Placement Year Review at GlaxoSmithKline

The Role

Role Description

Worked independently and with my supervisor to synthesise drug targets by producing my own research and from support of my supervisor and analysed my products using methods such as NMR. Completed practical laboratory work on a daily basis. Was responsible for keeping my electronic laboratory book organised and up to date and submitting my compounds for testing and reporting data and progress to my supervisor. Presented my work on a monthly basis to my team in a team meeting. Used IT software such as chemdraw, excel, word and power point to produce work and data. Researched for relevant journals and information to support my work using research resources such as Scifinder and reaxis.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Great working environment. Colleagues were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Gained a lot of knowledge and experience in my time there and enjoyed the overall experience.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was acknowledged for my work and felt I was making a valuable contribution. The working environment was very relaxed and friendly, making me feel very comfortable there and form good working relationships.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My progress was reviewed and suggestions were made as to what areas I could improve on. I also had one to one meetings with my supervisor and manager to discuss my progress and see how I was getting on. I could always go to my supervisor or team member for help and suggestions and had access to training facilities and materials that helped me with my work.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There is always a lot of work to do so you are continuously kept busy; no time to be bored! Most of the time I would be doing more than one task so I was always kept busy with tasks or could use free time I had to look for research to help with my future tasks. I found the work balance fine as normally there were no strict deadlines to adhere to so I was able to take my time on my work, plus sometimes work took longer than expected.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

My placement allowed me to make decisions on my own regarding my work and produce my own research to help support choices. I was responsible for reporting my own data and managing my work load. I found that my responsibilities grew more as my placement progressed and I became more skilled/ confident with the work.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I feel that not only have I learnt new skills such as new chemistry knowledge but I have improved and developed my own skills further including, leadership, communication, organisation and time management. I feel that the skills I have learnt will be applicable to any career path I choose. I now have a better knowledge of organic chemistry and have become more motivated since coming back for my final year.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Everyone was friendly and approachable and the working environment was really relaxed and stress free. We even had music on in the laboratories which helped to keep the relaxed vibe!

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Very well organised. Received brilliant training, support and guidance and many of the people I worked with already had previous experience of working with placement students and so knew the best ways to train and support us.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

They invested a lot of time and money into my training through a variety of training sessions and helped me to evaluate my progress and help to develop myself within the work place with many colleagues dedicating a lot of their time time to help to support me.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I had a great experience there and would be happy to return to the company later on.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

We all spoke to each other before meeting on the familiarization day; getting to know each other which helped when finding accommodation. I lived with two girls for the entirety of my placement and had a brilliant time. There were also a few other placement students in my lab with me so I got to know other students through work. We had many events such as a work Christmas party, social events and pub lunches which I really enjoyed.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Cost of living wasn't too bad (the rent for our house was very reasonable and i could walk to work. Plus they had a free shuttle bus to work from the train station) but Stevenage was expensive to go out in! London was only a 25 minute train ride away which once again was generally expensive if you wanted a social night out.

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

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

Two clubs which were both quite expensive (depending on the day and time!) although there were a lot of pubs in the area including two wetherspoons which was cheap and cheerful.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Although I was involved activities such as the gym at work, a few of my friends had got involved in opportunities such as swimming, tai chi and a local orchestra.

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 would highly recommend doing a placement. Even if you end up disliking the place it is a great experience and will help you to decide if it is a suitable career for you. Also you gain so much valuable knowledge and skills you would not have necessarily gained without a placement, plus nowadays it's all about what experience you have!

Review 218/231 for GlaxoSmithKline

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