Marketing Undergraduate Review

Overall, I really enjoyed my placement year at Pfizer. I was part of the marketing team which allowed me to work on the launch of a new Pfizer drug in the UK. This involved developing launch strategies as well as working with creative agencies on developing materials for the sales team and for patients. I also had the chance to develop my skills by attending multiple workshops on strategic thinking, prioritisation and even getting my Yellow Belt qualification!

My workload varied at the beginning - I had days when I was very busy and days when I didn't have much on. However, as time passed, I picked up more responsibilities and therefore I had more projects to work on, more meetings to attend etc. I also started getting involved in other projects outside my team so as time passed, I managed to have the perfect balance.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement. I led the weekly cross-functional team meetings during the launch of our drug and was accountable for the brand marketing activities, including being responsible for my own budget. I was also responsible for monitoring the progress of our launch and developing an insights workshop for the wider team where we reviewed and refined our strategies and tactics.

I believe that the skills I have gained this year are invaluable and will help me in my future career. Pfizer really did offer a number of opportunities through which we could upskill ourselves so I definitely recommend attending as many as you can during your placement year!

The atmosphere in the office was really good! Everyone is really friendly and it feels like a very relaxed working environment. Employees treat you like one of them and always make you feel like you can ask any questions etc. Pfizer takes on quite a large number of interns so it's always fun to get together at lunch or for a coffee break!

The company invests a lot in your personal training and development. There are so many opportunities if you are interested in upskilling yourself. Apart from workshops, they encourage all employees to become STEM ambassadors and go into school for volunteering (and yes, you have 5 volunteering days which you can take on top of your annual leave), they offer undergraduates the opportunity to do a Yellow Belt project and gain that certification as well as allowing students to shadow people in other departments or go out on a visit with a sales rep. These are just a couple of examples, but generally speaking if you are eager to do a particular thing, they will be open to it.

Pfizer has a graduate programme which they open to all undergraduate students on placement. It is a great opportunity as it involves a year in marketing and a year in sales so its ideal for anyone wanting a career on the commercial side. However, there are only 5 places so it is quite competitive!

The cost of living wasn't as bad as we initially imagined - rent for most of us was between £400-500/month (bills included). The cost of socialising wasn't too bad either.

Yes, there were definitely many opportunities such as becoming a STEM ambassador or joining the Healthcare Business Women's Association and attending their monthly events. There is also a weekly running club/