Company guides
Great Eastern Internship Guide
Great Eastern is Singapore's oldest and largest life insurance group, majority-owned by OCBC Bank, with over 114 years of history in Singapore and Malaysia. Internship programmes cover actuarial science, data analytics, digital technology, and corporate functions. Great Eastern offers a uniquely Singaporean insurance internship with deep institutional knowledge and a growing digital transformation agenda.
Great Eastern: Internship Guide
Great Eastern was established in 1908, making it the oldest and most established life insurer in Singapore and Malaysia. The company is majority-owned by OCBC Bank and manages over SGD 90 billion in assets. Great Eastern serves more than four million policyholders and has a substantial agent distribution network supplemented by bancassurance through OCBC branches. In recent years, Great Eastern has invested in digital transformation — its digital advisory platform, Great Eastern Financial Advisers (GEFA) app, and digital claims processing have been notable milestones. For students, Great Eastern offers a distinctively Singaporean insurance internship with century-deep institutional knowledge.
Key Internship Programmes
Great Eastern Internship Programme — Eight to twelve weeks, May–August and December–January. All divisions.
Actuarial Internship — The most sought-after track. Projects in product pricing, reserving under IFRS 17, embedded value, and capital management.
Data & Analytics Internship — Customer analytics, health data, claims modelling, and distribution analytics.
Digital Technology Internship — App and platform development for Great Eastern's digital customer experience.
Corporate Functions Internship — Finance, HR, compliance, and risk management.
Roles Available
| Division | Track | Disciplines |
|---|---|---|
| Actuarial | Actuarial Science Intern | Actuarial Science, Mathematics |
| Data Analytics | Data Analyst Intern | Data Science, Statistics |
| Technology | Software / Digital Intern | CS, IS |
| Risk Management | Risk Intern | Finance, Risk Management |
| Corporate | Finance / HR / Compliance Intern | Open disciplines |
Salary & Allowance
| Track | Monthly Allowance (SGD) |
|---|---|
| Actuarial | SGD 2,800 – 4,000 |
| Data / Technology | SGD 2,600 – 3,800 |
| Corporate Functions | SGD 2,200 – 3,200 |
Application Process & Timeline
- Online Application — greateasternlife.com/sg/en/careers. Summer applications open December–March.
- Interview — One to two rounds with team managers. Technical for actuarial and data roles; competency for others.
- Offer — Two to three weeks after interview.
Tips to Get Selected
- Know Great Eastern's history and OCBC relationship. Great Eastern's bancassurance partnership with OCBC is a key distribution channel. Understanding how bancassurance works — how bank branches distribute insurance products and how performance is tracked — shows commercial awareness.
- For actuarial roles, show progress in IFoA or SOA exams. IFRS 17 (the new international accounting standard for insurance contracts) is transforming actuarial work at Great Eastern — demonstrating awareness of IFRS 17 concepts is impressive.
- Research Singapore's insurance sector structure. Know the top players, MAS regulatory framework, and current industry challenges: persistently low interest rates impacting investment returns, cyber risk, and climate risk in insurance portfolios.
- Highlight any Mandarin language skills. Great Eastern has strong ties to the Chinese-Singaporean community and to Malaysia. Mandarin proficiency is a genuine differentiator for distribution and commercial roles.
- Show commitment to a long-term insurance career. Great Eastern values employees who see insurance as a career, not a stepping stone. Demonstrating genuine interest in becoming an actuary, a digital insurance product designer, or a data scientist in insurance increases your candidacy quality.
What the Internship Is Like
Great Eastern internships are structured with clear deliverables and mentor supervision. Actuarial interns work on real pricing or valuation models. Data interns use actual customer and claims data. Technology interns contribute to digital platform development.
The culture at Great Eastern is professional, relationship-oriented, and values-driven. The company has a strong sense of institutional identity and history. Mentorship is available from experienced actuaries, with some mentors having thirty or more years at the firm. The office at One Pickering is modern and collaborative.
Work hours are structured and sustainable: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on average.
Return Offers & Full-Time Conversion
Great Eastern converts approximately 35–50% of interns. Full-time Graduate Analyst roles are offered in actuarial, data, technology, and corporate functions. Great Eastern supports actuarial exam completion with study grants and paid study leave — a significant benefit for students pursuing the actuarial qualification pathway.
Tags