BioScience Industrial Placement Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent working at AstraZeneca. The people in my department made me feel very welcome and it took me no time at all to fit in. I was given plenty of opportunities to grow and develop as a scientist and enjoyed the challenges I faced along the way. The project I was given was novel and exciting and made my placement great.

Throughout the year I was asked to assist colleagues with other projects and during this time I felt really valued. I was never made to feel like a student, I always felt a member of the team. Also when I was required to present my own work I was given plenty of support and guidance and everybody showed real interest in what I had achieved.

I got on really well with my supervisor and therefore was comfortable with asking any questions that I had. As can be expected, supervisors also have other projects of their own to support and so help is not always instant but I always got the support I needed. My line manager was also really helpful and supportive especially when it came to presentations.

I was mostly balanced with the amount of work I had to do and was given extra work if I felt I was short of things to do. At times I became really busy but I was always able to manage the situation and was given support in doing so. I was always allowed my breaks and never felt pressured to be doing more or too much. If I did extra work it was my choice.

I was given my own research project which was mine to drive. It wad my responsibility to decide the course of the project and control the planning and presentation of the work. I liased with my supervisor on a weekly basis however I led these meetings and was allowed to develop the project how I saw fit. I was also trusted in the presentation of this work to both internal and external groups.

The opportunities I were given allowed me to gain and develop a range of job relevant skills in the lab and I feel like a much more experienced and competent scientist because of this. On returning to university this will really help me with my final year project. My scientific writing skills have also much improved. I have also developed a number of transferable skills such as teamwork, communication and presentation skills that will assist me far into the future.

The atmosphere in our office was very relaxed and social. The department I was in was the largest department remaining at the Alderley Park site and so the department management thought it very important to encourage social activities to boost team moral. Everybody got along really well and it was easy to speak to anybody that you needed to help you.

The placement structure and organisation was fantastic. We had a familiarisation day in April prior to starting the placement in which we got to know our supervisors and the site we were working on. During the course of the placement, there was also someone to contact if we had any problems and there was always work set out for us to do.

AstraZeneca strongly believe in and encourage personal development and so we were allowed to attend any lectures or courses that were running on site as part of the working day. I was also given the opportunity to travel down to Cambridge for the day in order to attend a user group meeting involving all members of staff working in my particular research area. All expenses were paid for and I was also able to present my own research.

I would definitely like to cross paths with AstraZeneca again one day as they are a great company to work for who really care about their employees. I have both given and received contact details with member of my department and intend to remain in contact in the future. On leaving, I was encouraged to consider returning to the company once I have completed my further education and this is something I will strongly consider.

There were only 8 placement students on my site however with the on site restaurants and various cafes we were able to meet up at lunch times and breaks quite easily. There was also an young talent network on site called AZ Inspire which consisted of all apprentice, undergraduate, graduate, master and PhD students on site in a variety of different functions such as R & D, IT, Operations, Pharmaceutical development and so on.

I personally lived at home with my parents this year and so the cost of living for me was fairly low. However the other students lived in Macclesfield and I understand that the price of their rent was very reasonable. In terms of socialising, we often went on working pub lunches in the surrounding areas such as Alderley Edge and Wilmslow and the prices of venues could range from reasonable to slightly more expensive.

Again, as I lived at home I did not experience much night life in the surrounding area, however with site being in the country, there is not much nightlife in the immediate area. However a train to Manchester was cheap enough and only took around half an hour, so this was always the best option for a night out. We had a really enjoyable Christmas day/night out in Wilmslow also.

We were given the opportunity to participate in organised events on site that would run after work or over the weekend such as family fun days, rounders tournaments, It's a knock out and so on. We also had team building days, Christmas events and other social activities outside of the normal working day.