Industrial Placement, C3 DPU, Immunoinflammation Review

I really enjoyed the work that I was involved in, being based almost 50:50 in the lab and the office. I have learnt so much throughout my time on placement and the quality and quantity of work that I have achieved has made me very proud. I have also been able to meet and make friends with lots of new people and have gained many business contacts which will likely help me in the future with getting references and employment.

I felt very valued by all of my colleagues, and full-time staff helped myself and the other students settle into our new jobs. Most of them treated us like anybody else in the office, however there were a few occasions where I did feel inferior, and treated a bit like a child, however this was only by a very minor group of people. I got on really well with the other students on placement, and having a group of us together made it easy to collaborate and share feedback on work. My work was appreciated by other members of my team and I felt like it was actually beneficial and applicable to the company's needs.

I could not have asked for a more supportive and helpful supervisor, and the fact that we got on really well really helped to make my placement a great experience. My supervisor provided all of the training and support I needed during my first few weeks, and gradually helped me become more independent and self-driven in my work. This was really great as it helped me to develop my skills and expertise, and enabled me to think for myself. She was always there if I needed help or support and was also keen to ensure that I was doing okay outside of work too.

I was kept busy with both lab and office work, which made me feel motivated and prevented me from becoming bored. At times, when I was unable to complete lab work the work pace was slower and I sometimes felt like I had not much to do, however using my initiative I used this time to get ahead on other work that I knew would have to be done. Occasionally, in order to meet deadlines I had to work longer hours and got slightly stressed, however this was at a tolerable level.

Following the initial few training weeks, the responsibility I was given grew through the placement. For most of my time at GSK, I was entirely responsible for the lab work I conducted and the following write-up and data analysis. This made me feel very empowered and helped me grow in confidence. Despite this, my supervisor was always there for advice and feedback when I so required it. On occasion I was also tasked with performing laboratory work and analysis for other team members in order to generate important and necessary data for the business.

My time at GSK has been completely invaluable. I have learnt so much in terms of scientific expertise, business operations, the world of pharmaceuticals and so much more, in addition to becoming much more confident in my skills and ability as a scientist. I have also had great experience attending seminars and conferences, and have learnt to network and build employability skills through a number of workshops. All of this will not only assist in supporting the science in my final year of university, but will also give me the skills I need to gain a job and pursue a wide breadth of careers in the future.

The general atmosphere was really nice, with everyone knowing each other and being friendly. Sometimes conversation could get quite distracting, however there were plenty of other spaces that I could go to work if I needed to be in silence or away from distractions. With all the students sitting together it also really helped to build togetherness within the group.

Setup of my placement was very easy, with little required for me to do following the interview before my start date. An induction day was arranged for all of the students which went really well and was a great thing to do for getting to know people and sorting accommodation.

GSK is well equipped and used to dealing with students. In my department our first two weeks was entirely training, both in lab skills and techniques and general day-to-day business activities, useful web links and guidance etc. I also had a number of other company opportunities in which to develop myself and work with others.

I really enjoyed working for GSK and would definitely consider coming back to work for them in the future. The employee benefits are great, the community is really nice and I genuinely enjoyed my work and felt like I was making a difference. A wonderful sense of belonging.

In my department there was a large group of students (unlike other departments) and this was really good as I made lots of friends and we always made the effort to spend time together both at work and outside of the office. There were also several events organised for us which brought together all of the students both on site and all over the country.

Being close to London, it wasn't as cheap as it could have been, but generally it was better than I had expected it to be. Drinks prices could sometimes be quite steep, and a couple of the clubs in town I found entry prices to be very expensive. Generally bearable though, considering I was earning!

I didn't really explore the nightlife very much, however I know there were a few places that people went out to in Stevenage. There are quite a few popular pubs and wetherspoons, and London is also really close and so its very easy to get to London for lots of events!

there is not much to do in Stevenage, but there are some things such as the cinema, mini golf and lots of places to eat. London is also very close and so everyone frequently went to London at the weekend or in the evenings to go to events or do fun things.