Synthetic organic chemist Review

Gives a great overall insight into a large pharmaceutical business. Learn the day to day operations of the business but also some of the long term strategies of the business. You'll become a integral member of the team you're working in and will probably have great fun working with your colleagues. There's also a large intake of students so you'll be a part of a cohort which has its own student body representatives - who will organise fun and career developing events throughout the year. There's a buzzing social atmosphere about working here and I'm sure you'll greatly enjoy it.

You'll become a critical member of the team which you work in and so most of the day to day functioning of the business in R&D actually relies on the work of the students, and more of the strategical work is done by the full-time employees. This has its pros and cons as you get to focus on your work but can feel a bit restricting when you done always get invited to important meetings. However, the general consensus is that you'll be highly appreciated and respected by your colleagues.

When it came to completing university orientated work my supervisor was great in terms of helping me along the way. They proof read my final report several times and gave excellent feedback as it was being constructed. As for your business work, the support from your supervisor can vary - for multiple reasons. Some supervisors are more hands-on than others anyway, but you can often negotiate what level of support/guidance you need from your supervisor directly with them.

Make no mistake, the work load is extremely high. Coming from a university background, you are unlikely to be used to the long intense hours you work, initially you'll be very tired and will feel overwhelmed. You learn to cope with the working hours fairly quickly, and the nature of your workload can vary from person to person. My supervisor for example was a bit of a work-horse and expected a lot more of me than some of the other students in my department. However most are happy to adjust your workload to suit you if you are bored or struggling

You are very much responsible for your actions and the work that you do during your placement. This can have positive effects, like taking credit when work goes well and feeling proud of the work you've achieved, but it also has negative effects in terms of increased pressure and accountability should anything go wrong.

I think this is an aspect which will vary massively depending on your degree, the particular placement you do and even the supervisor you get. However, you will definitely obtain many skills which will be integral to your future career. You'll vastly improve your soft skills by working in small dynamic teams and liaising with people across projects.