My placement year at GlaxosmithKline

Hi Becca! Why did you decide to do the year in industry?

I decided to do a year in industry as I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do after I had finished my degree; all I knew was that I really enjoyed science and being in the lab. So I saw this year as a great opportunity to see what working in industry was like and thought of it as a taster, to see if I could see myself working in research and development after university. Plus even if I decided it wasn’t for me at the end of the year, I would have still gained a year’s work experience and lots of transferrable skills which would hopefully help in my final year.

What made you choose GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) over other companies?

To be honest I applied to a couple of big pharmaceutical companies, to maximise my chance of getting a placement. I decided to apply to GSK as it is a global organisation and one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, and after my interview I knew that GSK was the place I wanted to work. The interview was actually enjoyable and I felt they wanted to get to know you, not just your grades. GSK provides so much support for their students which makes you feel instantly like part of a team and that the work you’re doing actually counts. I couldn’t rate the company any higher.

What have you learnt from your placement year?

One of the first things I had to learn quickly was how to master searching and reading primary research efficiently, in order to gain comprehensive knowledge of my particular target disease and current therapies. Secondly time management; there are a lot of deadlines in a company as big as GSK and your deadline will always impact on others work. I have also had to plan and organise my own experiments and present data at group meetings, which has greatly improved my presentation and communication skills. Also science doesn’t always work the way you’d like it to, so I have had to overcome and solve these problems (normally with a little help from my supervisor).

Will you be able to apply your knowledge and skills from GSK to your course next year?

I will most definitely be able to transfer my skills to my final year, especially in labs, my dissertation and presentations. The knowledge I have gained this year is very specific to my project and therefore probably won’t come up in lectures next year but I have enjoyed learning something new and in depth.

Describe a typical day at work.

I normally get in work about 8:00am, get straight in to the lab (my favourite place to be) and start one of my radioligand binding assays, by the time I have finished preparing my experiment it’s normally time for tea (compulsory). I then spend the middle of the day writing up my experiments and results, reading papers, meeting with my supervisor or the team to discuss what to do next and catch up on what everyone else has been up to. Late afternoon I finish off my experiment and leave work about 5pm.

Have you enjoyed living a working life and not being a student?

This year has been great, I have really enjoyed the 9-5 life and I think that is definitely down to the company I work for, my colleagues, not having to do lab reports or essays when I get home and obviously having a few extra pennies. However I do miss the ‘student life’ and can’t wait to come back for my final year.

Have you found that your placement year has influenced your career plans?

Yes it has, I am still indecisive about what I want to do after university but it has opened my mind up to perhaps doing a PhD, which previously I had completely ruled out, and I could see myself working in research and development in the future. However it has also shown me that there are so many things you can do with a science degree that are not research.

How do you think your placement will benefit you in a professional sense?

Hopefully whatever I decide to do after my degree I will be able to take all the transferrable skills with me, and it shows employers that I have experience in the working world. Also if I did decide to apply for a PhD it would definitely help that I have had previous lab experience.

Details on carrying out a placement year or internship at GSK can be found at http://www.gsk.com/careers/uk-stud-industrial-plac.htm