Industrial Placement - Communications and Government Affairs Review

Day to day tasks often vary, no day is truly the same. In my role (Communications and Government Affairs), I often draft posts for social media, either on internal channels (Workplace), or for external publication (LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram). In addition, I have also been able to draft press releases on company announcements, such as licensing agreements or acquisitions. These tasks are in addition to longer projects, such as internal and external campaigns trying to promote GSK.

I have learnt a variety of skills ranging from my written communication skills and Microsoft Office skills. These skills have enabled me to improve my storytelling ability when trying to bring an aspect from the company to attention, but also my graphical design abilities when putting together internal presentations. This is especially important when trying to communicate very technical scientific detail in a way which is accessible. Being involved with a variety of team meetings has also improved my interaction skills.

To begin with, responsibilities were naturally limited as it took time to settle into such a large company with many technical terms an processes, even within the comms department. Once settled, staff are always keen to help you learn skills and take ownership of projects. When you have ownership of projects it enables you to really prove your ability and let your quality of work shine through. If responsibility is something you want, there is ample opportunity to be involved in projects where you can take responsibility for the success.

To begin with, support was limited. Starting the placement I had little support and often felt a bit confused on how to begin with my placement. Over time, I was able to find my feet and settle, but this was only due to my proactive approach. Guidance was also very limited at times, with projects being set with very basic and inadequate instructions. Having made my team aware of these issues, support and guidance increased to an appropriate level.

Overall, the culture is one of the great things about GSK. Staff are keen to reward hard work with awards which also carry a monetary value. The atmosphere is always pleasant, colleagues are always willing to speak with you over coffee or lunch, and it feels like a fairly relaxed environment to work. Work is flexible, with no need to go into the office every day, although I believe this flexibility is being tightened in the future.

Enjoyment has been mixed. At times the work has felt remedial and disconnected. It is hard to feel the actual impact the company is making on the patients we strive to help so it hasn't felt the most rewarding or enjoyable. Otherwise, some projects have been fun, especially the longer projects when working with my line manager who has been extremely helpful in building my skills. Socially, it has also been enjoyable as there are many students on a placement year so there are lots of after work activities.

Yes

If applying for Communications and Government Affairs, please note it is really only COMMUNICATIONS. There is only one Government Affairs role available as far as I understand, although there may be scope to be involved in some projects in Government Affairs. Despite this, there is still good communications experience available. I would ensure you have a true passion for pharmaceutical companies and the industry as a whole. If you are communicating this, you should ensure you are very interested in it.