In Vivo Imaging Scientist Review

by GSK

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    3.8
  • The Culture
    2.9

    The Role

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

    • I have really enjoyed my work placement, I have gotten involved in a variety of different experiments and projects making it an interesting and dynamic environment to work in. However, the early mornings were sometimes tough!

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

    • I received a lot of positive feedback throughout the year and was given a lot of responsibility to run my own experiments, which made me feel like a valued member of the team.

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

    • My manager was very supportive and always willing to help me. She was always available to help me when needed, but also pushed me to take responsibility for my own experiments and trusted me to perform them appropriately.

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

    • The business fluctuated with weeks where I needed to work more than my hours to get everything done, but then other weeks where it was quieter and I was able to come in later/leave earlier. It was a very flexible environment to work in where you were trusted to be getting everything done that you needed to.

    3/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement, and took on the role of study director for a few studies.

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

    • The skills gained on my placement have helped me to understand what it is like to work within a professional environment, not just within the scientific sector. I have gained more skills on placement than at university!

    5/5

    The Company

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

    • The office had a great atmosphere, it was usually quiet enough to get your head down when you needed to. However, my team were always open to discussions whenever I had queries about study design/data/anything!

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

    • GSK take on over 100 placement students every year and so are very good at organising the students. They provide a 'familiarisation day' a couple of months before you start so you get a chance to meet other students and your department. GSK staff are very used to working with placement students and so they are all very welcoming.

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

    • I received a lot of training this year, providing me with qualifications that I now have for life. Everything was sorted and funded by GSK.

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

    • Flexi Time

    Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • I am planning to do a PhD once I finish university so will not be coming straight back to GSK. However, maybe in the future!

    3/5

    The Culture

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

    • GSK employs around 100 students at Stevenage alone meaning that there are lots of students living in Stevenage! This makes it easy to find houses with other students and there are always events going on.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Stevenage was very cheap considering the proximity to London (around 25 mins from King's cross).

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

    • Nightlife in Stevenage is not great - they have 1 club in the Leisure park but apart from that it's mainly pubs and bars.

    1/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • The sports centre at GSK has a gym and runs football/netball/squash sessions daily so there is opportunities to get involved there. IP unite is an organisation they have for industrial placement students so they sometimes organise events.

    3/5
    Report this review

Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Science

South East

August 2015

View More Reviews