Research Scientist 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
3.9
-
The Company
3.8
-
The Culture
3.0
- 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
Excellent experience to have, made lots of new friends, met some lovely people and everyone is relaxed and friendly.
Everyone made me feel at home, managers are always happy to talk about anything. Also the opportunity for plenty of coffee breaks to talk to your supervisor or get some advice from colleagues.
They're always there to lend a hand, everyone helps each other to ensure fantastic results.
Days are mixed, sometimes you'll have little to do apart from write-ups, but then on other days you'll be rushed off of your feet collecting data at timepoints as well as balancing 3/4 experiments at a time.
I was in charge of my own little niche, everyone plays a role towards a larger target, but at the end of the day what you do comes down to the advice your manager has given you or what needs to be tested.
I've learnt a variety of skills to last a lifetime, not only within the lab, which i will benefit from in future scientific pursuits but also just general workplace demeanour, expanding my knowledge and also personal and presenting skills infront of large audiences of people, who are there to listen specifically to what you have to say.
The Company
Open plan offices are great for chatting to colleagues, engaging in the latest office gags / gossip, but still quiet enough for you to get on with the work if needs be.
GSK were great, plenty of fun events, plenty of other students to socialise with from other areas of the company.
They are training you to be the next generation of scientists, so want you to have the best training there can be, maximising your own potential as well as gaining your knowledge.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
The current job climate is a harsh one, but with this experience it puts me in good stead of a career in the future.
The Culture
There are plenty of opportunities to branch out into the student world, with a mixture of chemists, IT people and biologists in stevenage to socialise with.
It's close to London so is always going to be bit pricey, but still reasonably affordable to live and still have some money left over for a fancy holiday after!
Stevenage nightlife is practically non-existant apart from a few bars and pubs in the old town, but theres an express train to London every 10 minutes or so and plenty of nicer places to visit nearby to Stevenage.
There are plenty of football, tennis, rugby and cricket clubs in Stevenage, as well as local gyms and swimming pools.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
East of England
July 2013
