Placement Year Review at GlaxoSmithKline

The Role

Role Description

Worked on a daily basis in a lab, working on a research project as both part of a team and some aspects worked on individually.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

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

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was moved from one office to another part way through placement as part of a refurbishment plan on the building, but the atmosphere in both offices was good, and interactive.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In the first week, our computers hadn't arrived, but aside from that, the rest of my placement was well-organised and structured.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There was a lot of training involving technical lab skills, software use, and presenting. It has prepared me more for my final year, and I learned skills I would not have had the chance to learn at uni, especially some of the more technical lab based work.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Flexi Time
• National Travel
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

While I would appreciate the opportunity to return to work with GSK, a job offer is unlikely without further scientific qualifications, such as a phd, certainly if you want the opportunity of promotion in your future career.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Placement students, especially within GSK, gel together and create a small student community. There was lots of interaction between students both within and outside your specific department.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The area I lived in was close to the company site, while the area itself wasn't the nicest, the rent and cost of living was fairly cheap, compared to surrounding villages, and I did not have a long commute into work. There were plenty of restaurants, a bowling alley and a cinema in the local town, although the shopping centre itself was quite average, we were only a 20min train ride from London if you wanted a wider range of shops.

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

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

Perhaps an opinion based on personal experience, but I tend to find University towns have some of the best nightlife, as stevenage has no such facilities the nightlife was definitely lacking. A lot of the bars close to where we lived also seemed to be over 21s, and as some people did not turn 21 unitl half way through the placement this was disappointing.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There was a gym a 2 min walk away, lots of sports clubs, like cricket and hockey, and lots of pubs around which offered quizzes on different nights of the week.

Review 227/231 for GlaxoSmithKline

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