Industrial placement student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year! I discovered areas of science that I didn't even know existed before starting my placement, but loved them too! I would definitely say that it was my favourite year of my degree course so far. I found the work really exciting and fulfilling, and would totally recommend GSK to anyone considering placement.

My colleagues went out of their way to make me feel welcome at GSK. I managed to integrate fully into the department, and felt that people saw me as more of a colleague than a placement student. My work was recognised and valued, and people were always willing to chat with me about it.

My supervisor was available to help me as much as possible, but when she knew that she couldn't be around, she would ensure that there was always someone else available for me to ask. I was always pointed in the direction of someone who was more than happy to offer my advice or assistance if necessary.

Due to the nature of a science-based placement, some days I felt like I was run off my feet and a little too busy, but on other days I felt like I didn't really have much to do. The balance of work on the whole was great, and got better as I learned to plan my time more efficiently.

I was allowed (and encouraged) to devise my own experiments, but was never left to this without help and guidance along the way. I had my own project to be working on, but it was part of a much greater departmental project which meant that the data I collected was interesting and helpful, but I wouldn't be destroying anyone else's project if it didn't work!

My developed skills have been massively helpful in the rest of my degree. Knowing how to write a scientific lab report, and gaining so much more experience and confidence in the lab will be helpful not just for my final year, but also for any jobs I apply for in the future. Even just becoming more familiar with equipment and how to learn new software will stand me in good stead for future lab work.

The office and lab were always full of friendly faces who were willing to lend a hand. I think I learned just as much on my coffee breaks as I did during the time I spent in the lab! I'm still in contact with several people from my office, and have been told that I'm welcome to come back and visit in the future.

My project was devised in such a way that I felt like I was contributing to the research that was going on, but without having too much pressure on getting perfect results first time around. The way that my project was designed meant that I gained experience in a broad range of techniques, which I'm really grateful for.

The company allowed me to gain training in several different departments. I was able to arrange visits to departments that I wasn't part of to allow me to gain insight into those areas too. I did not receive any formal qualifications, but was very grateful for the opportunities to be exposed to multiple departments during my time there.

In order to gain a position within the department I was working, it seems likely that I'll require a PhD, but I have been put on a mailing list to receive information if there are ever any opportunities open that I could apply for. Having gained this experience, I feel like I will be a much more attractive candidate to the company.