Business Insights and Data Solutions Placement Student Review

The placement has been both enjoyable and challenging. I have been fortunate to have a very clearly defined role within the department and enjoyed the responsibility that this brought.

I have been part of an excellent team within my department. All colleagues are very approachable and willing to offer guidance and advice. I have had weekly catch-ups with a mentor which has allowed me to manage my workload and bring up any queries that I may have.

I had weekly catch-ups with my mentor which allowed me to raise any queries that I may have and manage my workload. As well as meeting my mentor weekly I had regular interaction with my managers who are all very approachable. I have had performance reviews on a regular basis.

The placement opportunities within MSD are like a job. You have a very clearly defined role and are expected to embrace the role as an employee and you are definitely not viewed as just a student. The workload is stretching however through communication with management and my mentor I was able to ensure that I was able to maintain a balance.

I had a huge amount of responsibility during my placement. I was involved in a number of high profile projects that were viewed by senior management within the UK and at Regional level.

Throughout the placement year I have developed a variety of skills. Perhaps most importantly, communication which is a crucial life skill. I also used a number of modelling skills which I had developed through my degree in economics and it was great to use these in real life scenarios.

There was a really positive and constructive atmosphere in the office. Everyone worked very hard but were also passionate about work that they completed. While everyone worked very hard, the office was a fun place to be in as we were a close team and I built a number of friendships both within my team and across the office.

The HR team developed a very clear placement programme which was very well executed. As a student group we travelled to different sites across the UK as well as completing presentations to each other. We had regular contact with HR to ensure that everything was ok and gain feedback on how the placement was going and if there could be improvements made to the scheme.

I had the opportunity to do a number of presentations, including one which was filmed, and I received regular feedback on these. Through speaking regularly with my mentor he ensured that as I student I was able to gain a range of experiences across the business which would challenge me in different ways and begin to round my skill base. I have developed new skills as well as working on strengths that I may have thought I had at the beginning of the placement.

The company has a real culture of working with students and inviting those who have done a good job back into the business following university. There are therefore a number of opportunities to return to the company however any future position must be earned.

As a student group we have remained close throughout the year and have the opportunity to socialise outside of work and in work during breaks. With a number of sports happening across the company, you have a great opportunity to network and become friends with colleagues across the business.

The nightlife was reasonably good with a number of local places where you could socialise after work or outside of hours. You are easy access to London and so you can enjoy the best of the city.

The area has a number of different local clubs and communities which you can be involved in. This ranged from sport to churches. I became part of a local sports club which played a significant role in my placement year.