Process Intern Review

I learned a lot at GSK as the work was exciting and I had many experiences of pushing myself. Everyone was extremely friendly and helped me whenever I required assistance. There are a large number of placement students and therefore there is always someone in the same position as you which is helpful. Socialising and having events with other students such as a Thorpe Park trip we organised made the whole year much more enjoyable. I also learnt so much about the company and the industry, so I really enjoyed it.

It was a really enjoyable year. I had several opportunities to really push myself but my colleagues were always available to help me without looking down on me. At the beginning I required a lot of training which may have been a burden to them, but by the end of the internship I was aiding the team a lot. The work we completed was valued by the team and I was shown gratitude for everything I had completed. Everyone was very friendly and included me in the team from the get go, overall I felt very valued by them.

During the first month of my placement, which is the on-boarding stage, there was an excellent level of support as we were obviously in the training stage. However, all questions were welcomed and I was made to feel a part of the team. There were regular meetings with the supervisor throughout the placement to ensure we were given proper support and to discuss issues we encountered during the placement. I was never made to feel like my questions were irrelevant and the other supervisors were also really helpful. I was given numerous tips and tricks.

I was given a lot of responsibility and treated like a full member of the team even though I was going through training. Some days were busier than others but I was allowed to decide what I would rather do in order to meet my goals. I was given the time to plan ahead and around things so that I could avoid having a build up of work. When I didn't have much to do, I always asked for more work and was given it upon request. I was responsible for my work and my actions and I was given the opportunity to present any work I completed.

During my placement year I was given a huge amount of responsibility and any work that I had completed, I was accounted for. I had to present various pieces of work to group leaders and therefore was held accountable for it. I appreciated this as it made me feel like part of the team, and made me feel trusted, and not just a student. I was given the opportunity of working alongside my manager, and thus I felt I had a lot of responsibility. However, I was given a lot of varied tasks and projects to work on throughout the year which had a lot of responsibility. For example, I owned and lead the entire communications plan for my team which had huge responsibility.

The skills I developed will greatly help me in the future . I learnt so many practical skills that I have already found useful going back to uni. As well as the direct knowledge I think the presentation skills I have gained will be really useful in my final talks and poster presentation. I got used to working a very regular timed day and so now my work ethic has improved a lot. This and the other transferrable skills will be useful this year and in the future. These include report writing, presentation skills, communication, teamwork and others. The lab specific skills may come in useful if I end up working in a lab in the future It has also been extremely valuable to see how a large company ( operate. I have not had much experience of the world of work, and working in such a large, influential company for a year has been a great opportunity to experience this.

Good atmosphere in the offices. Everyone was very friendly and the lab was usually a lively place, with people always willing to chat. In a way this works well as you get to see other people and sit in different areas, but it can also sometimes feel like less of a community as you don't sit with your department all the time. . Occaisionally it would be a bit quiet but that was usually when people were away. There were lots of students on site as well so plenty of people to eat lunch with etc.However half way through the placement, it changed to 'smart working' where you no longer have an allocated desk, and can sit anywhere.

GSK are very well set up for receiving placement students. You were well aware that the industrial placement was something that GSK had been doing for a while, as all of the staff members were well aware of how to deal with students. Reports for university were submitted on time, poster days were arranged and pay was always on time. Very professional and well set up. They also provide supervisors for every student, and plenty of training at the start of placement. They also provide each student with a project which is of interest to them.

The internship was very well organised and it was clearly a long running scheme. We completed lots of designated training when we started with a week of residential as well as lots of sessions at work. The other team members also spent a lot of their time helping us, especially at the beginning. We were given lots of training and even had a residential lab training week when we started. It was clear who to go to if you had any issues but it seemed to run very smoothly. There were some issues with miscommunication between the company itself and the subcontractor we were actually employed by so it could have been improved there with slightly clearer communication but overall it was very well set up.

We were encouraged to find out about the company as a whole, not just the role we were working in. Once I undertake my PhD and complete it, I plan to return to GSK in some capacity as I have been thoroughly impressed with the management, ethos, nature of work and investment into the individual. I have already been given many talks on returning to the organisation either for a job or even a funded PhD, which demonstrates the company's willingness to bring back students. We were also given the opportunity to register our interest/apply for graduate jobs although a position was in no way guaranteed which was understandable given the number of students on placement each year compared to the number of positions available.

There were multiple events arranged throughout the year for students and also between colleagues (full time employees). There is a committee made up of elected placement students called IP Unite who throughout the year put on various social events for all IP's to attend. They organised events such as Thorpe Park, clubbing nights out, summer boat party and a Christmas ball. Amongst colleagues it varied depending on your team - I know of some teams who went out every week whereas some rarely did anything. Nightlife in my area was okay, it was easy to go out for a few drinks after work in a pub but not that many clubs around. However, a short tube or train journey can get you into Central London where the nightlife is much better, but obviously a lot more expensive.

The cost of living and socialising was variable. Relatively cheap food, and plenty of chain restaurants etc. Train to London also not too expensive, £11 for all day travel card at the weekends. We were very close to London so obviously trips out there and to some of the nicer places around were pretty pricey but stevenage itself was very affordable and my rent was about the same as at uni, although I know some people's was significantly more. It was definitely affordable on what e were paid although we did spend a lot and I didn't manage to save much!