Statistics Industrial Placement Student Review

This placement year has been an amazing and rewarding experience, which helped me grow both professionally and personally. It has been an invaluable opportunity to enhance my industry knowledge and clarify my career goals. I really enjoyed this year due to the variety of challenging projects and STEM activities I have been involved in.

I have always felt very welcomed, my colleagues appreciated all the work that I was doing and gave me constructive feedback. Being given a wide range of projects made me feel valued and part of the team. Everyone was very friendly and approachable, and I was always thanked for the effort and hard work I put in at the end of every project.

I have received lots of support and guidance, especially at the beginning of my placement. My manager and colleagues helped me to get familiar with the processes that have to be followed in the department as well as the statistical methods used. I had at least weekly 121 meetings with my line manager to discuss my progress, current work and potential development opportunities.

My workload varied on a daily basis depending on the projects I was working on, but I was never overly stressed. My manager made sure that there was always the right amount of work to keep me busy. Sometimes, if my workload was running low, I took the opportunity to learn and do something new and interesting.

I have been involved in multiple projects throughout the year and felt that I made a positive contribution to the team. The level of responsibility I was given increased as I became more independent in my work, but I could always ask someone in my team for help and guidance.

The skills learnt during my placement year will certainly be helpful for completing my final year and for my future career. I gained more in-depth technical knowledge, which will be beneficial for most of my third-year modules. At the same time, I developed various workplace skills and I feel now much more confident in voicing my views.

The general atmosphere in my office was often a bit quiet, where we can focus and concentrate on the tasks, but everyone is very friendly and happy to chat about their work experiences or discuss projects.

The overall work placement was well organised. We had a familiarisation day a few months before the start date in order to meet with other placement students and the department.

GSK really focus on your personal development and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. We had workshops organised by a GSK employee on soft skills (presentation skills, CV, time management, ecc.) and statistical training. You can also go on tours of other GSK sites and shadow someone else in the company. Placement students are able to help with STEM activities, and represent GSK in events for schools and at Big Bang Fairs.

The future employment prospects within GSK are good, there are now quite a few open positions for graduates in the statistics-related field.

There is a good number of placement student at Ware and we would meet up in local pubs after work. Throughout the year, there were various social events organised by GSK placement students across sites (e.g. Christmas Ball, Summer Boat Party).

Ware is just one hour away from London Liverpool Street by train. The rental prices and drinks/food are a bit cheaper than London. The rent can vary from £300 to £600 / month.

Ware is a small and quiet town, but there is a good range of nice pubs. You can travel to Hertford (5 mins away) for a reasonable night out.

The on-site sports and social club offers many opportunities (e.g. squash or other sports clubs). There are a subsidised gym and others gyms in Ware, including a swimming pool. You can also get involved with charity work and STEM activities.