Early Talent Coordinator Review

I have had a great year here at GSK! It has been challenging at times but overall a really fulfilling experience. I have met lots of great people and worked on a huge variety of projects. My HR role is business embedded, which has allowed me to get involved all different parts of the HR cycle for Early Talent employees.

My team consists of only myself and my manager, but we have formed a strong bond and we work well together. For part of my placement I had a remote manager based in the US, who I also got along well with. Both of my managers trusted me to get on with things after only a few weeks of me being at GSK and made me feel like a valuable member of the team from the start.

My managers were always on hand to support me especially at the start of my placement when I needed it the most. I always felt like I could approach them with any issue and that they would take time out of their busy day to speak to me.

My workload varied at different points throughout the year. I was never short of work to do, but there were some occasions, such as special events, where I was working long hours. As with every job, some days/weeks were more stressful than others. I enjoyed staying busy and if I was in a quiet period I would always try to request extra work.

I was given lots of responsibility throughout my placement, including managing entire projects by myself. Some of my work was administration based, but I was always working to support real and significant projects that mattered to our Early Talent employees.

I study Sociology so there are not many direct links between my placement and my degree. On a few occasions during my placement I was able to use my research methods background to get involved in creating surveys and focus groups with employees. This allowed me to see how social research can be used the workplace. However, the most important things that I will take away from my placement are the skills I have developed. I have improved my organisational and time management skills which will come in very handy when I am back at university. I have grown in confidence and boosted my interpersonal skills from working with lots of different groups of people. I have also improved my written and verbal communication skills .These are all skills that I think will help either with my studies or in a future career.

The office had a relaxed atmosphere. We had hot desking so you do not have to sit at the same place everyday, in fact it was encouraged to move around. GSK House had great restaurant and cafe facilities so there were lots of places to relax and socialise.

The work placement was very well organised and I felt as though my manager(s) had a plan for me while I was there.

There were no particular training courses that I attended, but my manager's invested a lot of time into my development. I also attended workshops on things such as employability and communication skills.

GSK have a graduate scheme called the 'Future Leaders Programme' available across many different parts of the business. While the programme is quite competitive, you do have a chance to apply as a placement student. There is also a chance to come back into a direct entry role, and I have met several employees here who are ex -placement students themselves.

There were lots of chances to get out and meet each other, mostly arranged by IP Unite. We had a Christmas ball and an end of year boat party that were both good fun.

Brentford itself is relativity expensive because it is so close to London. I lived at home throughout the year but some of my friends were paying quite high rents. The pubs and restaurant prices are as to be expected so close to central London.

Brentford does not have much, apart from a few pubs. However we were very close to central London so just a train ride away from some decent nightlife.

There was a gym that offered classes such as Yoga and Zumba as well as a squash court. The activities I got involved in most were volunteering related. I visited a local college to hold mock interviews with the students, as well as working with other IPs at the GSK IMPACT awards. Both of these events were great fun and a fantastic opportunity to get out and work with the local community.