Microbiology Review
by GSK
Rating
-
Skills
3.8
-
Responsibilities
3.0
-
Support & Guidance
3.0
-
Culture
3.5
-
Your Impressions
2.0
- 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
- 2. Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
- How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
- How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
- How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
- Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
- 3. Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
- Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
- 4. How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
- How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
- How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
- 5. What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
- How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
- How would you rate the social opportunities?
- How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
- How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
- 6. To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
- Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
- Please rate how your experience met your expectations
- Please rate the future employment prospects at GSK
- 7. Would you recommend GSK to a friend?
- 8. What advice would you give to others applying to GSK
Overview
Assay bacterial mutants for clavulanic acid using an automated liquid handling machine. Inoculate media and shakeflasks for further assaying. Using picking machines to select colonies. Perform aseptic technique and follow SOPs. Carry out general laboratory tasks such as washing up, media making, calibrating equipment, topping up consumables and sterilising waste and media using an autoclave.
Skills
I have learnt a great number of key laboratory practices such as serial dilutions, aseptic technique and technical skills such as programming the automated liquid handling machine, using shakers and using media dispensers. I have participated in a number of additional responsibilities which have furthered my team work, organisation, leadership and attention to detail. I have learnt how to carry out a high throughput process to optimise the likelihood of improving the current production strain.
Responsibilities
Yes and no. I was given responsibility to carry out the routine work after being trained and met competency standards. The focus is on results and not understanding the science behind the results which means under taking ad hoc experiments is not common. I took responsibility to further my knowledge out side of my role but it is proritised to get routine work done first and there was never a lot of time.
Support & Guidance
At the start you are given a lot of one-to-one training and reading SOPs and carrying out OJTs. Monthly progress meetings were carried out to raise concerns and highlight progress.
Culture
I found the environment a little cliquey but the majority of the employees have worked there nearly 40 years so is understandable. COVID restrictions interfered with social activities but there is opportunities for placement students through IP UNITE.
Your Impressions
I decided quite early on that a laboratory role is not for me, the work is fairly routine and not challenging enough. I did learn a lot but I felt university standards oversold the reality in an pharmaceutical environment. At university there is a lot of diverse practical's, whereas in industry it is fairly routine processes carried out again and again
Yes
Ensure you are 100% keen on the area prior to applying, I felt I was perhaps a bit blind-sighted by the name rather than the role itself.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Pharmaceutical
South East
July 2022
