Industrial Placement Student Review
at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Placement (10 Months+)
Chemistry
Oxford
Review Submitted: August 2023
Overall Rating
4.3 /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!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
4.3/5
-
Skills Development
4/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.5/5
-
Company Culture
4.5/5
-
Overall Experience
4/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
Mainly lab based work, designing and carrying out experiments to synthesis new compounds. Once a compound has been made you then have to analyse your compound to ensure it is what you expect. There will also be meetings a few days a week, team project meetings or one to ones with your manager.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes, for my university project almost all the responsibility was mine, with my manager only offering advice when needed. You are also expected to manage your time well especially once you start work on Vertex compounds at which point you are expected to contribute to the company's work.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
4/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
Yes I have developed the practical skill and theoretical knowledge I already had. I have also learned new skills primarily around using new lab equipment e.g. purge boxes and robots.
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?
4/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
4/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
At the start you are given plenty of information to help you through the year. My manager was also very supportive at the start of the year but as I grew more confident in the lab he started to give me more freedom and responsibility while still always being around if I had a question or needed help.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
4/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
4/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The atmosphere is wonderful, everyone gets along very well and while the expectation to work hard is there it is also expected that you give yourself time to relax and recharge when needed.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
4/5
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?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I really enjoyed my placement. I learnt a lot and made some wonderful friends.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at Vertex Pharmaceuticals
4/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Vertex Pharmaceuticals to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to Vertex Pharmaceuticals
There is a big emphasis on collaboration between teams both within chemistry and with the biology teams. It will help if you can show enthusiasm for all aspects of drug discovery and teamwork
