Assay Scientist in Screening and compound Profiling Review
by GSK
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
3.8
-
The Company
4.0
-
The Culture
2.6
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The work for the most part was quite repetitive but when I started my project it became more interesting. It would have been good to gain other experience in other departments but this was not really encouraged due to weekly work which needed to be completed.
Most members of staff appreciated all the work I did and told me so. Some colleagues continually referred to us as "the students" which made integration into the workforce difficult sometimes.
Although I was supposed to have meetings with my supervisor to discuss my placement this only happened for the first couple of months. Other managers were extremely helpful and offered good advice and tips.
My daily routine varied, some days I was extremely busy and did not have time to stop for lunch whereas other days I had very little to do.
I was given a lot of responsibilty for my experiments and project. I usually tried to troubleshoot my own experiments but help was available if I was unable to do so.
I learnt many skills, not only lab based but transferable skills such as IT, time management, teamwork, presentational and inter-personal
The Company
It was normally quite a professional atmosphere. There were times when it became more informal but in general it was how I thought an office environment should be.
Initially it was very well organised but there was some mix up over whether we would be working in Harlow or Stevenage which resulted in us starting in Harlow and then moving to Stevenage. This was not ideal however it was managed well.
There were seminars and lectures which could be attended but often I could not attend these due to work that needed to be completed.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
GSK was a great firm to work for and I'd like to work for them again, there are a number of perks which increase with full term employment.
The Culture
I was not living in Stevenage so only met the students who were in my department.
It was more expensive than living at university but it was not a student place so it was to be expected.
The night-life had much to be desired! Although London is only a short train journey getting back afterwards is not easy.
I played netball at lunchtime with colleagues and went to Zumba after work.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South East
November 2011
