undergraduate Review

My time at Pfizer has been extremely rewarding but equally challenging. You really dont know what to expect from a placement in the pharmaceutical industry until you dive in and experience it- I am glad that I have done just that this year. My time at pfizer has been juxtaposed between moments of being in complete awe of the job Im doing ,the company I work for and my inspiring peers,with spells of self doubt and feeling undervalued. Overall, I think the postives have outweighed the negatives.

I have found that in order to be valued at Pfizer you have to prove yourself through your contribution - nobody is handing out praise ,recognition for free and rightly so. This can be disheartening to begin with when you're finding your feet, but hard and smart working really does pay off towards the end of the year.

My department had an extremely high turnover of collegues- this meant that within the first 6 months of my placement I had gone through 4 supervisors. Support from the wider team is there if you request it. Towards the end of my placement I have had one steady supervisor who has supported me enough so that I can meet my university requirements for the year as this was a main concern of mine. I wouldnt quite describe my experience of supervisors at pfizer as 'nurturing', but sufficient. At Pfizer it is highly unlikely that your well being/projects will be a priority for your supervisor, and so ,if you feel you need more support you really do have to request it.

How busy I have been has varied considerably throughout the year. To begin with I felt like i was 'twiddling my thumbs' a little bit but as time goes on the work picks up.The key is to ensure you have ownership of your own projects to really keep you occupied.

The best way I can describe projects I've owned this year is 'nice to haves': meaning the work is extremely impactful if completed well ,but not an absolute disaster if you make mistakes /miss deadlines etc. Assisting with some of the mundane ,day to day tasks are normally the most important parts of your job to keep things running smoothly.

Without a doubt this year has been character building! I have learnt so much about the pharmaceutical industry , and gained so much experience ! The skills i've developed are more relevant to working life than to the completion of my degree. For me this year has been more about personal development.

The office atmosphere was definitely a shock to the system- I have found it rather lonely at times, its quite normal for people to walk in and out without saying hello or acknowledging their peers. The highlights of my time have been the periods where I have got out of the office- attending offsite meetings and conferences.

Organisation wasnt necessarily a strong point for my time at pfizer. Although the induction was organised well by HR, from that point on I felt structure was lacking. However, within the first few months your diary will fill out and you will be engaged in more projects. Make sure is you have a clear plan for meeting your university requirements!

No undergrad specific training Your development is more a product of the skills you learn on the job.

They offer a sales and marketing grad scheme at pfizer for which they select solely from the pool of undergraduates. Many other roles at pfizer require significant further study. Overall the skills and connections you make at Pfizer will put you in a good position for applying to roles in the future.

Many events organised by the under grads for the undergrads. We had a facebook group set up where wewould post events. Christmas parties, summer fete and annual meetings are a great way to socialise with your colleagues. Overall I have found that the social side of pfizer has been inclusive and enjoyable.

reasonable

2 clubs locally and a few bars in epsom short trip to london