Material Scientist Review

I enjoyed my placement with GSK. I was part of the Material Science team which was essentially the analysis of pharmaceutical material. The purpose could range from stating if the material behaves as expected to determining whether there is impurity present. There was also long-term projects such as profiling potential material or observing a particular material over time. There was a wide-range of projects, each with their own purpose, the same tests may be done but some materials produce interesting results. Further to this, the materials I came in contact with were consumer healthcare (toothpaste etc.) to active pharmaceutical ingredients (over the counter medicines).

My team was small and focused, there were four employees plus myself. We were also a relatively busy team for the size of us. Therefore, there was this personal touch to how we worked where we all knew each other well. There was never an ambiguity or general indifference, it was always friendly and open. Even with this, I was given independence from when I was setup properly after proper training and familiarisation of my work. If I became stuck, or questioned myself or the results, they were always happy to help out.

As mentioned previously, I was given independence from when I was trained and became familiar with how to do my work. The structure of the team was good, there were regular updates with new/current/potential projects. There was constant communication between ourselves to each other and our supervisor, concerning whether we needed help, delegate tasks out, or if there was any concern. I would say I had good support and I knew I had it if I needed it.

This varied from day to day and week to week. The nature of our department was to support many GSK sites and not just the site we were physically located on. We had many projects and we were generally busy. Most projects required a range of testing rather than simply one or two. The period where we might be less busy would be when we're waiting for materials from other sites to be delivered. This gave me the time to finalise reports in my lab-book, finish off presentations, both of which I may have put off in order to start other lab work. I was also responsible for the upkeep of the lab and ensuring we had what was needed. There was never a point where there wasn't something to do but there were points where there was a lot to do. This is good, as you are treated as an actual employee rather than a student running errands.

I was given "student" jobs which were basic maintenance and upkeep of the lab. This varied from having enough miscellaneous items such as gloves and tissues, to ensuring there was a supply of various gases needed by equipment, to ensuring that equipment were operating correctly. That was more of side job, rather than my job. I was often delegated tasks to support the analysis of a material. For example, one person may be running five or six tests of samples of a material. I may be delegated to do one or two of the tests while they complete others. I was also given my own projects to lead, generate results, and to report. Some of this also involved direct communication with the customer in question and to be in conference with them. Despite that, there was support and offers of help if I needed it, but I was expected to perform as the other employees would.

First of all, the placement showed me exactly how different university life is different from work life. Even though it was different, it was very satisfying. The skills learnt in the lab will help me perform better in the future, whether at university or in a similar job. The experience of leading your own project, conducting the analysis of material for an actual purpose, and being in direct communication with the customer were all very new to me and helped me develop these soft skills (communication, team-work, flexibility, time-management, and decisiveness). A placement gives the opportunity to re-learn what you had learnt in a practical sense which helps you understand it better. This and specific knowledge associated with the job that will be useful for future learning. The placement also gave me an appreciation of whether I was on the right career path.

The group was small so there was a more casual and personal touch to how we approached each other. This, I believe, helped me integrate as a student as I felt I was able to ask questions and not be afraid of questioning results. We were all friendly with each other and had good chats.

The first week or two felt slow as systems were being put in place, this was expected. The team was eager to show me around and to help me familiarise myself with the office and the lab prior to when I actually started work on material. Otherwise, the structure felt as normal as any employment was and I was treated no different.

There was many modules to do on the online learning website. New employees and even current employees regularly need to complete online modules relating to their location and job. There were also classroom-taught modules, these were less frequent. Within the office and lab, apart from being trained on how to prepare samples and to use the equipment properly it was more of a learn as you go approach. This was good, in my opinion, as you developed thoughts which lead to questions. These questions would then be answered by the team (mostly) and then you know what to expect the next time.

I would seriously consider applying for the Graduate programme after my degree is finished.

My site, typically didn't take on many students as it was a smaller site in comparison to the one most students go to. There were still other students that did voluntary/mandatory short-term placements over a summer up to six months from local universities.

The area I was in was known to be relatively expensive (cheaper than London). There were ways around this and the pay I received was more than sufficient to support a car, renting a room plus bills, good food and the occasional trip/shopping.

The city nearby often had events such as comedy shows, circus, concerts going on. There was also plenty to see within and out of the city.

There are many independent gyms, sports clubs and groups to join. It is an active area. I joined a gym but also volunteered to become a first aider with the St John Ambulance on weekends and some evenings. Sometimes you need to search it out but once you find some there are plenty.