Project IP Review

The placement at GSK was a really great experience to gain an insight into working in a global organisation. It was great commercial awareness and seeing how smaller roles all join up to create the bigger picture. I also enjoyed the social aspect of working with other interns that understood my thoughts and feelings to joining a new role.

This one, if I am being honest is really mixed. Some of my colleagues really took me under their wings and ensured I was always comfortable and I would have to give them 10. Unfortunately, this was not the case with everyone. Some colleagues found it difficult to give up their time and expertise to help build my knowledge.

This is also another mixed answer. I could not generalise my guidance to all supervisors and managers as this really did vary. My hiring manager was always around for weekly 1:1 and also ensured I was comfortable. Although, one of my managers did not accept one weekly 1:1 with me for over 6 months. I found this really challenging but I am happy I had this experience as it taught me some valuable skills.

When I joined the workload was not crazy. It was a gentle soft approach which I feel was necessary. The first month is very overwhelming with lots of names and places to learn. Although, at the end of my placement I was always crazy busy which I enjoyed. It really motivated me.

8/9. My main project I feel I was given a lot of responsibility but sometimes too much. There was times I was expected to negotiate costs with an external consultant which of course should not be the role of intern. This made a difficult conversation, but again I am happy for the experience.

10. This year has been invaluable to my personal and career growth. I have improved on time management and organisational skills which will rely aid my studies. I feel like my confidence has really grown. At the beginning I was often too scared to talk in meetings and now I really enjoy giving my opinions and knowing they are valued.

Great! The atmosphere is really friendly but very chilled. Everyone is usually head down independently working in the office due to"break out spaces" for more collaborative working which is of course louder. I would give the general atmosphere a 7. It depends how you best work - but on the whole GSK is a calm, relaxing atmosphere.

I would give this a 6. This is due to the uncertainty at the beginning of my placement . It was unclear what projects I was going to take place on and I had been given little information/objective/purposes of these projects. But once this was established it was a seamless process.

I would give this a 6. I was definitely pushed out of my comfort zone but this is probably due to my more quiet nature. Although, I feel like I could have been pushed harder and given more difficult challenges. I also admit I could have been more pro-active to look for these challenges and this is something I will be taking forward in the future.

Very appealing - GSK are a great company to be employed by with many benefits. Although, unfortunately I feel graduate schemes is not something that would personally benefit me. I want to finish university and temp for a few years while I figure out what exactly I want to do. Although, there are many opportunities to get graduate schemes if this is suited to you.

I would most definitely give this a 9 out of 10. The social aspect of the placement made it really great. I definitely made friends for life. It was good to join at the same time to help us realise we was all in the same boat and nerves were good. It was great finding colleagues that attend the same university as me.

I cannot comment on this as I was not living out. Although, the living and socialising would take place in London. This therefore means the costs of drinks and food is much higher than anywhere else in the country unfortunately. Although, you have to factor this into the fun and experience of living in a huge city. I would rate this 4.

Mixed. West London has a few great bars and pubs which are really great for socialising and getting to know people. Although, if you are looking for more clubs and events it probably isn't the best place. Although, the commute into Central London is really easy and cheap on the tube. I would give it a 7.

10 - there was so many opportunities. These include volunteering, sports teams, sharing transport into and out of work. I got involved in some charity work through GSK which allowed me to volunteer as a team mate for a UK camp for seriously sick children. It was a memorable experience.