Industrial Placement Student - Immunoinflammation 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
4.9
-
The Company
4.4
-
The Culture
2.9
- 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
Working at GSK was the most incredible year and I didn't want to leave!
I never felt as though I was a student whose opinion did not mean as much as the full time staff. Everyone was equal, and your input was heard.
My supervisors were incredible. They held my hand in the beginning as I was learning the ropes and supported me when I was ready to go solo. Any question was heard and answered - no matter how silly! They really cared about my progression.
I had days where I was in the lab all day, and others where I could catch up on reports. I never felt overwhelmed or did not have anything to do.
I was eventually responsible for the running of the entire CD4+ T-cell compound assay in our department, which was pretty cool!
When I got back to uni, I had labs in the first week back. I worked with two other placement students who also went away to different places. We were finished an hour before the rest of the lab! Talk about efficiency ;) We had learnt how to manage our time and to effectively carry out procedures to the highest quality.
The Company
The office was always a place where you could have a giggle but still get your work done. The atmosphere was great and everyone got on!
We arrived and all the IPs in Immunoinflammation had two weeks of training together. It enabled us to get to know each other as well as giving us a broad background knowledge of various aspects of the lab and running of the department. One on one training was thorough and I learnt a great deal.
We were valued members of the team, given privileges the same as everyone else.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
I have found that - however much I loved my placement - I do not wish to work in research and therefore will not inquire.
The Culture
The IP students all bonded very well! There were over 100 at the Stevenage site and even though the clubs in Stevenage are awful we all still socialised.
Socialising fine - but living was quite expensive. This is because Stevenage is commutable to London - only 30mins from Kings cross. I paid £795pcm for a 2 bed 10mins walk from the station, but my house was relatively high-end.
The leisure park in Stevenage is great for Cineworld and restaurants like Prezzo and Nandos, but I would avoid Chicagos! Bars in Old Town are much nicer.
There were always things to do outside of work.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
East of England
November 2013
