Undergraduate Industrial Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed working at AstraZeneca. There were so many opportunities available. The department I worked in had a comfortable, friendly working environment. The atmosphere was more relaxed than I thought it would be; the strong work ethic within the group made a strict working environment unnecessary. I gave an 8 here due to problems encountered in my project, not because of the company/ department.

It was a very tight knit department. Everyone was friendly and there was a real sense of camaraderie, with multiple occasions for group activities in the company. Everyone made an effort to welcome me and make me feel part of the team.

More support and guidance could have been given at times however my supervisor was very busy. Weekly catch ups with my pseudo-supervisor were a great way to ensure my project was still on track. Bi-monthly presentations given to the group on the progression of my project also provided an opportunity to gain support and advice when troubleshooting from other members of the group.

Workload varied day to day. To begin with it was a little slow to start however this was due to my supervisors' availability and necessary paper work for my project. Before and after Christmas I was working in the lab 4 out of 5 days in the working week. On the day that I wasn't in the lab I was analyzing data. Despite this I still had time to get involved with on-site activities and engage in various lectures.

I was the leader of my project. I had to run decisions by my supervisors and check through experiment plans however progression of my project was up to me and 95% of lab work was done independently.

This year has more than prepared me to complete a final year project, with skills applicable to completing a PhD. Any skills learnt in science are transferable to other professions and outside of work, therefore I feel like I have grown both professionally and personally.

The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. There was a real sense of camaraderie within the group. I felt like people made an effort to include me and get to know me. The more relaxed working environment also suited me. As long as you got the work done, there were no problems.

I had a longer lag time before I could get into the lab due to paper work and regulations than for a fellow placement student in the same department. My project was not "ready-to-run with" despite it being thought so. As a result I would say that my project was less organised than hers. This is therefore subjective and project specific.

Shadowing of different departments and within the group were strongly encouraged. I was given the opportunity to attend multiple scientific conferences off-site which were paid for. There was a wealth of opportunities on-site too, with scientific and well-being lectures, employability workshops and student-led activities. I was also given the opportunity to engage with the Culturual Vibrancy team and helped to organised charity fundraisng events. The AZ-Inspire network for students was also there to ensure personal and professional growth.

There are multiple avenues that can be taken if you wish to pursue a career within AstraZeneca however gaining a graduate position after a year of industry not as a part of a Master's qualification is rare. There is a strong push to apply for the graduate program however acceptance is not inevitable.

With only four placement students the student social scene was not that great within the company on-site, however off-site and outside of the company it was good. The social scene within the department was great, with fortnightly get-togethers, department lunches and a lot of cake.

Macclesfield is incredibly cheap for housing and socialising.

In Macclesfield the night life was not good, however Manchester is just a 26min train journey away. If you want to stay out past the last train, taxis back are more expensive than I am used to but it's worth it. Macclesfield does have a lot of great places to eat out though!

There are various sport teams you can join and the gym on-site is subsidised.