Placement student Review

by AstraZeneca

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.3/5
  • The Role
    3.6
  • The Company
    2.6
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • The culture was amazing. Before starting work there I had heard very positive things about the lifestyle and this definitely proved to be the case. There is lots of fun events organised on site (some for learning, some just for fun) and excellent sport facilities and green outdoor space. The people were very friendly and as a group of students we all got on very well. As for actually doing the work, some days it got repetitive or the results I got were disappointing, but other days were more encouraging (as with many jobs), but the lifestyle meant I never dreaded going into to work, not even on Mondays!

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I had 4 supervisors whilst on placement and they took an interest in my work. Other colleagues were friendly and approachable but tended to get on with their own work. It was easy to intergrate at social occasions like coffee breaks and pub lunches.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • Initially lots of training then left to get on with it. Always approachable if I had problems.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Some days were busier than others. I didn't generally have to stay late to get the work done but sometimes it was a struggle to get all the lab work done. Some weeks were a little too quiet, although often there was plenty of my own work to be getting on with e.g. reading journal articles or writing my reports!

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was largely responsible for my own project and ensuring targets were achieved. My project within the department was of reasonable importance although the fact that most of my experimental results were disappointing didn't affect the department that much.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • Having done the placement and had a year of experiencing working life will definitely help. I have experienced a reasonably wide range of experimental techniques although some students working on other projects will have experienced more, and some less. There were times when I was doing very repeated work and e.g. I am well practised in cell culture but have done no genetics work. The project you end up with will determine how good an experience you get. If your project seems rather limited then try to shadow and observe other colleagues and even students to make up for this.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • 3/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • 3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • 3/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Above 25 days holiday

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • Due to job cuts and redundancies it's unlikely I'll get a job there in the near future.

    1/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • We all got on very well as students and had lots of social gatherings (both nights out and other socials) throughout the year.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • I lived in Macclesfield and generally this was cheap, my rent was £62 per week and there were cheap food shops / markets in the town centre. £2 - 3 for a pint.

    5/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • A bit naff (places that were pubs/restaurants by day with the chairs & tables pushed aside by night) but we learnt to enjoy ourselves and Manchester was close enough for those seeking more.

    2/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were several clubs in the town centre (from drama to chess to orchestras) and lots of sports clubs at work (outside of working time).

    5/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

North West

June 2012


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