Summer Placement - Cephs Process Support Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and felt included and that my project was perfectly tailored to my skills! This is my 2nd summer Placement at GSK and would highly recommend the experience to anybody considering it. I would come back for a 3rd year of summer placement if I could and have recommended it too all my friends interested in this field of work .

I was valued and included by all of my colleagues from the offset. I was introduced to my close colleagues and then went and introduced myself to other staff I would come in contact with on occasion. Everyone was helpful and open to my questions and queries and would always point me to the correct individual or the right place to get the answers or help I needed.

My manager was there to support me through every aspect of my placement. We had weekly meetings to make sure that we were on track, to see what had gone well that week, what hadn't and sometimes if something had surprised us about the placement. My manager made sure my placement project was tailored to my specific degree and skills.

On a daily basis I had a variety of tasks to do that linked to my project so was kept busy. I had regular morning meetings with team members and also the Senior leadership team for my area so I had a clear understanding of what was going on around me and if this may have any effect on my project. I also had lots of opportunities to participate in extra activities.

I feel like I was given the correct level of responsibility in my time on Summer placement. I had a project that was important but the responsibility wasn't solely on myself so I could get help and guidance from others to complete the task. I felt like I had been given a responsible and suitable task but without any unnecessary extra pressure.

The skills will be invaluable like they were the first year on placement. The tasks are tailored to my university degree and personal skills and development to make sure I get the most from the experience as well as giving back to the company with my knowledge and expertise. Last year I focused on tablet manufacturing as I knew it would be in my curriculum for the next year of university and I came out with 99.2% due to my knowledge from the placement.

The atmosphere in my office was brilliant! Everyone was friendly and welcoming but had a great extent of knowledge that I could ask about at any time. There were times where the whole office would be in silence as we were all focused on our tasks but times when the whole office would be in tears of laughter.

The placement was very well organised with regular meetings, appropriate projects and action plans and a perfect amount of placement students that we were able to form close bonds to support each other through our time on site. A lot of people weren't from the area so groups and bonding activities were set up so everyone felt welcomed and not scared about the new experience in a new area.

The company invest a lot of time and effort into our personal development to make sure that everyone got the most from there time on site. This included CV workshops, Team building, Tours of other areas and manager shadowing so we had an understanding about all the roles and how they fit together to keep the site functioning effectively.

The future prospects for employment are very appealing as the company is a world wide organisation with a variety of roles and sites that could be employment possibilities. The variety of roles are available that can be tailored to your specific needs with lots of emphasis on learning and development of the employees to get the most out of them and for the company.

The social scene is good, I am from the area so have a excellent knowledge of the area and where and when's best to visit certain areas and pubs so we were able to have some good nights out together and meals to keep our tight bond we had developed through our time on site.

The cost of living and socialising is reasonable as I was based in the North of England and I live in the area so I didn't have accommodation or living costs to pay. A night out in the local towns is reasonably priced but for a more adventurous night out to near by Newcastle that would cost a bit more in taxis ect

As stated earlier the nightlife is good in the surrounding towns but if you wanting more nightclubs and a more varied night out then travelling to Newcastle is worth the trip. There are a variety of chain bars and clubs but also lots of little independent pubs and clubs to go to, so there is something for everyone!

I am already involved in lots of activities in the surrounding area so was aware that there are lots of opportunities for activities such as walking groups, regular Pilates and spinning session in the local sports club. There is also lots of groups and clubs that you can join from drama to walking so there is plenty to do for everyone.