Placement Year Review at GlaxoSmithKline

The Role

Role Description

To synthesise pharmacologically active compounds and monitor test results. To aid in the development of a drug candidate by suggesting possible compounds and finding routes towards them using search engines such as SciFinder.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I really enjoyed my time at GSK, I feel I learnt alot.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Had a great, friendly relationship with people in the lab and their guidance at the same time.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Everyone was happy to listen and answer questions

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Work could come and go and it took a while for me to get used to managing my time but once I'd done that I feel it worked out quite well

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Could take on as much responsibility as I wanted/was capable or was safe to do so (labwork meant some things had to be supervised)

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Fantastic experience, practice and opportunity. Highly recommended

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Really good, casual atmosphere but still hard working

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The company ahs a lot of experience with Industrial Placement Students, as have the supervisors and other staff. Always happy to help

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Lots of opportunity to learn new things

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Hard to say, not really any jobs anywhere, but looking to get a job in the industry

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

IPs formed our own community off-site, varied depending on where you lived as we were a bit spread out

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

In Stevenage in the commuter belt so a lot more expensive than up north, but cheap enough to get a train into London to go shopping/out. Didn't save as much as I was hoping...

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

Not so good in Stevenage, need to know where to go in London. Not really a nightlife person...

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Joined the local orchestra in Stevenage with another IP, really enjoyed it. Knew there were other things available but time can be a bit short depending on your course

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?

I had a fantastic time at GSK and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to work in the industry. Made some great friends and worked with some brilliant and supportive people and really appreciated their enthusiasm.

Review 231/231 for GlaxoSmithKline

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