Placement Student Microbiology Review

I learnt so many skills that are vital in working life including communicating professionally, producing quality output for an organisation and using my own initiative. I had the opportunity to design my own experiments to trial a new piece of equipment which was a huge responsibility. The only reason this isn't a 10 is because the first half of my placement was quite slow. After I settled in and got stuck into my projects it was very rewarding.

The fact that I was an IP made no noticeable difference to my colleagues, I was given the same level of trust and responsibility as any other worker. The projects I worked on clearly added value to the organisation. Everyone was always willing to help me with anything I might not know and I always felt very supported.

Most of the time I had good guidance from my manager however I felt more regular meetings would be useful. This could have been arranged by myself in hindsight, my manager was always happy to make time for me. All the staff are always happy to help me so I was never afraid to ask if stuck.

In the second half of my placement I had a good balance of work to do and time to get it done to a good standard whilst also having time for development activities for example a visit to another GSK site. The first half of my placement was a bit slower and less exciting whilst I was working out where I fit within the organisation.

I was given a lot of responsibility with several projects. One included designing an experiment to trial a new instrument, organising the instrument to come to site and working with the representatives to learn how to use it. Other work I have been part of is crucial to the running of my facility so I was responsible to make sure what I did was correct.

I have developed multiple lab skills to a high level including working aseptically, good experimental design, taking correct measurements. I also learnt some skills that you often don't learn at university including correct waste disposal. All of these skills will be invaluable for my research project when returning to university. I have also been trained in microbial identification and have gained a lot of background knowledge related to my course.

Everyone generally had a very positive outlook and approach to work even if there were problems. We often did social activities together which helped us bond and created a fun atmosphere at work.

There was a basic structure to my placement. the projects I got involved with were normally quite open and up to me to find. Placements within my department varied a lot. Mine was based more on developing a well rounded understanding of lots of areas rather than becoming immersed in one team. I liked this approach but at the start it was difficult to work out where I fit in.

I was trained to carry out work that was beneficial to both me and the company. Towards the end of the placement I had a meeting with my manager to discuss what I wanted to achieve before I left and organised some training that would be helpful for my university course next year.

There is a big push for the grad scheme whilst on placement as you have a much higher chance of getting the job than someone that has not worked at the company. The scheme sounds very enticing and is aimed at developing the grad student into a manager so you are likely to come out the other side with a very good job.

Yes the group of placement students here were very friendly and we often did social events together. We had monthly social events including bowling and films and went out for meals to celebrate birthdays. It was nice to have close friends at work in the same situation as you to go to lunch with etc.

My rent was fairly cheap, only one supermarket so food was not cheap.

Some pubs but no real night life.

Not many. More opportunities in the nearby towns 30 mins away.