University Industrial Placement Student: Flu-BPD Review

Item: University Industrial Placement Student: Flu-BPD at AstraZeneca
Rating: 4
Author: Anonymous

at AstraZeneca

Placement (10 Months+)

Chemistry, Research, Science

Liverpool

Review Submitted: June 2026

Overall Rating

4 /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!

3/5 - Overview of Role

4.8/5 - Skills Development

4/5 - Support and Guidance

3/5 - Company Culture

4.5/5 - 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.

Investigated an alternative technology in the downstream purification of influenza A. Assessed feasibility of implementation into manufacturing by testing for viral recovery and impurity removal as well as optimising conditions. This involved assays and analytical techniques such as DLS/HPLC/SDS-PAGE, qPCR

Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?

Yes I was trusted to run experiments fully on my own and organise my own schedule.

Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was

3/5

Skills Development

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

Developed communication and presentation skills a lot which I struggled with when joining so that has been really useful. Also lab competency and training in a range of analytical methods has been invaluable as we don't get those at university that much. Have also got to learn a workplace dynamic.

How would you rate the training provided during your experience?

4/5

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?

A lot - I really felt like my supervisors and manager cared about me, the project progress and also my personal wellbeing. The pastoral support was there as well as the scientific.

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?

Everyone was chatty and friendly from day 1 and don't treat you like you're inferior just because you're a student. People like working here and are passionate about what they do. I don't think inclusivity and diversity initiatives are communicated out clearly enough, if there are any, hence ratings below.

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

4/5

How would you rate the social opportunities?

2/5

How would you rate the diversity initiatives?

3/5

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

3/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?

I really enjoyed my time at AZ and it has made me definitely want to return to this company for work post-grad. It was very challenging and a huge adjustment from uni life but so rewarding and the industry experience is so valuable.

Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship

4/5

Please rate how your experience met your expectations

5/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend AstraZeneca to a friend?

Yes

What advice would you give to others applying to AstraZeneca

Be yourself in the interview - that's what they want to see. Think out loud and reason through your answers even if you aren't sure. Also get well-versed in AI; it is ALL they talk about here and is the future.