Industrial Placement Student Review
by GSK
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.5
-
The Company
3.4
-
The Culture
2.9
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I thoroughly enjoyed this placement year, as it provided me with the opportunity to experience research in an industrial setting. I was able to decide whether or not research was the right career path for me.
I felt incredibly supported and welcome from the first moment I met my colleagues and everyone in the department was really encouraging throughout the whole placement.
I felt very supported and felt comfortable asking for help or advice if I ever needed it.
Sometimes I was incredibly busy and in the lab for the whole day whereas other times, I was mostly just sat at my desk writing up experiments and doing admin. I would say everyday is different and it varies, which is a good thing.
I was given a lot of responsibility as I developed and as time went on, which was a challenging aspect of this year but it allowed me to showcase my abilities and provided me with opportunities to grow and develop.
All the lab experience and scientific skills I learned will doubtless be incredibly useful for my future, as I am hoping to continue in this field and pursue research as a career. If it wasn't something I wanted to do, this year would still have been useful as I developed many soft skills such as teamwork, independence and communication as the placement year provided multiple opportunities to enhance these skills. Overall, I have grown a lot as a person.
The Company
The atmosphere was incredibly relaxed and there was always cake and treats in the office, which helped!
The first two weeks involved an induction to introduce the students to the labs and techniques, which really helped to ease you in to the environment you were going to be working in. The supervisors and managers know what they are doing and will provide support and help throughout the year.
I had many opportunities to showcase my work, particularly at meetings, where you present your work and defend the results you obtained. There are also lectures and talks to help develop your scientific knowledge as well as multiple opportunities to volunteer and contribute to the local area.
Really appealing and having had the opportunity to work at GSK means that you essentially have one foot in the door and I would love to return to work as a full-time employee.
The Culture
The organisation IP Unite was incredible at organising various functions and events to facilitate socialising and networking and they were great fun.
Relatively expensive, but obviously cheaper than it would be in London!
Not that busy but there are a few places to go.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
East of England
August 2020
