SAP Basis Industrial Placement Review

It was a pivotal point in the early stages of my career. Not only did it give me a feel for what work will be like after university but it made me re-evaluate how I spent my 24 hours. Prioritisation is vital to the way we manage tasks and spending some time within IT Global ERP in the technical project space, I was able to see how project managers divide and prioritise tasks and work towards solutions under serious pressure. Moving back on topic, I enjoyed the culture their at GSK and after speaking with colleagues from other companies, they all say the same thing; "it is unmatched". Even though my time there has ended, the possibility of me reapplying there in the future is high.

In every area of IT that I worked in, I was received with praise and definitely rewarded even when I thought the work I was doing wasn't as hard or crucial as others. It is a real confidence booster when you feel trusted among many colleagues that they will feel comfortable to approach you for help especially when you are in a technical role like myself.

I was given a lot of support and guidance from beginning to end, even when I felt like I was able to fly on my own. I had a good team who were happy to help at any time.

Some days were busier than others but most days there was work to be done. Some days you might finish earlier but why not complete a few training modules or have a short break? You deserve it!

I was part of a technical team that had a number of special privileged members who had more access to the system than the rest. I got to be one and was the only placement student in my company to get that opportunity which is something that I am proud of. I administered four SharePoint team sites which I maintained regularly and owned 8 user groups from mail distributions. I even had the opportunity to create a few procedure documents which are the official documents to follow for the company's IT policy.

There is nothing that I was given that couldn't be used somewhere in the near future as I am currently demonstrating at a summer intern role before going back to university. I achieve a couple certifications while I was there that can be used for future job applications and I enhanced my transferable skills e.g. time management, teamwork and willingness to learn that can be used in all walks of life.

The atmosphere was great as you had people from all cultures to liven things up. The office wasn't just simple desk and computers and there was always time to take a break from your desk and socialise.

I think the organisation was good but not perfect as some students don't realise or expect the kind of work that they will be doing throughout the year and I think the company has to share this information more efficiently and provide clarity when taking on students.

By getting me onto paid courses while I work, they have given me skills for the future regardless of me staying at the company or not which shows that they really value students. We also had 1-1's with our managers and custodians (also mentors) to see if we required anything.

From an official standpoint, I believe that because I have done a year with the company, they understand that I know the culture very well and how things work. Leaving on a good note and adding value does help as well. These things alone ensure that I have a good chance of future employment. From an unofficial outlook, I made many connections there and have the contacts of most of them and I am confident they would love to have me back as a work colleague.

Yes. I made a great batch of friends there and we still keep in regular contact now and will for a long time. There was a great social scene as we had a special placement unit for it similar to a society in university. We went on many events and did quite a bit of charity work as well.

Again, I had a great team and we also went out on a few trips. The managers were very kind when it came to the expenses.

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The students always had something going on weekly.