Marketing Undergraduate Review

I really enjoyed my work placement at Pfizer - The level of responsibility I received throughout my time was great. I was able to own my own projects, take accountability for the outcomes and I received feedback regularly to help my work development. I have learnt what my strengths in the workplace are and how to leverage these to bring the most to the team I am working in.

The colleagues in both the marketing team and the wider business unit were hugely welcoming and treated me like a incremental member of the team from the get go. I was invited to team meetings and given the opportunity to work cross-functionally with other colleagues outside of my immediate brand team. Everyone was friendly and no-one was too busy to answer any questions I had.

My supervisor was great at providing support and guidance daily when needed but also gave me the opportunity to have space and work on projects independently. Despite the fact they work from home regularly, they were always easy to contact and answered any queries I had. I received consistent feedback from my manager and tips on how to improve my work further.

In the fast moving world of pharmaceuticals you expect to be busier at some times more than others. I experienced a huge range of daily work load throughout my year. Around important national conferences I was really busy and had plenty of tasks to be completing. However, at other times of the year, work was quieter and on the odd occasion I struggled to feel busy at work. Overall across the year, the work balance was really good and I always felt like I could ask for more work if I needed it.

Being one of two marketeers on a brand team meant that I was given a huge amount of responsibility from the beginning. I gained confidence over time and by Christmas time I felt completely confident in the work I was completing. I never felt like I was going at it alone though and if I was struggling with a task I knew I could always ask for support from my manager. Owning your own projects was hugely exciting and I feel proud to have produced some positively tangible outcomes.

I genuinely feel as though I have gained 'skills for life' during this placement. Despite having summer jobs throughout my school and university time, nothing compares to working at a company for a whole year. The work relationships you develop are incremental to the way I now approach new work colleagues. I feel confident in my ability to communicate professionally at work. Mostly, I know how I work and how to leverage my own experiences and strengths to bring the most of myself to a team. I have learnt how to prioritise and organise myself effectively, which I know will help me when I go back to University.

The office is in a beautiful area of surrey countryside, which although great to go running in your lunch breaks and get outside for a walk during the work day, can be slightly unfortunate for young professionals. In order to socialise after work with your colleagues, you have to drive to the local towns or go up into London. Inside the office, employees are always polite and friendly! A lot of colleagues work from home depending on the day of the week so it can be really busy but also really quiet. In general, the office is a great place to work, with areas to both socialise and also work independently in peace.

In general, I found the work placement was organised well. I remember arriving on my first day and having a timetable for the first two weeks whilst we were undergoing a huge amount of training. Although intense, these two weeks allowed me to hit the ground running and by Christmas time I felt as though I knew all the internal company processes. I felt constantly supported by both my line manager and HR colleagues.

Throughout the year, we were given opportunities to sign up for additional trainings as long as they were relevant to our daily job. There are plenty of additional online learning modules you can sign up and complete. Despite this, I feel as though it would have been really useful to have a session near the end of placement about how you can compliantly leverage the experience you gained in future job interviews.

Throughout my time at Pfizer, I have seen multiple colleagues be promoted and new colleagues join the business unit I worked in. It seems to be a great place to develop your career but equally there seems to be no pressure to push higher if you are happy at the level you are at. There is a great support network for current colleagues. I don't know how difficult it is to enter the company externally but I believe there are regular job postings.

There are a huge number of undergraduates on placement at Pfizer. Everyone made friends quickly and we frequently meet up outside of work. There are multiple undergraduate events that we organised and attended. Undergraduates take lunch together and regularly meet up to learn about what other undergraduates are working on in other areas of the business. The geographical location of the office can however make it difficult to meet up as everyone lives in different towns and London can be a bit of a trek for some. Despite this, most undergraduates live near a station or have a car so this makes it easier to socialise outside of work.

I lived in at home so the cost of living was minimal. I did have to pay for fuel to commute to and from work. However, I understand that there is a free work bus from some of the local towns which other undergraduates used to get to and from work each day. The cost of socialising in the local areas is on the more expensive end due to the fact it is in and around London.

The nightlife in the local area isn't great but all local towns to the office have good transport train links into London, where the options of clubs, bars, restaurants etc. is endless. The nightlife in London is great and the upcoming area of Brixton which is closer to surrey than central London is a great option to go out to.

Yes! Some examples include - running the London Winter 10K for Cancer Research UK, joining HBA (Healthcare Business Women's Association), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ambassador work, volunteering with work colleagues in the local areas. There is no pressure to do additional activities if you don't want to but equally you are offered loads so get stuck in!