IT Analyst Review

My work placement at GSK was unmatched by any other experiences I have completed before. I adore going to work on a daily basis as felt I had a purpose and responsibility. It linked directly to my University degree and enhanced my skills beyond my initial expectations. I was working within and managing critical tasks & projects which were meaningful to the company.

The overall company felt like one big team opposed to individual teams at individual sites. Everyone cares for one another, and it is easy to talk to every single person. Working within my team was a great experience as I was looked at as a colleague on the same level, and not just a placement student there for 13 months. I have developed real friendships with colleagues globally as GSK has a caring and trusting environment.

I work with my line manager and his manager on a daily basis, whereby support was given if it was required. I had the ability to ask questions and get real honest answers in return, and the answers have given me learning which I will treasure and continuiously develop over the rest of my career. Support is constantly available with valued responses when needed.

I had constant work and projects to work on whilst on placement. There was never a long stretch whereby I was bored or had minimal work to get on with. There were occasions whereby I had to commit to overtime as there was a lot of work on, but I made the time and effort to complete the work to the best of my abilities and it has paid off greatly as my skills and knowledge have increased dramatically. It was a great balance because I was able to enjoy getting to know my colleagues whilst continiously working on tasks and projects.

I was surprised by the responsibility in which I was given whilst on placement. I thought because I was only there for a short period of time, I would just get boring and basis tasks to complete - but I was very wrong. I was managing local and global IT projects on a regular basis, and being in the job I was in, it was about as much responsibility as I could get. These projects were fundamental and critical to the company i.e if they went wrong, it would have cost the company money. I had all the support I could have wished for, but ultimatley the projects and tasks were on my shoulders and I was the person responsible.

I have developed skills and knowledge for life, which I will take on with me for the rest of my career. I recieved ample training in which enabled me to complete my job, and this training has the ability to be used throughout my studies in University. Personally I was going into the plaement with a plan in which I wanted to improve certain skills at a minimum - but what I have actually gained from the experience far outweighs anything I had anticipated. All of the skills and practical knowledge will have a huge affect going into my final year of University - over and above that it will be applied throughout the duration of my career.

I worked within a small local team at my site, which was the perfect environment for anyone in their first official job. It was constantly a great atmosphere to work within, as morale was always high. The environment felt comfortable and natural on a daily basis, however the work being completed was to a professional standard. This was a perfect combination of comfort whilst completing work - it felt similar to University in that sense.

Overall I wouldn't say the placement was organised well, because it didn't feel like I was a student within the company for a fixed period of time. I was treated like a normal employee, with typical and standard work to complete, much like the staff members who have been at the company for years. Once I started I didn't really get an initiation period because there was so much work to complete, I was eased into the process but I was given work to do as soon as I arrived - so it was learning on the job, which was great for me, but maybe not for others. There was a basis model of the placement, but because of the ever enhancing environment and work, it wasn't a key focus.

This was a little disappointing because I had not recieved any special training, unlike others I know within the company. I had not gone on any courses or experiences in which would have benefited me for the year. I had friends on placement at GSK which recieved special and specific training on a continious basis. However I did not reap the benefits of this, and only attended the courses run locally on site for all staff members.

GSK offer all kinds of future opportunities to students and professionals. There are many graduate schemes in which the company offers, and if you complete a placement you can skip stages of the application process making it easier and increases changes of getting a place. Additionally you can opt for a direct job entry, whereby if you complete a placement you have your information kept in a database which can be used when jobs are being advertised. GSK take on people with the intension of them progressing up the hirearchy and moving into management. It is a very competitive as they are a world leading pharmaceutical company, but there are endless possibilities being offered.

In total there were 7 industial placement students at GSK Ulverston, but also there were many summer placement students and graduates on site. We were very active and complete activities and social events on a weekly basis. For example; we all attended a local pub quiz every Tuesday and we had a fixed slot for weekend activities together. It was like being in University, but in a professional environment throughout the days. Also colleagues would get invloved in these activies and social events, which made them significantly better. Real friendships have been established between students and colleagues because of these social activities. I would not have changed this because I have got to meet new interesting people which I wouldn't have had the opportunity too if it wasn't for this placement.

Overall it was very cheap and affordable to live in Ulverston, as it is not a major city. It was easy to balance living and socialising costs because of the wage was very competitive with other placements and the cost of living was minimal. It was much cheaper than my University living costs i.e rent per month was half of what I was paying in University. Activities and social events in the area were responably priced as the location was in the South Lakes, so the rocketing prices of cities weren't in place. I had the mentallity of saving as much money as possible but have a great time outside of work, and the location enabled me to do as much as I wanted with having the freedom of saving.

My placement location was at Ulverston, which is located in the South Lakes i.e in the country. It was a nice quiet and peaceful place to live and work, as it was a completely different environment which I'm use to at University. The nightlife was very good considering the location of the company. A short drive away was a big town which housed many pubs and clubs, but in Ulverston (where the company is based) there were many local pubs. It is a different scene from 'typical' University life, but if you want to live the 'typical' University nightlife it is possible.

The company is extremely invested in the local community and activities. I recieve daily invitations and alerts stating local acitivies which the company are getting invloved in. The company was like a small community whereby we liked to do things together, but include the locals. The acitivies weren't limited to boring events, but there was a diverse and differing activities on a weekly basis - so it could apply to all kinds of people. This is outlined as important to GSK because it is seen as more than just a place of work.