Work Placement Student (Scientist) Review

The placement was a great experience- from the diversity of the R&D site Stevenage, to my more specific Therapy Area Unit and especially the team. There was a great growth development curve and the work load reflected this. As the year progressed and I become more knowledgeable and accountable I was given more responsibility and was able to give my research direction.

I felt valued by my colleagues from day 1. At the start of the placement I was learning many new techniques and was both adapting and learning about the field, reading around it and developing my knowledge. Once I learn about my more specific part in the larger context of our team I was able to provide insight and was often asked to help other team members perform tasks, data analysis or for opinions.

Support was present from the very beginning- throughout the whole process I felt that not only my supervisor but the whole team was investing time into my development. For the first 3 months I was helped and supported constantly whenever I needed it. Following even well into the placement where I was very knowledgeable about my field I always felt comfortable to ask for help and opinions. My supervisor above all invested so much time and energy into me that I believe that if it wasn't for him I would not have come out of the placement with as much knowledge, not only about Epigenetics and my research but also about the Pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Weeks and days varyied considerably. Some days I was in the lab from morning to the end of the day multitasking and trying my best to get my work done in good time before the end of the day. Other times out of the lab I also had to crunch a bit of data analysis and presentation preparation in to a day. However, other days were more relaxing and these days I was able to catch up on reading, get involved and set-up meetings with other stakeholders in the company to further my own knowledge in other fields I was interested in. I would say it depends on how busy you want to be- there are always great opportunities out of the scope of your project that can be grasped.

The first 3 months is pure learning. You are learning about everything- the field, the laboratory techniques, how to keep good electronic lab journals and adhere to data integrity, how to deliver good presentations, etc etc. I would say at the start I had the responsibility to deliver the results of my experiments but mostly that was it- so it was a great few months to just dive deep into learning. After the first three months that is when the responsibility would become larger, you have to direct your own project more and are responsible for making contributions to the team and delivering results not just carrying out experiments. You are also always responsible for being a team member- which is also an important skill to have.

I have not yet returned to University to put the skills learn't to the test but I believe that I have learn't more over this year than the past two at University. I learned much more than just the specific field of Epigenetics or my specific cell type. I learned laboratory techniques and laboratory analysis that I never really developed at University rather just touched on. I also learned a lot about the work place and the work environment, which spans for beyond delivering strong presentations.

The general atmosphere was good. We switched offices a few times due to refurbishment but I would say it always was a good atmosphere. You sit with people not only in your team but others in other parts of the department which was really nice. You would also choose where to sit due to Hot Desking, which I really liked. This meant you could get to know people more and also meant that you didn't feel like it was too much of a daily routine. People are generally very nice and you can have a chat with someone in the office but also between morning and lunch people would generally sit down to do work and if they needed a break they would walk out to the kithen area to recharge meaning you would not be disturbed in the office.

They have been running the Placement in my department for many years now so they are really equipped and ready for you to come in on day 1. You get plenty of training and familiarization at the start and you slowly get into it at what I would say is the right pace.

I would say the company really invested in my development. My supervisor was a very skilled and knowledgeable scientists and he spent a lot of time not only at the beginning but through the year on supporting me and my work. The team in itself also invested a lot of time, setting up Journal Club where we were to present to the whole department biology team. This was a great experience and opportunity. So where the monthly Biology meetings where we were given the opportunity to present our work the the whole team throughout the placement- the team also was always engaged and expressed that we as students brought value to the team.

Very apealing and as either a graduate or as a post PhD candidate. There also seems to be lots of flexibility as to where you can move within the company when you are in it- which is a really huge plus meaning you can learn lots of new skills and can gain access to other completely different types of jobs within GSK once inside.

I would say there were lots of IP students which made it a good social place- always a house party or people getting together at a pub over the weekends or sometimes during the week. Even with colleagues the social scene was nice and we would do things during the week after work once in a while. The company could have however invested in more events that would be subsidized to increase the social scene and allow people within teams to get together outside of work.

Stevenage is not so far away from London so really the cost was not cheap although the place isn't so modern or really has that much going on. The general cost of a rent for one student was typically between £350-450 per month. That is however most of the houses rented out to students are not in great conditions.. as expected.

The nighlife really was not great. There is one or two clubs here and some pubs on the high street but that is about it. To add to that the places are not too nice. However, London is only 20 min on the train so you can go and afford to do a day/ night out in london every now and again.

Outside of work you could get involved in the gym/ sports hall. Here there were things going on such as gym classes and football etc. You could also join local teams- there is a local Hockey team and Football team.