This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 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
A truly enriching experience. I had the opportunity not only to discover research in a global company but also to understand how a company works. The topic of the placement really matched what I was looking for at that time.
Always available for any question, any help I needed. We usually had pub lunches all together to favor the team spirit.
I was always given clear guidance, I could ask questions or ask for help, I also had some autonomy and could work by my own and then share the results with my supervisor.
Well, it could vary from one day to another... For example, when I had finished the synthesis of a new compound, I often had to wait for the results from the biological testing before starting a new reaction. But, in the end, it was ok, I could make profit of this time to write my report...
ALl the work on the project was shared by the team members : I felt like we all had a similar responsability. The third month of my placement, I also had the opportunity to supervise a new intern for a few days and teach her how to run some machines !
It would have helped me a lot if I had continued in this specific field. I surely discovered I still wanted to work in the pharmaceutical field, but maybe not in organic chemistry, but in more general chemistry... It was a great experience anyway.
The Company
Quite a good atmosphere, with coffe breaks, or cakes when someone had made one. And pub lunches to welcome a new intern or when an intern was leaving.
A good organisation, clear objectives, good timing.
I received training to use some machines by colleagues, I had the opportunity to supervise a new student, I learned new techniques, new synthesis.
Flexi Time
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Healthcare from home
The thing is that I'm not continuing in what I did during my placement ! It's not the same scientific field...
The Culture
Yes, we met each other to go to the cinema or to restaurants, I still have contacts with some of them !
I rent a room in a house with three other people, it was not really expensive. The cost of living was ok.
Not an awesome nightlife in Stevenage... But not far from London !
you could go to the gym, to the cinema, or bowling...
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
East of England
April 2014