Engineer industrial placement Review

On a day to day basis, you would be working on projects around site that improve production or sustainability. my role was to assist in electrical work around site and this involves completing documentation, managing contractors and adhering to procedures and ways of working. However in my situation I found I had little work due to projects being delayed or cancelled and this resulted me doing my own learning and projects instead of being bored.

Yes, I would say I have developed many soft skills during my time here due to being out of my comfort zone. I have also developed many skills due to having access to coursera premium where i completed many courses developing skills I personally valued and hope to use in the future. the technical skills I gained from working here I dont believe I will be using in the future or university as they seem quite specific to this site, and aren't really all to technical as the job is mostly managing people and completing documents.

Not much responsibility. the tasks I was given where tasks that anyone could do, calling people up and asking for things multiple times until they do it did not develop me and just felt like i was given it so I wasn't bored. on the job description it stated I would be working on much more fufilling and important projects but this didnt happen due to things out of my control, so you may have better luck another year.

I was supported by my manager and they did there best to sort work out for me, but overall they did not seem interested in what I was doing and just gave me pointless projects so I had something to do. I could approach them if I was struggling with anything but as my work was so menial I did not end up requiring much support or guidance during this placement year. the placement lead was available to contact and tried there best to sort my issues out.

Everyone was very friendly and did things such as open the door for each other, smile and say good morning whenever you see them. My office was small and relatively quiet, the dress code is very relaxed and your overall culture experience seems based on your manager and whos in your office as I know other students have had a bad experience in terms of culture and atmosphere. not very progressive in terms of ways of working as most people are against working from home even one day a week but the site is quite old and cliquey with most people working here due to family.

Overall I did not enjoy my placement. The work i did was meaningless and boring with no technical skill development. projects promoted in the job description where delayed or canceled leaving me with no project for my university report, so I had to come up with a project with my manager that will not be used, just so i can complete my project report. I do not believe that we should have to be in everyday when most of the work could be done remotely. However from this experience I did realize what I want from my career and due to the free time I had from lack of work, i developed many skills that will help me achieve my ideal career.

No

If you are looking to apply to GSK, make sure you know there values and display these values in your interview/online assessment. technical knowledge is not absolutely necessary as long as you are open to learning and have a growth mindset. all normal interview advice applies just make sure your manager has a set out plan for you before you join so you know what you will be working on for sure to avoid and disappointment