Placement Student in O2C GPO Review

I really enjoyed it. GSK is a great comapny. But of course it has it's flaws. It is a giand enourmous slow and bureaucratic machine that often takes months to get things done. I would have preffered more flexibility and too see thing happening faster.

My direct colleagues treated me great, even though there were at director and senior director level. They were great and fun pleople that enjoyed the occasional night out, and definite laughts all day long. Some other people that I had to work ad-hoc with, however, were sometimes reluctant to provide help. Being bery busy, and at a time of great change to the company, but still i did not appreciate the lack of enthusiasm and commitment of some.

My managers were always there for me. However they never (other than the very beginning) handed me everythign on a silver platter. But this is the way it should be! I learnt how to hande and engage people, how to structure my time and delivarables and how to get the information i need. I learnt a great deal i would not have had if they told me how to do everything. I really appreciate this conscious decisino of theirs.

Tha nature of my role, which is leadership and stretegic project managemetn director-level role, made my days very fluctuating. I could be swamped for a couple of days or a week and need to pull long hours, but then again when work was slow, be it as a project was on hold, waiting for information or action from other people or as i had done my work, i have the time to read online and pick up side project which i think is invaluable. However, I would have like even more work.

I was leading projects worth millions and co-leading projects worth billions. I was lucky enough (and skilled I hope) for being selected for such a role, and got the opportunity to really make a change in the company. I got the work with the operational teams and with the highest stakeholders. The only downside was that I was supposed to lead one of the projects, but because of it's unexpected complexity and showstoppers along the was a more eperienced person was brought in and i was co-leading it with them.

Uni doesnt really prepare you for this king of a job. Especially project management and stakeholder engagement. Nor does it for more practicle finance. So i was really happy to get an opportunity to develop soft skills i always took for granted and ones i did not even believe one would need to put effort in. I also received a much more practical real-life view on business and finance that i would have never gotten in a classroom - what is good to have and theoretically great, does not necessarily translate to reality. Again, however, because of the nature of my job, i did not get a chance to develop further practical finance and accounting knowledge which i would have like to have done.

Depends greatly on the team you are in. Everywhere it is pleasant and welcoming. My team in particular was very fun and we had lots of laughs every day. And that is important! It gets you closer to the people you work with and makes work flow more easily. And you build real relationships.

Organization was great. I do not have any benchmark for it, but my managers knew what i will be working for in advance of me coming and also provided me with additional opportunities when i wanted more work.

The view of my company is to develop on the job and through mentoring rather than through formal training. So not greatly. I would have loved to work towards some additional accreditation as CIMA or ACCA. But that was available only for the grads.

I do not think it is exactly what I am personally looking for. This said, I do not regret working for GSK one bit. I would like to change industries and jobs however and work for myself one day.

There was a wide student community with its own governing body that organized events and end of year treats. They did a good job with nights out and forma black-tie events. I organized more with my closer friends, however, but they are easy to make in a company with doesn’t of students on site.

London is very very expensive. If you would like to live a life of going out, buying things, eating well, etc. the salary is not enough for the area. But I guess this goes for ay London placement which is not in one of the top banks (which however leave you with absolutely no social time to spend that money so I believe that I even worse).

Nightlife is London’s biggest perk. You can find anything you could want. It is just a question if you can afford it..

Maybe not that many. There are sports clubs and student specific activities, but I would have hoped for more.