Operations Summer Intern Review

I very much enjoyed my placement experience with AstraZeneca. I found the work environment challenging but stimulating, and generally, adequate support was provided throughout. The company also helped us placement students settle into the working environment, by organising several social events where we were able to network with other students and employees.

Towards the end of my summer placement at AstraZeneca, I was pleasantly surprised by how well integrated I had become within my direct team. Colleagues were always very polite, pleasant and went out of their way to ensure I was included in meetings and discussions. Inevitably, I did sometimes feel a bit excluded from social events because I wasn't a 'permanent' team member.

Generally, my supervisor was very supportive. For example, she enacted a weekly meeting where I was able to run through my weekly progress, and get any questions I had, answered. However, due to my supervisor working in a different department to where I was placed, I did sometimes feel like I would have benefited from being mentored by someone working in my direct team.

Due to my project being office-based, and interfacing multidisciplinary teams not only in different departments, but also in different countries, I found I was often waiting for people to reply to my emails. Hence, my days could either be really busy or very quiet, depending upon how many people replied, and when.

I feel I wasn't really given much responsibility, as my tasks were all rather mundane. This is no-ones fault in particular, as it related more to the project I was given (specifically, the management team had already decided it wasn't worth pursuing it, so I was essentially working on a defunct project)

Due to me now pursuing a career in healthcare, the ability to work within, and communicate effectively to, a multidisciplinary team is essential to providing effective care to patients at all times. Hence, the ability to refine these skills at Astrazeneca was invaluable professional development, and one which I feel will serve me very well in the future.

The general atmosphere in the office was very pleasant. All my colleagues were extremely friendly and were happy to answer queries or support me with my work when asked. Nevertheless, I did feel colleagues could be a bit aloof, and that if it wasn't me initiating these conversations, I would not have spoken to them much.

Generally, I felt the internship was organised very effectively and efficiently. Periodic meetings were organised with our supervisors to ensure us placement students were fully aware of what was expected of us, and who to ask for help and support. We were also encouraged to organise our own agenda and meetings, which is an important skill for the future.

I feel AstraZeneca really invested a lot of time, finances (pay was excellent) and effort into ensuring our placements were as fulfilling as possible for the interns. For someone who is at the start of their professional journey, being supported in this manner definitely makes you feel valued as an employee.

AstraZeneca are a very appealing pharmaceutical company to work for, as they seemed to really understand the direction healthcare is currently taking. They are working hard and continually investing in their research and development pipeline which is an inspiring backdrop for a young scientist, looking to forge a career in pharma.

Once all the students got to know each other, we did see each other outside of work for social functions and events. Unfortunately, due to the location of the AZ campus (ie Macclesfield), it meant that we were a bit fragmented with regards to living location. A few lived in Macclesfield whilst others commuted from Manchester, meaning it was sometimes hard to organise events.

Unfortunately, Macclesfield is a rather expensive place to live and socialise in. And due to it being only a relatively big town, there isn't a huge array of choice when it comes to finding accommodation for the summer, which is why interns tend to rent together. I personally lived in Manchester and commuted.

I personally lived in Manchester and commuted by driving to Macclesfield. From what I experienced, the nightlife in the latter is mainly comprised of bars and pubs, which are usually towards the pricier end of the scale. On the other hand, Manchester has a fantastic nightlife, to truly suit all music tastes.

The company was very good at organising social activities outside of work, and as intern students we were actively encouraged to join in. This was really appreciated on my behalf because it did make us feel like we were integral cogs within the company. Events included a summer barbecue social and networking sessions