External supply chain executive Review

I enjoyed the placement very much, as I had a wide variety of tasks and projects. The exposure that I had was also extremely beneficial as it was company wide, and so I now know how a global company manages it's supply chains.

Not once did I make a cup of tea for anyone! I felt that on the one hand that my team would rely on me for high responsibility tasks, yet I could approach any of them for help and advice when necessary.

I had weekly catchup with my manager, and most importantly they were not secluded in their own office. This meant they were always available if there was something urgent, and it was easy to arrange meetings for less urgent matters

As busy as I wanted to be. during the start, I was less busy as I was still learning about roles and the processes of the company. However, I soon picked up as many projects and tasks as I could handle efficiently.

For one part of my responsibilities I was the main point of contact for a few suppliers, so this should be a good idea of how I was valued within the team. As I could handle myself professionally I could take on roles that a full time employee would have.

It has shown me how the theories I learn at university can be used and developed, but also how theories can be outdated or difficult to use in real business situations. Further, a wide range of skills that cannot be developed in uni have been massively improved, such as team work, communication, and confidence.

Very open and friendly, I could go up to anybody and start a conversation. If you can address people properly and conduct yourself professionally then the office is a great place to be. A wide range of ages helped with this too.

Well organised as I was the third person to take on the role. It's difficult for the managers to detail exactly what would go on over the year, so it was not possible for much better organisation.

I took on a number of personal development activities, and also a two day introduction to the company. This meant that I had a great start to the year and could settle in more quickly.

I'd love to go back, and applied straight away to the future leaders graduate programme. Very high level of competition for it though.

Yes, there is a group for the placement students like a society at university. Office parties at Christmas and around birthdays were also a bonus.

Quite high as it was in a suburb of London.

Brentford is not a place to have much of a nightlife apart from a few pubs.

Yes there are lots of clubs within GSK, and around Brentford there are a few social clubs