Digital IP Review

Working for GSK was a great experience. The company's values are very human and real, and I have met some great people during my time there. My manager and colleagues were always very supportive, and I couldn't have asked to work with a better bunch of people. The role taught me many skills that I will value a lot in my future career.

I always felt like a valuable part of my team. I was given a lot of responsibility since the very beginning of my placement, and I felt trusted and valued by my colleagues. My manager was always available and willing to help, and so was everyone else on my team.

If I needed help while at GSK, I knew there would be somebody willing to help. The handover period with the previous IP was 3 weeks long and I managed to learn a lot during that time. But equally, this placement taught me how to work independently to solve problems and find solutions without asking for others' help.

There were certain periods of time when I was very busy, with back-to-back meetings and a full diary. Other parts of the year, however, were very quiet for me. I could see my teammates' diaries were a lot busier than mine, and some days I had very little to do.

I was given a considerable amount of responsibility during my time at GSK - working in communications, I was often trusted with high responsibility jobs which, if done incorrectly, could potentially have damaged GSK's public reputation. This has helped me a lot to improve my confidence and my ability to problem-solve and work independently.

I think the skills that I have learnt throughout the year will be very valuable going forward. I have learnt what it means to work as part of a big corporate organisation, and I have definitely improved my ability to work as part of a team. I have also gained confidence in my work, and improved my communication skills which will be essential in my future career.

The atmosphere in the office was good and friendly, but sometimes a bit too serious. The floor I was working on was very quiet at times, but that being said I found that everyone I spoke to was always really friendly and easy to talk to. I would have liked more opportunities to get to know people outside of the work environment, where everyone can appear a bit too serious sometimes.

The placement was well organised. Starting from the moment I applied, the process was quite clear and linear. I had the opportunity to spend 3 weeks with the previous IP in my role when I joined, which was a very effective and gradual way of learning and diving into the role.

I would have liked to have been given the opportunity to expand my development even more. I have heard of fellow IPs who travelled to different countries for work during their time at GSK, but I didn't get opportunities like that. I got to go to a few conferences which were great, and I also got to take part in a few volunteering experiences, but except for that, there wasn't a lot.

I would definitely consider applying for GSK again. GSK treats their employees very well, and GSK House is a nice environment to work in. The graduate scheme seems very well organized, and I have had great feedback from all the people that I have met who are currently in the Grad scheme.

The social scene amongst fellow placement students was not very good in my opinion. The IP Union at GSK House wasn't very active in organizing socials and gatherings (except for a few at the beginning of the year). However, this didn't constitute a problem for me because I ended up making great friends with my colleagues and grads on my floor, and I frequently met up with them after work to socialise.

Unfortunately, London as an area is generally really expensive. Some areas near Brentford are more affordable, but each month I still ended up spending more than half of my salary on rent. This didn't really allow me to save as much money as I had hoped to do during my placement year, which I would say was one of the biggest downsides of the year.

Brentford is a very quiet town, with not a lot going on. There were a couple of good pubs near GSK House, which we often visited with my colleagues, but not much else. If you wanted to have a proper night out, you usually had to get the train somewhere.

During my time at GSK, I had the chance to take part in a few volunteering experiences, for example, the WellChild awards. The IP society organized a Christmas ball which was quite fun but expensive, and on Thursdays I would sometimes go to the pub with my team which was a nice way to bond with them.