Sandwich Student Review

by AstraZeneca

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
    4.0
  • The Company
    3.8
  • The Culture
    4.1

    The Role

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

    • I really enjoyed my placement at AstraZeneca, I feel that I have gained a lot of new skills and knowledge that will help me in my final year at university and throughout my life as I wish to pursue a career within scientific research. I have also gained many new friends throughout my placement.

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

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

    • As I wasn't very experienced with the type of lab work I was doing, I was given a lot of help and guidance by my supervisor throughout the year to help me carry out my project. This greatly helped me with my project work and will benefit me in my final year at university. And my line manager was always on hand if I needed any questions answering.

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

    • It varied greatly, but I was mostly busy in the lab everyday but the amount of time I spent in there depended on what I had planned to do that week, and I had various write ups/report writing/meetings to attend when I wasn't in the lab.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I had various responsibilities throughout my placement, My main focus was on my project, which I had control over and decided what to do and work on, but also within my group I was given responsibilities if anyone needed extra work/help and I was routinely involved in growing and freezing cell banks which were used throughout the company.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • A placement here has greatly improved my knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and what working within science is like, it has helped me with my university studies and confirmed I would like to stay in scientific research in the future.

    5/5

    The Company

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

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

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

    • 4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events
    5/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • There are opportunities for graduates to enter AstraZeneca in the graduate training scheme and opportunities to carry out PhDs within the company, along with various opportunities to get a future job with. However, the contacts gained for the future are very useful!

    4/5

    The Culture

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

    • As there are lots of students, graduates and PhD students within AstraZeneca there was a lot of people to mix with. There were lots of events put on my AstraZeneca to allow everyone to mix and get to know each other, and as most of the students lived together in Macclesfield, we planned to do things together nearly every weekend!

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

    • Rent in Macclesfield was ~£280 per month, and travel and socializing wasn't too expensive either! Their is a train station in Macclesfield which is very cheap to travel into Manchester and surrounding areas, so this is a good thing to do for a day trip. We varied the prices of what we did in our spare time, so there is something for everyone including restaurants, cinema, bowling and bars/pubs/clubs!

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • There are lots of homely pubs in Macclesfield, which are nice places to go in the evening on a cold winters night or in the beer gardens in the summer. There are a few lively bars/clubs in Macclesfield which are fun! Macclesfield isn't too far away from Manchester for a night out, only a cheap train/taxi (cheaper if booked in advance and shared) ride away, so we did this quite a few times for a change of scenery.

    4/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Yes there are lot of activities to get involved in outside work. Within AstraZeneca ClubAZ organise many activities for everyone to get involved in such as rounders tournament, Its a Knockout tournament, as well as hosting a gym and organising many different classes such as languages if you want to learn a new skill.

    5/5
    Report this review

Details

Placement (10 Months+)

North West

October 2014

View More Reviews