Business Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time whilst on placement; I had the opportunity to work with professionals in IT and AV, gain a good understanding into the world of project management in a relaxed but also demanding corporate environment with people that very friendly, supportive and always happy to help out!

I felt valued by my team at all times throughout my placement! They gave me responsibility to support different work streams / services which was good exposure for me to learn about our customers, the ways of working and the delivery of IT in and around the organisation. If needed, they would draw on my knowledge, set work for me to complete and bring me in to guide, present during team meetings or to our customers.

Throughout my time on placement there was always support and guidance available from my manager, my team and from other students as well! During the first 6 months of my placement I reported in to a manager in the US, we would twice a week to discuss my workload, progress, performance and potential improvements. Towards the end of 2015, a new UK manager was appointed and similarly, they were on hand to help me wherever needed. GSK was also great in assigning a supervisor, someone separate from my team who I could go and talk to if need be. It was good to speak with them and find out about different areas of the business, their experiences working at the company and also to take on their recommendations as to how to develop and what to take away from my year in industry!

There was always work to do whilst on placement! During the first week I was completing learning modules on health & safety, company policies, do's & don'ts etc. From then on, I was part of a 6 week handover that was shaped to help me settle into my role. I had to obtain knowledge on different services fairly quickly, begin completing documentation and completing updates on our internal web pages and team sites. During the main part of my placement I was effectively managing 2 different services that my team are responsible for, this required me to drive projects forward, engage with suppliers / vendors, attend multiple meetings, provide demos and presentations, complete documentation, act as support and work with different areas of the business at different times! I never found a day where there wasn't anything to do which was great! I was always reassured that there was always something to do which was good, always a pebble project to work on or decommissioning work to help meet objectives, or web updates that needed to be made!

During my time on placement I was provided with much more responsibility then I first anticipated, which to begin with, was a little overwhelming however gradually as you settle into the role it becomes easier to handle! I was responsible for managing and delivering a global digital signage service across the company which required me to work directly with internal customers, local IT, procurement, networking teams and different AV suppliers. During the peak of my placement, I was responsible for 12 different projects at one time which was demanding and at times difficult but also great exposure into project management and customer service.

During my time at GSK I have not only developed and improved on my existing skills but I have also acquired new sets of skills that will ultimately help me with my degree studies in final year and beyond that, during my experience working for other types of companies as well. The skills are developed through a variety of different learning methods including formal teaching based sessions, online classes and reading in addition to more practical application through my every day work, experience and exposure working in a corporate environment.

It was a really positive atmosphere on the office floor, everyone was very friendly, focused, hard working but approachable and always happy to help out where they can! GSK is a very relaxed, social environment which was good to be apart of. IP's, CW's and permanent staff all sit together (hot desking) which is great to meet new people!

The placement was fairly organised, during my first few weeks there were formalities that needed to be completed such as training, day 1 checklists, laptop setup etc. The handover period was very organised, credit to my predecessor for taking the time to organise a schedule that slowly introduced me to the team, where we sat in relation to the organisation, the different types of roles and responsibilities - he then went further on to my main projects for the year, providing knowledge and document transition, familiarising me with work processes and the GSK way of 'doing' etc. The work never felt 'ad-hoc', I was provided with a job description and very quickly there was expectations on what I needed to do and achieve as part of my team.

The company reiterates the importance of continuous development and work based learning and I came to experience that during my time on placement. I experienced many different types of training during my time at GSK which included, 1. My Learning (Internal learning) Courses 2. Accelerated Development & Performance Learning 3. ITIL Service Management 3 Day Course 4. Tutoring / GEMBA's & Leasons Lean't sessions 5. Theory of PRINCE 2

GSK have in place a Graduate Scheme which allows IP's that are nearing the end of their placement to apply to limited areas of the business. The Grad Scheme is very competitive and there are only a limited number of places available, to apply in 2016 you had to complete the following: 1. 3 Online Tests 2. Managerial / Personal Written application 3. Induction Day (Presentation / Group based activities and Interview) In addition, there is also an internal job board made available that you can look at to see the different positions that are currently open for applications.

GSK take on over 200 students each year, based across multiple different sites including Brentford, Stockley Park, Ware, Stevenage, Weybridge etc. Throughout the year there have been many different opportunities to meet up as part of IP UNITE (Student led group set up to look after IP's) and to attend events outside of work e.g. Christmas / End of year parties. Students are encouraged to interact and get to know one another throughout the year which was great!

During my time on placement I shared a flat with 4 other students that were also working at GSK in different areas of the business - I was about a 20 minute walk from the building which was convenient! It mean't that I didn't have to get up as early or spend any extra money on travel. I would recommend that if you are looking at sharing with other GSK students you plan and organise house viewings at least 3 months before your placement, this gives you good time to meet up and select a property in a good location and not too expensive!

I was working at GSK House Brentford where there wasn't great nightlife in the local area however we were only 25 minutes from central London via Tube therefore it was easy enough to travel in for restaurants / pubs / clubs etc. Note that London is expensive but we took advantage of happy hours for 'cheaper' drinks after work!

There were always opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work such as volunteering during Orange United Week and Save the Children events throughout the year - During my time on placement our department travelled to a local elderly home where we completed some restoration work such as cleaning, painting and gardening! GSK encourage you to have a good work / life balance and getting involved in activities outside of work are encouraged and normally supported by your team - Just make sure your work is the first priority!