Placement Year Review at GlaxoSmithKline

The Role

Role Description

Main responsibilities included customer range reviews, shopper activation projects, presenting to customers, providing insight to sales and marketing team and involvement in charity committee.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I really enjoyed my time working at GlaxoSmithKline. The atmosphere within my office was really relaxed and open, and highlighted the importance of working somewhere with a good company culture! The managers within Consumer Healthcare UK (CHUK) were very supportive and really encouraged me to develop my skills and abilities, and so I was given some great opportunities!

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The company culture within CHUK meant that everyone socialised with each other, and the hot desking policy in my office meant that I would sit with someone new everyday. My department organised loads of social events, including leaving drinks, birthday meals, conferences and charity events, all of which have allowed me to interact and socialise with my colleagues outside of the working environment and make some great friends.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My manager was really great. She was really supported, and we organised weekly meetings to catch up on what I'd been doing that week and new projects that she had arranged for me.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The role was very varied. Some days I would be really busy, and others I would be quite quiet. I was very rarely too busy or bored though. When I was less busy I would do other jobs like organising my folders, catching up on emails and other less important work.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was given some pretty good responsibility. I worked as a Category Analyst and was given the responsibility to complete a full range review for Co-op Pharmacy. I then presented my recommendations to a room full of Co-op Pharmacy managers, including the the senior buyer and senior marketing manager. According to my manager, I was the first placement student in my department to present to a customer, so I was very proud of my achievements.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I gained a good insight into how an international organisation is run and learnt some invaluable skills and important knowledge. Doing a placement like mine has also given me some really good examples of competencies to give during future interviews, so this will hopefully help me in getting a graduate job soon!

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Like I said before, the atmosphere was great. Everyone was really friendly and everyone got on well. It was a fun place to work.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Pretty good. I was pleased that GSK paid for all my travel and even for a hotel when I came down for my interview. They also helped with other stuff such as getting a house, and the support from the previous placement students was invaluable.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

My individual manager was great, and she spent a lot of time focusing on my training and development. Obviously, this would depend on who your line manager was, but most people who worked in my department were always willing to help you progress and learn.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Above 25 days holiday
• Working from home

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As a result of my placement I was fast tracked through the graduate scheme application, and put straight through for a telephone interview. So the outlook is pretty positive.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Yeah definitely. There was loads of events organised by GSK and as there were over 60 placement students at GSK House, there was plenty of nights out organised.

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

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

The area of Brentford was pretty poor for socialising, but with a 30 minute tube journey you could be in central London. The cost of living was also very high, my rent literally doubled from where I was living at uni (Newcastle) to where I lived during placement.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

Like I said, not great. But the transport links were good to take you into central London.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Yeah, there were quite a few sports teams, and people were always inviting us placement students out for a drink after work.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Working at GSK was a great experience for me! It's definitely worth applying there.

Review 231/231 for GlaxoSmithKline

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