Aviva Graduate Scheme 2024 – Eligibility, Salary, Timeline and Application Process

The Aviva graduate scheme offers a good entry route for careers in the insurance and financial services sector, giving you practical experience and on the job training along with a competitive starting salary.

To succeed in the application process, you’ll need to prepare for a series of online aptitude tests, interviews and an assessment centre.

If you’re thinking of applying for the 2024 Aviva graduate scheme, there’s a lot of research you’ll need to do beforehand – on the company, the scheme itself and the skills you’ll need to demonstrate to be considered a strong candidate.

This article gives you all the information you need to decide on the correct Aviva graduate scheme pathway for you and prepare for the five stage application process.

What Is Aviva?

With a history dating back over 300 years, Aviva is a well-established multinational insurance group operating in the UK, Ireland and Canada.

It offers a wide range of insurance products and financial services – such as life insurance, general insurance, retirement planning and asset management – serving both individual and corporate clients.

With around 22,000 members of staff worldwide, it is one of the largest employers in the insurance industry. Around 9,000 of those employees work across its 12 UK locations.

These span the breadth of the country, with offices in major cities including London, Bristol, Manchester, York, Norwich and Glasgow.

What Is the Aviva Graduate Scheme?

Every year Aviva welcomes applications for its graduate scheme.

These entry level opportunities provide recent graduates with the essential skills, knowledge and experience to succeed in the insurance and financial services sector.

There are 12 pathways on offer, allowing applicants to choose a route that matches their skills, interests and career goals.

The structure of each pathway varies, but if you’re accepted onto the Aviva graduate scheme, you can expect a mix of real world project work, learning and development opportunities, and mentorship.

Some pathways work on a rotational basis, allowing you to experience different specialisms before deciding on your future career path.

Who Can Apply for the Aviva Graduate Scheme?

Applications are open to recent graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree or final year students predicted to pass their course.

Aviva looks for a diverse range of talent, so for many of the pathways there is no prerequisite on your degree discipline.

Some pathways, however, do require specific subjects.

For example, the Aviva actuarial graduate scheme requires applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree in a STEM related or numerical discipline.

Be sure to check the specific requirements for each pathway before you apply.

Whichever route you take, you’ll also need a range of essential soft skills, including:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Adaptability
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Time management
• Analytical thinking

Aviva Graduate Scheme Pathways

The 12 pathways in the Aviva graduate programme cater to a broad array of skills and interests, so whatever your career aspirations in the industry are, you’re likely to find a route that suits.

Accountancy

On the Aviva accountancy graduate scheme, participants dive into the financial operations of Aviva, focusing on areas such as:

• Financial reporting
• Audit
• Taxation

Graduates may work on financial analysis, budgeting and compliance tasks.

Actuarial

The actuarial pathway is centred on risk assessment and mathematical modelling.

Graduates may work on pricing insurance products, assessing financial risk and contributing to data-driven decision making.

Business Management

This pathway encompasses a wide range of specialisations, including:

• Brand and Corporate Affairs
• Marketing
• People
• Strategy
• Sustainability
• Relationship Management

Participants may engage in strategic planning, marketing campaigns or HR initiatives depending on their chosen specialisation.

Change Delivery

Graduates on this pathway can specialise in either Customer Change and Transformation or Technology Change.

They work on projects that drive organisational change, be it improving customer experiences or implementing technological advancements.

Claims

The claims pathway involves evaluating and managing insurance claims.

Participants may be responsible for ensuring efficient and fair claims processing, investigating claims and working closely with customers.

Data

Data specialists within this pathway focus on collecting, analysing and deriving insights from data. Graduates may be involved in data analytics, data governance and data-driven decision support.

Finance

In the finance pathway, participants gain insights into financial management and decision making.

Roles can include financial planning, budgeting and investment analysis.

Risk

The risk pathway is all about identifying and managing potential risks to the company and its investments.

