Marketing Executive Review

For the most part I did enjoy my placement, I was welcomed into the team and given responsibility straight away. However for me personally, I enjoyed my placement more when I was put on certain brands. For example bigger brands that have more budget create the opportunity to lead and execute more stimulating projects than smaller brands.

I did feel valued by my colleagues however I do think this is team and manager dependant. There are a lot of IP's and the business is used to having placement students so the culture is welcoming to them, however there is sometimes the feeling that placement students get given the jobs that nobody else gets to do, but it is arguable that this is always to be expected when you start your first job.

I was given a lot of support and guidance by my manager. However this again is manager dependant. My personal experience was that if I reached out for help I was usually given some sort of useful guidance. There was times however I did feel a bit stuck and like I was thrown into projects without full explanation.

I would say on average I always had a reasonable amount of work to do that kept me busy for the entire day. Depending on projects and deadlines, they are times where I was very busy and felt a bit overwhelmed with work but alternatively there have also been times throughout the year where I have felt I have not had loads to do. On the whole I think I was given a good amount of work and responsibility. There is always the opportunity to ask for more projects.

I was given a lot of responsibility right from the start of placement, this was quite daunting at first but was good for my professional development. I was given the responsibility of handling relationships with other departments and agencies. I was also given the opportunity to lead my own projects from the start.

I think the skills I have developed will assist me greatly in my studies and future career. One of the most important skills I have gained this year is the ability to self direct and problem solve. I feel this will be integral in my future career and will also help with my studies in the final year of University.

During my placement year there was a big restructure in the Consumer Healthcare business. This meant as some parts of the year there was a slightly negative and stressful atmosphere. However this restructure did not affect the IP's so this did not have a huge affect on my mood. On the whole the office was a friendly environment.

The overall work placement was well organised, there was sometimes a lack of clarity of what issues should be resolved by GSK and which issues should be handled by SRG the recruitment agency. On the whole it was organised well, there was lots of events for IP students which made the year fun.

The company did invest a lot in the training of IP's. We were given the same opportunity for training sessions as the graduates and were always invited along to any training or informative sessions. There is also the opportunity to get involved in more if there is a specific area you are interested in.

I felt that the company did encourage IP's to come back to the business as GSK does invest a lot in training them. However, they employ lots of IP's and there isn't enough Graduate Jobs for a big majority of them, so there is the feeling that it is quite competitive to get a job after placement even if you have done a good job.

Yes there was a good social scene. There was a dedicated social team called IP Unite which put on events such as a Christmas Party and Boat Party. This involved IPs from different sites, so you got the opportunity to meet lots of different students and socialise which was fun.

I lived on the outskirts of London so the social life was not very good near the office, it was also expensive to drink. However, transport to central London is easy and the nightlife is good there. However it is very expensive so we did not go out there too much.

The nightlife in the area I worked was not great. In walking distance to the office there are a couple of pubs but these aren't very lively and are expensive for what you get. There are limited restaurants and activities to do in Brentford. However transport links are good so there is the opportunity to go into central London.

There was opportunity to get involved in activities outside of work. Some of the IP students ran sports clubs such as Football and Netball. GSK also has Squash courts that some of the employees can use. The gym also runs good classes which are fun to do with other employees.