Industarial placement student Review

I enjoyed my time as a placement student as everyone was very welcoming and friendly which helped me to settle in to the department very quickly. Throughout the year there was also several socials which encouraged people to get to no each other more and made me feel more included within the department.

I felt fairly valued by colleges as they were always interested in my opinion and what work and project I was currently working on.

I had daily contact with my supervisor to support me in lab based work and data analysis, as well as regular 1 to 1 meeting to discuss any issues and future plans. However, all members of staff and management were very approachable and happy to help with any queries or issues.

The workload varied throughout the year however I always had enough work to keep me busy throughout the day. At the start of my placement I had less work to complete as I was training to become familiar with certain techniques so I could work independently. However, after this initial period I was busy with a combination of meetings, desk work and lab work.

During the start of my placement I was not given much responsibility and was working along side my supervisor to help complete pieces of work. However as the year continued I became more independent and was given more responsibility as I had to research, design and complete my own lab work.

Whilst on placement I have had the opportunity to develop lab based skills that I wouldn't have been taught at university. Working in an office environment has also helped me gain and develop many transferable skills. The skills I have developed will defiantly benefit me when I return to university and applying to jobs in the future.

The office environment had a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. GSK also uses hot desking so no one is assigned a specific desk which encourages you sit in different places every day and talk to other people, this hot desking also allows you to sit in different offices to integrate with other departments

The work placement was very well organised as I underwent two weeks of training to become familiar with the techniques I would be using regularly, I was then supported by supervisor until I was competent enough to work independently. The company was also used to having students on placement and were keen to help us university work and development plans.

the company invested a lot into the development of placement students as we underwent 2 weeks of training to become familiar with all the techniques used in the lab. Throughout the year we were also encouraged to attend seminars and lectures which would enhance our scientific understanding, some of which were specifically designed for placement students

I would happily for GSK in the future as there are many opportunities to continue to develop your career.

On the Stevenage site there are over 100 placement students so socials are organised regularly, these included meals out, bowling and nights at the pub. Larger socials including a winter and summer ball were also organised with all GSK students nationwide. There was also several department socials throughout the year which encouraged interaction between the students and full time employees.

As the area I worked In was in commuting distance to London living expenses such as rent were much higher than what I had experience at university. The cost of socialising in the local area was not too expensive, however If I was to travel London for an event this would be relatively expensive.

There was fairly limited nightlife in the local area as it mainly consisted of pubs which shut fairly early throughout the week and on the weekends, there were several nightclubs although these could be expensive. However London was only 30 minutes on the train, so the London nightlife was very accessible.

There were a wide range opportunities to get involved with outside of work, there was weekly sporting events such as friendly netball games, volleyball and football tournaments at the on site sport facilities. There was also the chance to become involved in charity work through bake sales and other sponsored events.