Graduates may work on risk assessment, compliance and mitigation strategies to safeguard the company and client interests.

Technology

This pathway offers specialisations in Technology Change or Software Development.

Graduates may engage in technology implementation, software engineering or infrastructure management depending on their chosen specialisation.

Underwriting

The underwriting pathway involves evaluating insurance applications and determining the terms and conditions of coverage.

Graduates may assess risks and make underwriting decisions.

Wealth

In the wealth pathway, participants deal with financial planning, investments and wealth management.

They may work with customers to help them achieve their financial goals and manage their wealth effectively.

Aviva Graduate Scheme Salary

Whichever pathway you choose, the Aviva graduate scheme salary for your first year will be £30,600. After this, pay scales will depend on your career advancement.

For example, those on the accountancy pathway will receive a salary increase each time they pass an exam as part of their professional qualification.

Aviva Graduate Leadership Programme

As well as the 12 pathways outlined above, there’s also the option to apply for the Aviva graduate leadership programme.

This is a specialised initiative designed to develop future leaders within the company and is tailored for high-potential candidates who have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities.

It’s a two year programme where you’ll rotate into a new business unit every eight months.

One of these rotations will definitely be in a customer-facing role. The rest will be tailored to your specific areas of interest and may include placements in any of Aviva’s core divisions.

As part of the Aviva graduate leadership programme, you’ll have the opportunity to manage your own teams and take the lead on real world projects, all with the support of experienced mentors.

There’s also the Aviva Investors graduate scheme. This is another two year programme run by the Aviva group’s dedicated investment management company, Aviva Investors.

The Aviva Investors graduate scheme is suited to those who have a particularly strong interest in investment banking and asset management.

The application process for the Aviva graduate programme consists of five stages, each designed to evaluate your suitability and gauge your motivations and strengths.

Top Tips for Your Aviva Graduate Scheme Application

Know Aviva’s Core Values

Being able to talk about Aviva's core values and mission shows your genuine interest in the company and your alignment with its principles.

Aviva’s core values are:

• Care
• Commitment
• Community
• Confidence

Tailor your application and responses to reflect these values, showcasing how you can contribute to Aviva's goals.

Take Practice Aptitude Tests

Prior to the online assessment stage, complete example questions and practice tests relevant to your pathway.

For most this will mean taking practice situational judgement tests and practice numerical reasoning tests.

Doing so helps you become familiar with the format, question types and overall testing process, enhancing your performance on your official assessments.

Test Your Tech

Ensure you’re comfortable with the platform used for the video interview, in this case, Microsoft Teams.

Test your setup in advance, checking your camera, microphone and internet connection.

This will allow you to focus on your responses, not technical issues.

Reflect on Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Before the interview stages, take time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses.

Be honest about your areas for improvement, as this demonstrates a high level of self-awareness.

Highlight how you've worked on these weaknesses and how your strengths align with the requirements of your chosen pathway.

Prepare Your Own Questions

For the live interview and assessment day, have insightful questions ready to ask.

Thoughtful questions demonstrate your genuine interest and engagement, and can relate to the role, company culture or the Aviva graduate scheme itself.

Just make sure you don’t ask anything that could be seen as inappropriate, like questions related to personal matters, salary and benefits specifics (which can be discussed during the offer stage), or sensitive company information that hasn't been publicly disclosed.

Enjoy the Process

Approaching each stage of the application process with a positive mindset not only reduces stress but also allows you to present yourself authentically.

Enjoy the opportunity to learn more about Aviva and the potential to contribute to the organisation's success.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The Aviva graduate scheme provides a structured and supportive learning environment alongside invaluable hands-on experience, mentorship and exposure to a wide range of business areas.

If you’re successful in your application, you can expect to hit the ground running with real world projects and all the training you need to kick start your career.

If you have the right skills and qualifications under your belt, you stand every chance of being accepted onto the scheme. Just remember to prepare for each stage of the application process to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Good luck!