This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
At first I found my tasks quite operational however as time passed I gained much more responsibility and commenced working on a host of interesting projects impacting the business.
My colleagues always encouraged and welcomed my opinion which was fantastic, it really have me the opportunity to put forward my thoughts to the team.
My managers and supervisors were very supportive throughout my placement year. They help me develop and gain relevant skills needed for the job and encouraged developmental activities.
My days wee reasonably busy, some days more than others when projects were coming to an end. Due to the nature of my role I had to prioritise standard work and project work which extreme helped my organisational skills.
Throughout my placement I was given lots of responsibility working on different work streams. Project planning was key to ensuring all of th relevant milestones were hit successfully.
Most of all I feel the commercial awareness a placement gives you is invaluable despite he whole host of slkills you gain on the job. I couldn't list all of the separate skills I have developed however I would not have believed at the start of my placement how much I would of grown as a person both professionally and personally and this is all down to my colleagues and ultimately deciding to undertake a placement.
The Company
My office was very sociable. As the setup was hot desking you could sit next to different people each day and there was no sense of hierarchy. Everybody spoke to everybody which I appreciated. I will definately miss my colleagues and will keep in touch!
At first I had work streams to work on however a real positive was being able to express my own interest in functional areas of the department and pitch how I could add value. This significantly increased my exposure whilst on placement.
I was encouraged to learn as much as I could in my year and I grabbed this opportunity with both hands. I took part in various capability build events which we're a tea success!
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
The contacts I have made whilst on placement are significant so I hope to come back to GSK either via the Graduate Future Leaders Program or Direct Entry.
The Culture
Yes, GSK has its own IP Unite social group which connect all placement students across sites. This is a great opportunity to share experiences with other fellow IP students.
Due to working in Head Office in West London the cost of living was high. But you soon figure out where to get value for money so don't let this out you off if applying for a position at Head Office.
Brentford is moderately quiet however a short train or tube ride away and your in central London so was not an issue at all.
Absolutely GSK runs a yearly charitable Orange United day where Bake sales take place and fun runs all in aid of supporting charities such as Save the Children.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
July 2015