Industrial Placement Review

by GSK

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4/5
  • The Role
    4.2
  • The Company
    4.0
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • Mix of ups and downs. But I am glad to have such an opportunity.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Felt valued by colleagues I worked with closely.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • My supervisors gave me a great deal of support during my placement and I had regular meetings with him to discuss my development and objectives.

    4/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • My workload was very inconsistent and I regularly had long periods of little or no work. There wasn't enough work in my original role I was hired to do so I often had to look to volunteer for work elsewhere.

    5/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I was given a lot of freedom in my role.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I didn't obtain any professional certifications or training but I learnt a great deal of soft skills that will help me in the future.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The area I worked in was quite empty with lots of unallocated desks or employees working from home. The atmosphere wasn't great but I had friends in other areas of the office which made it a bit better.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The scheme itself is organised well on GSK's side. However, as external contractors our pay and holidays were managed by an external company and this caused a number of problems and changes over the year. For example, there were problems with on-site parking for students and holiday pay. These changes were often confusing and poorly communicated.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • There was a focus on personal development and most students got the opportunity to undertake a personal development plan with their managers which I found very useful. The opportunity to take paid courses seemed to vary between roles.

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • 4/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • GSK have a number of different graduate schemes available and students have the opportunity to be fast tracked.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Social events between all the students were not very frequent but good when they happened.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • London is quite expensive compared to the rest of the UK. Central London was expensive for socialising but there are cheaper alternatives out there. The rent where I lived was high for what you get too. Many students I know chose to live at home to save money.

    2/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Plenty of pubs nearby. A few clubs in the local area too but the better ones were in central London.

    5/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Many opportunities were advertised throughout the year.

    5/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

London

May 2014

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