Aseptic Validation Specialist Review

My placement year with GSK was an experience that I would do again if I had the chance. I learnt new skills and met important contacts for my future career. It was worth the interview procedures and all of the hard work as I feel like I've accomplished something, and helped the business to provide antibiotics to people who need them.

My colleagues at work went out of their way to make me feel welcome, and from day one I was treated just like a member of the team rather than a student who would only be there for a year. My opinion or ideas were always considered and not pushed down because I didn't have the experience. My strengths were recognised and I was given the chance to lead projects that I would never have thought myself capable of.

I was given monthly meetings with my manager to discuss my progress and talk about what I had learnt and what I would still like to gain from my placement. My line manager made sure that I would then have those opportunities in the future. I was also given a mentor for more informal meetings who helped me through anything that my manger couldn't deal with and was always available for a quick chat if I needed it. If neither my line manager or mentor was available, there were always other people to talk to about my progress and problems.

Due to the nature of my placement, I would have peaks and troughs of activity. Some days I would be very busy and the days would go very quickly whereas other days would have less activity and I would have time to catch up on paperwork or learn procedures. If I ever had too much work or too little, I was given the support I needed to manage it.

During my placement I was given the opportunity to lead investigations and allowed to run production streams and coordinate a production plant for the duration of a project. I would never have guessed that I would have been given such enormous responsibility in my placement but I am very glad that I was given the opportunity.

My placement did not utilise the skills I expected from a microbiology placement. Instead of giving me a narrow laboratory skillset that was applicable to my degree, I was given a wide range of transferable skills. I learnt vital communication and planning skills, management skills, and aseptic capability. Overall I believe that the development that my placement gave me was far better than what I could have gained from doing a laboratory based placement. My placement has aided the development of the skills I need for future employability.

My office was very welcoming and people were always up for a quick discussion. It was a very relaxed atmosphere that was easy to work in and all the support required was within easy reach. Socialising was not discouraged and it was good to be able to talk through things while working your way through your workload for the day.

My experience with the placement company itself was very good, it was relatively well organised and if I had a problem my line manager was available to help. The agency that managed the placement was harder to work with, and it felt a little disorganised in some aspects. Despite this it did not negatively impact my placement and made me manage the administration of my placement better.

Everything I wanted to try I was given resource for. Whether it was time to try something else or extra training to qualify me for an extra activity. By the end of my placement, people had forgotten that I was only a student. My line manager pushed for my development the entire year and gave me opportunities and responsibilities beyond what I would have been given elsewhere.

There are plenty of prospects within the company worldwide. They have a future leaders programme for placement students and plenty of graduate programmes which give the opportunity to work in various sites across the globe.

I became very close friends with two of my work colleagues and we would spend time together outside work, or getting a drink after work. The other placement students were also always up for a trip to the cinema or just to hang out.

Due to the proximity to London and Brighton living costs were quite high. However if you managed your money keeping a balance of socialising and keeping up with costs was doable.

I didn't go out during my placement but the local pubs were very friendly and a lovely place to have a drink after work.

There were chances to get involved in charity work to raise money for various charities and also the opportunity to go to HQ for workshops. The other placement students also arranged various daytrips and events.