Project facilitator Review

I had a very insightful placement in Macclesfield, which taught me a lot both on a personal and professional level. My manager was keen to entrust me with responsibilities and encouraged me to challenge myself. At the same time he took care to regularly checked in with me and ensured that I was not being pushed into situations that I could not handle.

My colleagues were very friendly and quickly integrated me into the team. The team was very collaborative and very good at valuing/drawing various team members' strengths to obtain better results. They were also keen to get me to contribute to the team and understanding of the fact that I had limited knowledge in some areas - despite the team being very busy they took the time to explain things & help me so that I could make a successful contribution.

My manager was very attentive to my development. He checked in with me on a regular basis to ensure that my work was progressing well and that I was getting the right level of support to do it. We also regularly discussed potential opportunities of development for me and/or whether there were areas that I was looking to improve on & discuss how he could help me in that respect.

I had a good workload during most of my placement, although I was a little too busy during 3-4 weeks during a critical phase of the project I was part of. Because the busy period was temporary, it did not really affect me and I was happy to learn and contribute.

I was entrusted with high responsibilities given my level of experience and felt that I was empowered to contribute as a regular team member. Despite sometimes being limited by my knowledge & experience, I got to take the lead on a wide range of subjects and held accountable for results delivered.

The skills I gained are both soft skills (communication, leadership, facilitating workshops, project management etc.) as well as hard skills (supply chain management, quality etc.). Many of those skills will be beneficial in future roles regardless of which sector I work in and have helped me develop my professional, as well as interpersonal skills.

The atmosphere was good, colleagues were nice and helpful. A series of workshops to enhance team spirit and collaboration were organised during my placement. People organised team lunches on a regular basis which encouraged the team to unite on a frequent basis. On some occasions the team also went out for dinner and drinks.

The induction was very well organised. I attended a 2 day induction giving me an insight into the company, its history, vision and values, as well as the site and functions on site. My manager also gave me a list of people to meet during my first month outlining why it would be beneficial for me to meet them and within which timeframe.

I was offered several opportunities to take part in personal development seminars such as presentation skills, interviewing skills, personal finances etc. I did not get extensive training in relation to my job, however, there was no requirement for me to be trained further in order to carry out my job.

There is a wide range of opportunities on the Macclesfield site, both within local and global functions, including scientific, business, procurement, manufacturing, supplier management, supply chain, quality etc. Thus, people on site frequently change jobs and progress either vertically or horizontally within the organisation. The site culture also encourages employee to evolve in their career.

There were several organisations encouraging cross functional communication which offered interesting activities such as social & networking events, presentations from senior leaders or experts on interesting subjects etc. Some of the organisations include a network for women, young employees at the company, group promoting diversity or monthly language lunches at the cantine.

The cost of living compared to neighbouring cities in Macclesfield was reasonable. There are many interns etc. from AstraZeneca living in Macclesfield which helps with the social life. Nonetheless, the social life remains limited as there are relatively few bars and restaurants in the area. However, for a relatively small city, there were a number of events/festivals that took place during my placement.

The nightlife was limited and the location relatively quiet. Nevertheless many young people live around the area and people tend to gather and organise informal meet ups at people's homes over the weekend. Manchester is also easily reachable through train. The company has incorporated a shuttle bus for employees to easily access the site.

There were opportunities to get involved in various organisations (e.g. network for women, young employees at the company, group promoting diversity or monthly language lunches at the cantine) or initiatives such as volunteering, which was encouraged by the company as it was offering every employee 1 volunteering day per year.