Industrial Placement Student (R&D) Review

Overall I have enjoyed my placement year at GSK. As a result of this year I have learnt a lot of new techniques and have become more confident in working on experiments independently. This year has also given me a good insight into the pharmaceutical industry which I feel will be useful when I come to think about future career options. Everyone at the company was friendly and welcoming and I have made a lot of new friends with fellow students. A downside to the placement was a lack of work, especially in during the first four months which often made the experience boring/tedious. Work could also become repetitive.

I felt very valued by my colleagues during my placement year. I was made to feel that the work I was doing was important and that it would be of some use to the company. Other members of the department treated me like a co-worker rather than a student and would often ask me questions/ for my help in areas which I worked in but which they might not know much about. My supervisor also made me feel valued by leaving me in charge of some their experiments when they were away.

I was given a lot of support from my supervisor who was always there to direct me on what the next stage of my project should be. We had weekly meetings where we discussed how things were progressing and whether I had any problems. My supervisor was open and approachable and I felt that I could always talk to them if I had a question/problem. Other colleagues within the department were equally friendly and always happy to help.

How busy I was varied greatly throughout the duration of my placement. The first third of the year was extremely quiet due to issues which prevented me from starting my project. As a result I spent a lot of the time in the office and was often bored. The workload picked up in the second half of the year and I had enough work to keep me occupied on a daily basis. This could still vary from day to day though with some days being much busier/quieter than others.

I was given a degree of responsibility during my placement and was responsible for carrying out my own experiments independently. I was also made responsible of my supervisor’s work when they were away. However, the experiments which I performed and the direction that the project was taken in were primarily dictated by my supervisor.

I think that the skills that I have learned this year will be very valuable in the final year of my degree and in any future research projects. I have learnt a lot of basic molecular and cellular techniques which I fell will be widely applicable in my future studies/career.

I worked in an open plan office with hot-desking which was supposed to encourage socialising amongst different members of the department however, most people sat in the same seat every day. The noise-level in the office varied from day to day. Sometimes it would be completely silent whereas at other times it would be noisy and lively. People would also commonly bring cakes and treats into the office for people to help themselves to.

The work placement was set up very well. GSK employs hundreds of placement students each year so the staff are used to having students around and to dealing with student projects. A familiarisation day was help in mid-June where we were given an introduction to the company and got to meet our supervisors for the first time. During the first week we had to do a lot of online learnign courses and were trained in specific techniques, all of which helped us to settle in.

The company offered a few training and development opportunities such as employability workshops and trips to see other sites. However, most of the training you received was within your department . If you wanted to see what was happening in other areas of the company then you would need to organise this independently and arrange it around your lab work.

If I decided to work in the pharmaceutical industry then I think GSK would offer a very friendly and inviting place to work. There are a lot of different departments and research areas and a range of roles to suit people who prefer lab based or office based work. The company also offers a Future Leaders program and a graduate program both of which students are encouraged to consider applying for.

There was a very good social scene amongst fellow placement students. As there were so many students working on site there was usually always something going on in terms of house parties/ weekend outings. People would often organise cinema trips or meals out with other students within their departments. There was less socialising with full time GSK employees however, some departments do organise social events at the pub etc every now and then

The cost of living in Stevenage was fairly affordable. In terms of rent most students lived in groups of 3-5 people and paid in the region of £350-450 a month. Transport costs vary depending on how far away you live from the site. If you live within easy distance of the railway station then there is a free shuttle bus which will take you too and from work every day. Many students also cycle to work if they live close enough.

The night life in Stevenage isn’t great. There is only really one club, which doesn’t have a great reputation. However, there are plenty of pubs and restaurants within the town and leisure park. London is also within an 20-30 minute train journey and the trains run very regularly which is a good option if you want access to more varied nightlife.

There were a few opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. My department organise an annual team build day and a science day both of which are off-site. The social committee also organised pub quizzes, treasure hunts and meals out which allowed you to socialise with full-time GSK employees within your department.