Industrial Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my industrial placement at GSK. It opened my eyes to the wealth of opportunities available not only within the company but also within the pharmaceutical sector as a whole. I believe that the healthcare sector will be a fantastic industry to go into for the future and GSK reinforced my opinion.

My colleagues took the time to give me the necessary training and answered the numerous questions I asked during my placement at GSK. Although I felt like I was slow to grasp the ropes at first, my colleagues never lost patience with me and always guided me along and directed me onto the right path.

I understood that management were very busy and so felt as though I received more support overall from my fellow colleagues. However, the interactions that I did have with management were friendly and they were always open and made themselves available to discuss any issues I was having. They seemed like people I would like to work for.

I was given plenty of work to get my teeth into and there was never a moment where I felt bored. It helped that the workload was not only enough but that the tasks were challenging, making me feel like I was being useful and putting my brain to use everyday.

Although I was slow at the beginning, I worked hard to prove my worth and I believe that having seen how hard I worked and how much I wanted to impress, I was given an appropriate level of responsibility. I do not believe that any more responsibility would have been necessary given the length of my placement.

My placement at GSK not only gave me skills and training that I would not have been able to gain within university but also honed skills that I already possessed. I believe that my placement has given me an element of preparation that university does not provide and I believe I am even better equipped to enter the workforce.

I got along very well with the colleagues in my office, to the extent that we would have regular nights out outside of work. The atmosphere in the office was always fun yet professional. I am still very good friends with them and could not have asked for better colleagues to work with.

I am indebted to GSK for giving me skills and training that I don't believe I would have obtained anywhere else. I felt like they did all they could to make sure I had the best placement experience possible and would highly recommend any students thinking of such a placement to do it.

Following my industrial placement at GSK, I am very much interested in potential future employment should the opportunity arise. I am particularly interested in the multinational aspect of the company and hope to be employed by GSK or another company that is very similar to it in the future, either in the UK or in another exciting part of the world.

Being in London meant that cost of living and socialising were not cheap at all however I was lucky that I could stay with some relatives and so had a good deal of money left over from what I earned to spend on what I liked during the placement ie socialising. I am aware others may not be so lucky but there usually isn't a shortage of living options in London

My colleagues were all very social people and so we would take it upon ourselves to ensure we had as many social meetings outside of work as possible. Being in London meant that there were a plethora of things we could all do to enjoy ourselves outside of work to relax and get to know each other better.