IT Industrial Placement Student Review

what I found most enjoyable about my placement at GSK was the amount of breath and depth I was able to experience. in addition to this, GSK sponsored me on 3 different professional qualifications which is something I can now put on my CV and can help further my career. another thing I enjoyed was making friends and socializing with my colleagues who had years of experience that I could learn from.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. From my 1st day I was made to feel welcome as a member of the team. I also had a meeting with my manager and his manager where they ask me what I wanted to gain from my placement year. throughout my year here I have felt that my manager has kept my desires in mind and have given me the opportunities to gain some of the skills I desired to.

I felt right I was well supported throughout my year at GSK. at the beginning of my placement I my desk was positioned right next to my manager which meant that whenever I was unsure about something I was able to ask him for advice. after about 5 months we moved office space. this time my manager was seated opposite me which meant I could still ask him for advice and support but only when it was needed. now my manager seats across from me but I usually do not need to ask him as many questions now.

at the beginning of my Placement my time was mostly occupied by training that I had to complete. after that I was only ever working on 1 or 2 projects at a time. after about 3 months the workload I had steadily increased which gave time to get used to it and also the time to plan out my diary so as to not be overwhelmed with the workload.

Similar to how my workload increased throughout the year, I would say that, this was also true for how my responsibility increased. I started off just shadowing my manager on projects or taking a back seat in some of the projects I was involved in. to now assuming the role of project manager on many of the projects I worked on towards the 2nd half of my placement.

I study Accounting and management but I have done a IT placement with GSK. At first I thought I would not be able to transfer many skills I would gain in this year to my degree. However, I have greatly developed my presentation skills as I give the IT induction training every fortnight here at GSK. In addition to this I have greatly improved my communication skills and my time management which I believe will greatly help me in my final year.

For I found that the office was generally always busy but with a relax atmosphere. we were allowed to receive phone calls if our phone ever rang but obviously conversations need to be kept short and quiet in order not to disturb others. Also there was always snacks for everyone to share which kept the atmosphere upbeat.

I believe that my placement at GSK was well organised. this is because there were different events and activities specially organized for us as placement students which helped us to build ourselves both personally and professionally. I was also provided with a mentor and a buddy which meant I always had someone I could contact if I ever needed any additional support.

I believe that GSK has really invested in me. Although I am studying accounting and management and I am doing an IT placement. I have been sponsored on 3 professional exams which will be useful when I apply for a tech job in the future. as this placement as helped me to realize that I am passionate about IT and that is the field I want a career in.

Due to how much the company as invested in the placement students they are very eager to retain as many placement students as possible. we are fast tracked if we apply for any of their graduate schemes and there is also direct entry where you stay in touch through your manager and if any jobs pop up you are notified about this.

There was a group chat created for the placement students which allowed us to find housing together and to also organise events together such as bowling, mini golf, cinema trips and many more. However, I preferred hanging out with my team as we had curry nights and escape room events.

I believe that this depends on you and where you choose to live and stay. I found that living close to work would have been rather expensive for me. so I rented a room about 8 miles away which worked out cheaper and chose to drive to work every day.

Whilst on my placement I did not really go out in area as I was not familiar enough with it. However, London is only about and hour drive away and it is also accessible via train which was where me and my friends preferred to go on a night out as there are many more clubs to choose from.

Yes I have had a lot of opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work. we have the sports and social club which every employee and their family has access to. There were regular game nights held here which turned out to be rather entertaining. also there are a lot of shops and cinemas in area so it was really easy for me to organise different activities outside of work.