Industrial Placement Review

It was an amazing experience with lots of hands on lab work and the opportunity to collaborate with leading scientists in drug discovery. It was also great to have met many peers during my placement, due to the fact that my company offered multiple spots to other students. The inclusive atmosphere was something I greatly appreciated during my time here.

Everyone was very respectful and inclusive, which helped build my confidence and begin presenting at meetings. It helped cultivate my scientific curiosity and courage to discuss my own ideas about certain experiments/theories. People were also very open to being shadowed and they always took the time to help placement students learn more about their work.

My supervisor was very aware of my learning style and provided just enough guidance to help me progress quickly, but was also hands-off enough to help me develop independence in the work place. I will definitely be keeping in touch with him in the future, and know that even after I leave he will be interested in what I am doing.

There were times when there wasn't too much to do, however I always had the opportunity to continue learning during downtimes. However, most of the time there is just the right amount of work. The company provides time for placement students to do their necessary coursework during work hours, and helps you find the right study/work/life balance.

I was in charge of a production assay in my department, and I was also given the opportunity to develop multiple assays independently. My main project was also quite important for the future of some of the company's projects. The amount of responsibility given to you by your colleagues depends on your engagement, therefore you can always take on more if you feel prepared and say no when you feel overwhelmed.

The soft-skills and public speaking, time-management, and meticulous documentation will help me in all aspects of life in the future. The hard-skills that I acquired have helped me to grow as a scientists and will prove invaluable during my PhD. I recommend this placement to all students whether they want to remain in academia, go to industry, or change career paths.

The people in my office were extremely friendly right from the beginning and helped me feel included very quickly. When people are busy, everyone is generally quiet and productive, however there are plenty of the times when people in the office are joking around. People often bring delicious snacks as well, which is a huge plus!

GSK is very meticulous in the placement student process. There are huge numbers of applicants, and a large number of positions are available. Due to the long history of placement students, and the variety of opportunities for them, it is generally the case that each student is allocated in the right place and that their project is well thought out by their department.

The company devotes a tremendous amount of time and provides you with a lot of opportunities to help you grow. As in any other place, your growth depends on your mindset, but if you are keen to learn then the company will help you find opportunities to do so. This is how I developed a number of my soft and hard skills.

The company has a variety of various opportunities to join them full time. A commonly pursued one is the future leaders program, which is designed for graduates who want to experience a number of different roles in the company and decide on what they would like to do. Alternatively CASE student awards are collaborative projects with universities where PhD students can work part time in the company.

Students were very friendly and all of the ones in my department got along very well. There is a placement student society for all GSK students (of which there are a lot). The society organizes various events such as the Christmas Ball, a summer boat ride, etc. There is plenty to do with fantastic people.

I lived in London, which is outside of Stevenage (where my placement was based). However, I know from friends that Stevenage is not the nicest town and most people would meet up for house parties or try to leave the town when possible. However, London was a fantastic experience and the commute is not too far.

The night life in Stevenage is not very good, and it is recommended to got to other towns/cities to have a good time.

I had the opportunity to participate with in the tough mudder with a number of colleagues and students from my department. There are various challenges and events advertised on emails or on campus that you can join. You can also organise things yourself and I am sure people will be very keen on doing something.