important duties to assist in the completion of valuations.

As well as analysing pension membership data, performing calculations, reconciling data with previous valuations/accounts and completing standard summaries of data for internal clients, you can work towards gaining your Actuarial qualification.

Retirement Analysts join our Retirement Service Centre a specialist team that focuses on the production of actuarial valuations for our clients. You will perform a wide range of duties with respect to the completion of valuations, including analysing pension membership data, performing calculations, reconciling data with previous valuations/ accounts and completing standard summaries of data for internal clients.

Within the Retirement Service Centres, Retirement Analysts can elect to study the actuarial qualification. To become an Actuary you need to complete a total of 15 exams. Core topics include statistical modelling, economics, financial and actuarial mathematics, together with the established areas of actuarial work in investment, finance and asset management, life assurance, general insurance, pensions and employee benefits. Exemptions from some examinations are possible depending on your degree course. It takes approximately 4.5 years to qualify.

Investment Analysts

Investment Analysts perform a key role in helping to provide all aspects of investment advice to a range of clients. You will assist in the determination of appropriate investment strategies and manager structures for clients by producing monitoring reports and assisting with fund manager selection exercises.
All Investment Analysts complete the Investment Management Certificate and then elect to study towards becoming either an Actuary or a Chartered Financial Analyst [CFA] charterholder.

To become an Actuary you need to complete a total of 15 exams. Core topics include statistical modelling, economics, financial and actuarial mathematics, together with the established areas of actuarial work in investment, finance and asset management, life assurance, general insurance, pensions and employee benefits. Exemptions from some examinations are possible depending on your degree course. It usually takes approximately 4.5 years to complete.

To become a charterholder of the CFA you’ll need to complete 3 exams covering topic areas including; economics, financial reporting, equity Investments and more. It takes approximately 3 years to become a CFA charterholder.

Financial Strategy Analysts (FSG)

Financial Strategy Analysts work within a dedicated project team on a range of pension and risk consultancy projects for both trustee and corporate clients. You will work with a wide variety of IT tools and spreadsheets to adapt technical modelling tools to specific client situations.

This role will see you studying towards becoming an Actuary or a Chartered Financial Analyst [CFA] charterholder. Day-to-day, you’ll work with an array of IT tools and spreadsheets to adapt technical modelling tools to specific client situations.

All Financial Strategy Analysts complete the Investment Management Certificate and then elect to study towards becoming either an Actuary or a CFA charterholder.

To become an Actuary you need to complete a total of 15 exams and a paper. Core topics include statistical modelling, economics, financial and actuarial mathematics, together with the established areas of actuarial work in investment, finance and asset management, life assurance, general insurance, pensions and employee benefits. Exemptions from some examinations are possible depending on your degree course. It usually takes between 4.5 years to become qualified.

To become a charterholder of the CFA you’ll need to complete 3 exams covering topic areas including; economics, financial reporting, equity investments and more. It takes approximately 3 years to become a CFA charterholder.

Asset Transitions Coordinators

If you relish the thought of solving problems for clients, this role will see you helping companies who wish to change the investment strategy of their pension scheme.

It’s a risky business that demands strong project management and problem-solving skills to devise the most suitable transition strategy. Ultimately, it’ll be down to you to reduce the operational risks involved.

Within the European Mercer Sentinel® team we have six staff responsible for implementing all the asset transitions undertaken by Mercer on behalf of clients. Asset transitions occur when a client wishes to replace an investment manager or change the investment strategy of a pension scheme. If not well managed, asset transitions can prove to be very costly (both in terms of direct and indirect costs).

Mercer Sentinel was created as a specialist function within Mercer to ensure, amongst other roles, that the appropriate expertise is applied to asset transfers in order to reduce the operational risks involved. The role is very much focused on project management and problem solving skills.

All Asset Transitions Coordinators complete the Investment Management Certificate and then elect to study towards becoming either an Actuary or a Chartered Financial Analyst [CFA] charterholder.

To become an Actuary you need to complete a total of 15 exams. Core topics include statistical modelling, economics, financial and actuarial mathematics, together with the established areas of actuarial work in investment, finance and asset management, life assurance, general insurance, pensions and employee benefits. Exemptions from some examinations are possible depending on your degree course. On average it takes approximately 4.5 years to qualify.

To become a charterholder of the CFA you’ll need to complete 3 exams covering topic areas including; economics, financial reporting, equity investments and more. It takes approximately 3 years to become a CFA charterholder.

Rewards Analysts

Applying your numerical abilities, you’ll use statistical analysis to inform and develop solutions to the people issues affecting your clients’ business.

Day-to-day, you’ll undertake research and analysis into issues affecting business profitability, such as reward benchmarking, job structures and grading and measurement of business performance.

All Reward Analysts study for a MSc in Human Resource Management, enabling you to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development [CIPD]. It takes 2.5 years to complete and encompasses HR practitioner standards, specialist personnel & development as well as people management & development.

Now see - Mercer Interview Questions.

Mercer Interview Questions

Mercer Graduate Interview Questions

[Edit]
(also see Mercer application process)

Following the online application (see Mercer application process) the graduate interview process for Mercer is as follows:

• Telephone interview (competency based)
• First round interview
• Assessment day

	Your assistance is required to complete this section. Please help others by adding information. Click the 'Edit' button at the top to do so.

Telephone Interview

[Edit]

The Mercer graduate telephone interview will be competency based. You will also be asked about your education, the industry that Mercer operates in and about your service line and what you think you will be doing in your first year in that role. You will be asked about your knowledge of the professional examinations, your future plans and planned career.

The telephone interview lasts approximately 25 minutes. The interview is highly structured and it is likely your interviewer will be asking questions from a pre-written selection and writing your answers as you give them. Be prepared to accommodate for your interviewer if they need to take some time to note down your responses.

First Round Interview

[Edit]

-Explain your A level choices.
-Talk about a particular area within your degree you like and why.
-Talk about a particular area within your degree you don't like or have difficulty with.

-Talk about other firms that you have applied for and progress with them.

-Talk about what Mercer does and why you applied there.
-Talk about key issues in the industry.
-Explain your understanding of the role.
-Qualification question (so for investment consulting actuary or CFA?, how long does it take to complete?)

-Talk about a time when you have had to explain a difficult concept to someone.
-Talk about a time when you analysed data to make recommendations.

-Time to ask questions.

Expect no guidance through the questions- they ask the question and then they just listen. Think hard about how you structure your question and what they mean by/ want from the question.

Assessment Day

[Edit] The Mercer assessment centre consists of:

• Presentation
• Interview
• Verbal reasoning test
• Case study/Written exercise
  • This is followed by a 15 minute group discussion about the case study

See also - Mercer Application Process and General Interview Advice.