Associate Study Manager Review

The works I was involved with were enjoyable and informative, however, as the placement was completely an office based, I didn't quite enjoy being desk-bound most of my working hours.

We used to have regular departmental lunch together which helped us to bond and know each other better. However, these session always used to be during our lunch time and not outside the working environment, so after lunch, every one would switch back to their desk and be on their work mode.

I used to have regular one-to-one meetings with my manager and we would discuss about the work I'm involved with and she would give me advice and suggestions on things I can do better and with efficiency etc.

I was quite busy most of the time of my placement. I remember there were few times where I had to take my laptop home with me to finish off the task to meet the deadline. But on a brighter side, I was learning a lot and improving on my time management skills.

I was a key member in most of the groups I was working with. I was assigned few task where I had lead the project and presented them in regular meetings so I felt like I was a key player in the group and felt responsible.

Definitely, by doing the placement I have learnt a lot and developed many transferable skills. There were times where I had felt low as I was finding hard to interact with people who were not even of similar age as me but overtime, everything went well. Eventually, I received feedbacks from many that I've been delivering quality works which was a huge confidence booster.

As the department I was assigned in had people mostly working from home, the office was usually very quiet which made me and the other student to have less of a bonding time with other colleagues. That was the main down side of my placement year as most of the time there was hardly anyone to talk to and even if there were, they would be so busy with their own work.

It was well presented and organised. Everything from laptop to training were ready on my first day just waiting for me to utilise them.

My manager was happy to be put me in any training which costs money just for my benefit and personal development, but they did have a limit on how much they will be willing to spend on a student's training.

I know few people who were once a placement student and received a job offer straight after graduation but this obviously does not happen to every placement student at GSK. I'd say it depends on how well you did during your placement year.

Yes, there was a group called Industrial Placement Unite where all the placement student working in GSK from all of the sites would have a regular meet up which made us know more about each other's role in GSK, what degree they are commencing, in which university etc.

There were not many place to go and socialise around the area I was working in but the cost were fairly the same as any other town area.

No nightlife at all.

There were few but neither of them quite appealed to me as I think they were focused more to the people who were the age of 30+.