Human Resources Placement Review

by GSK

Best Student Employer

Rating

4.2/5
  • The Role
    4.7
  • The Company
    4.4
  • The Culture
    3.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • My placement year taught me so much - more than I ever expected to learn before joining. It showed me what it's like to work for a large corporate firm, and meant I could network with senior stakeholders from such an early stage in my career. The fact that I could connect with other placement students made my experience even more enjoyable.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I was given real responsibility throughout my placement year and felt like a valued member of my team. I no longer feel like a student in the office, and was never made to feel as the 'intern'. My manager was great at providing feedback and always pushed me to go for challenging opportunities where she knew I would develop.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I never felt as though I couldn't ask a question at GSK. They truly care about your development and know you are there to learn, so the support was incredible. You are not expected to come in as a business professional, so asking for support is always encouraged, and you are never made to feel stupid for doing so.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • My workload ebbed and flowed throughout the year, but the periods of low workload were not necessarily a negative aspect of my placement. I used this time to reach out to other teams and offer my help, and I would definitely recommend this to any future placement student. This also gave me time to network within the business. If I want more work, I could always ask my manager.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • My manager and my team really trusted me to own projects, and encouraged me to challenge ideas and provide opinions. I was given as much responsibility as some of the permanent members of staff in my team, but was fully supported and never felt overwhelmed. They made sure I was ready to accept responsibility before I was given it.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • My placement will not have helped me directly in terms of applied academic knowledge, but it has given me a great work ethic and driven mindset. Now that I know what I want to do and what I enjoy doing, I will work harder towards my degree to achieve that. It has also made me appreciate structure, and made me more efficient when working.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • GSK House in Brentford is an amazing environment to work in - there is a gym, hairdressers, beauty salon, restaurants etc. and you are constantly surrounded by senior leaders who are willing to speak to you. This was not something that I expected. My only criticism would be the location as I would have liked to experience working in central London, but the facilities in the office make up for it.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • My placement was well organised and set up, which surprised me as there are over 300 placement students in the UK. I never felt neglected and always felt like there was work to do/something to look forward to. The year went so quickly, and I think that goes to show that there was always something going on.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • At GSK, you are trained mostly on the job, and about 20% formal, online training. At the beginning of my placement, my manager asked me exactly what I wanted to gain from the year, and made sure that the projects I was given were tailored to that. Also, we were encouraged to shadow in different areas of the business.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events

    Working from home

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • You can be recommended for the Future Leaders graduate programme once you have finished your placement with GSK. You are fast-tracked to a later stage of the application process but you are not automatically offered a place. I did really enjoy my placement year, but I'm keen to explore different businesses too.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • We had a community called IP Unite (Industrial Placements Unite) which organised social events and made sure that the placement students stayed connected. There are so many placement students that it's easy to make friends and it means you can support each other along the way. I will stay in touch with my placement friends for a long time I hope!

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • London prices! Brentford itself is in West London so it is pricey but to be expected. This would have been more justified if we were in a more central location as there is not much to do in Brentford. The local pubs were the only place to socialise in Brentford.

    2/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Again, Brentford itself is not the most lively area. However, you could easily get the train or tube into London where there is loads going on. The closest areas to Brentford with a decent nightlife include Richmond, Clapham, Putney, Fulham. Many placement students don't live directly in Brentford anyway so it was fine.

    2/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Yes. We had volunteering opportunities for a charity called Over the Wall. We were also meant to complete Tough Mudder as a placement cohort (cancelled due to COVID), and we often went to the gym together after work. On a Friday, a few of us also went to the pub and met on weekends.

    5/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

London

June 2020


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