Engagement & Communications IP Review

Working at GSK was for me at least, a life changing experience which I'll be able to carry forward with me for the rest of my career. Both personally and professionally, it was an awakening to what my strengths and weaknesses were, as well as what I really want to achieve. What is key in all of this for me is, GSK has an environment whereby you can anything (almost) if you have the thinking and drive to make that happen. My main role throughout the placement was not necessarily entirely related to my degree (Business IT), but I and other placement students found that the difference between theoretical university studying and real world work is much greater than what students are led to believe! I've since come to value what I achieved at GSK with the difference I've made much more than what I learnt in the classroom.

I felt largely valued by my colleagues, some more than others. Most were very supportive and people would give their time to help you out or offer advice. Whether it was someone who worked in the same team as me or someone who I only just met (sometimes in the office lifts!), GSK has an atmosphere that we were all working on the same team with the same ethos. That said, there were at some points, a general feeling that industrial placement students can sometimes be undervalued but then equally it is up to you to show what value you can actually bring to the table.

The support and guidance given to me by my manager, as well as their own manager, was second to none. I was lucky enough to have my manager, as both mentor and friend who provided me with ample amounts of opportunity and points for development. When it comes down to a placement, which is really for your own development in preparation for graduation, it could not have been any better. Not that it happened to me, but I was however aware of one or two individuals who did not feel as supported as they would have liked. This happens in most organisations though and can sometimes be attributed to whether they themselves are making the most of their placement year.

I was given a plentiful amount of work to do that allowed me to learn the importance of prioritisation in the workplace. I was always kept busy and I always put in 100% effort. (how busy you are can also depend on your own work ethic and willingness to put yourself forward for things)

I was given a great deal of responsibility during the course of my year. Sometimes it was because it was given to me and other times it was because I asked for it. The responsibility helped me to show to everyone else what I was capable of, as well as being given the chance to make mistakes which, I found were good opportunities to learn from. In some ways, I would have liked more responsibility but this is dependent on a few factors and my manager was most likely not wanting to over-burden me from the responsibilities I already had.

It seemed to me that the communication from the company to its managers was not exactly clear on what investment was to be made on providing training to industrial placement students. For example, some students seemed to have received more monetary-based training solely based on who their managers were than others. However, that said, GSK provides its own training on a variety of topics, including project management, Sarbanes-Oxley and leadership expectations (which help you when applying for graduate jobs!). What I think is of greatest importance though when coming out of a placement, is having a year to develop your soft skills. Whether it is having the experience of presenting to 50+ people, preparing a proposal or convincing a stakeholder, GSK gave me all of these opportunities and so for that I'm really grateful. As a result, I have left my placement with a year of life-changing experiences and a CV to match with the ability to put that I've worked for a world-class company which cares about its employees and a healthy workforce culture to match.

Usually quite fun but is somewhat dependent on your own character as well. People work hard in the office so it's nice to change the pace with some conversation which was very easy with most of the people I worked with.

As far as I could tell, it was quite well organised and communication was clear when it needed to be.

Already answered in a previous question.

Quite appealing but having a year in work after years of studying at high school and at university has meant that I'm questioning which career path is the best fit for me. GSK offer a lot of routes for people who want to come back, whether it's on graduate scheme places or via direct entry to the many various areas of the business.

Yes. Essentially, for those that want to take part in a lot of social events and meet fellow students who are also on placement, then GSK has a very supportive atmosphere for that, including its own internal society (called IP Unite). I took part in quite a few of these events and everyone was friendly and sociable. That said, if not partying and focusing on your placement is for you, GSK is still the place to be.

Since my placement was in West London, the cost of living in the area was higher than the average and GSK does not really subsidise London living arrangements (though most companies don't) but this wasn't a deal breaker and it was still worth living in a world city for a year.

Since my placement was in London, I think it's safe to say the nightlife was the best in the UK and probably Europe.

Yes, GSK offered opportunities for volunteering during the course of my placement as well as supporting charitable donation drives that were going on in the office.