Drug Safety Scientist Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at J&J. I had an opportunity to work on a variety of projects both internal and external to my department which helped me develop and strengthen many skills which I can adapt not only in my final year at university but also in my future career choices. At the beginning my day-to-day tasks were quite repetitive as you have to complete a lot of training and prove yourself before you are assigned more responsible tasks but once the team see that they can trust your work they really do make sure to provide you with projects that really add value to your CV.

The team were very welcoming when I joined and treated me no differently to everyone else despite being a student. I was given the same responsibilities as the rest of the team as soon as I completed my training phase and my input in team discussions was always listened to which made me feel like a valued member of the team. If I had any suggestions regarding the job I was always given an opportunity to feedback to the team and even present my ideas at team meetings numerous times.

Honestly I could not have hoped for a better manager. We had weekly catch-ups where I was provided with valuable feedback on my work and got offered many opportunities to expand my skill set if I felt comfortable to take them on. My manager organised a lot of enriching activities for me without me even having to ask and always sought ways to enhance my placement year experience.

Due to the nature of the job there was always work to do. Sometimes we were required to stay later but sometimes we could leave earlier it all depended on the day and the internal timelines. However if you struggled with your workload there would always be someone in the team who would offer to help out.

Some of the projects I worked on not only had an impact on my department but also on the whole medical division. If you prove yourself on smaller projects you are assigned at the beginning, you will be provided with ones of more and more responsibility as the team learns to trust in your work.

The skills I developed throughout the placement and the projects I had the opportunity to lead/work on are crucial to the career path I want to take. I would like to work within the pharma industry after graduation and I know that the placement year has really prepared me well for this. I also feel more prepared for my final year at university due to the organisational and time management skills I developed.

My office specifically was quite fun. The team are like a big family and everyone gets along most of the time. I felt comfortable to talk to anyone in the team as everyone is really nice and understands it might be a bit overwhelming for you as a student to join a big team so they all really make an effort.

All the students are invited for a meet and greet day prior to starting the placement where you get an opportunity to meet other students and find out more about the company as well as the area we are based in. There is a two week induction period where you are required to attend a lot of training sessions and get to know more about the company. Once you actually start working your placement is shaped by your department so each student has an individual experience. There are always opportunities for the placement students to get involved with something.

Had the opportunity to participate in presentation skills, personality and CV workshops which are all beneficial to any career choice and also final year of studies. The more opportunities you seek out the more will be given to you and there is always something you can get involved in that targets to develop a different skill set.

There is a few graduate schemes offered by the company. However within Janssen there is a huge push on the marketing grad scheme which isn't always for everyone and there is little information/guidance about the other graduate schemes offered. However, there are graduate entry jobs available around the company just incredibly competitive so it's important to network throughout the year.

A lot of people commuted in my year as opposed to other years so it was always hard to get everyone together. We got along very well as a group but it was hard to organise events that at least half of the students would attend due to the travelling.

As the office is located quite close to London the living costs are a bit more expensive than most places but the placement is paid so you have more than enough to cover your rent if you need to move out. There are a few pubs/restaurants/activities around the area which are fairly cheap.

Currently there is only 1 nightclub and the rest is just pubs which can be alright for a night out if you go on a busy night. If you want a mid-week drink the town centre is a ghost town but Marlow is quite close and usually a bit more lively. London is quite close and easy to get to by train only problem is making your way back.