Analytical Chemistry (Chromatography) Industrial Placement Student Review

I have had an excellent experience. I worked within a team of highly skilled scientists and have developed my professional and technical skills greatly.

I quickly felt part of the team and have enjoyed working alongside great professionals over the past year.

I was given good support at the start of my placement, with regular one-to-one mentoring from my supervisor and towards the end I was given real responsibility for my project.

For the vast majority of my placement the balance between completing the work given within the time available was good. I had great working relationships with my supervisor and manager who always supported my work.

As I previously eluded to, near to the beginning of my placement, I required a lot of training in the use of specialist software, techniques and safety which meant that I wasn't given much responsibility to begin with. However, as the placement progressed, I was given a greater scope of responsibility which required me to effectively manage my time and deliver results on-time.

This placement has given me such a valuable insight into the real working environment. Over the course of the past year I have developed a much greater understanding of the importance of: teamwork, time management, producing accurate reports, recording and storing data effectively. In short, I couldn't have had a better opportunity to learn and I would wholeheartedly encourage others to take industrial placements.

I had great working relationships with others in the office. Good conversations a variety of topics - not just work!

Although I worked at GlaxoSmithKline, my placement was organised by SRG. There were some issues with SRG payroll during the year which meant that sometimes I was paid incorrectly. After several emails, this was resolved however this is definitely an aspect that could be improved in the future.

I learnt about and used a host of techniques and software packages. My supervisor was an excellent mentor and trained me in many skills. For example, writing scientific reports.

All of the feedback I have received has been very good, so I hope I can work for GSK again in the future! This really depends entirely on whether jobs are available, and if so, whether my skills align with the business needs.

Yes. Worked with over 100 other Industrial Placements students who lived locally. We set up a facebook page and there were regular house parties and other gatherings during the year.

South-east England is relatively expensive compared to places further north, so going out was quite expensive. I was fortunate that I lived at home during my placement though, so I didn't need to pay as much rent or utility bills as other students!

London is 25 minutes away by train. Lots of pubs and a couple of clubs in the area too!

Yes - the was a gym onsite with several classes. Also lots of places to visit around the area.