Biology Placement Student Review

Item: Biology Placement Student at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Rating: 5
Author: Anonymous

at Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Placement (10 Months+)

Research

Abingdon

Review Submitted: July 2023

Overall Rating

5 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

5/5 - Overview of Role

5/5 - Skills Development

5/5 - Support and Guidance

5/5 - Company Culture

5/5 - Overall Experience

5/5 - Future Career Prospects

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.

I work on my student project as well as being involved in other projects at the company. I spend a lot of time in the lab doing research, but I also do computer work (documenting my findings, data analysis, online training, etc.). I also attend meetings (one-on-one or group meetings) to stay informed and to keep aligned with project goals.

Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?

I was very happy with the level of responsibility given to me. I was allowed to work independently as soon as I felt confident enough. I was also given some high priority tasks, which made me feel that my employers trust my skills and knowledge.

Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was

5/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?

I learned more than I could possibly list. Most importantly, practical skills in the lab and an extensive knowledge about the drug discovery process.

How would you rate the training provided during your experience?

5/5

How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?

5/5

How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?

5/5

Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development

5/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?

I received enormous amounts of support and guidance from my manager and the people in my team. I also had mentors from outside of my team who helped my career grow.

How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?

5/5

How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?

5/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?

The company culture is very accepting and open. There was a lot of insightful and helpful discussion about inclusion, diversity and equity.
The atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. Lots of fun events to participate in.

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

5/5

How would you rate the social opportunities?

5/5

How would you rate the diversity initiatives?

5/5

How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?

5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?

I enjoyed it a lot. I was given all the guidance and mentorship that I could ask for and more. I think I was able to take advantage of the opportunities that were presented to me. I was a bit sad sometimes when my experiments did not work, but that's science. Otherwise, a very positive experience with amazing people.