University Industrial Placement Student (UIPS) Review

Item: University Industrial Placement Student (UIPS) at AstraZeneca
Rating: 4.5
Author: Anonymous

at AstraZeneca

Placement (10 Months+)

Pharmaceutical

Cambridge

Review Submitted: July 2026

Overall Rating

4.5 /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!

4/5 - Overview of Role

4.5/5 - Skills Development

4.5/5 - Support and Guidance

4.5/5 - Company Culture

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.

Placement student with one main placement project assigned to me which I work towards throughout the year. Flexible working hours, lab work and desk based work, with 1 day remote working per week.

Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?

Yes, once I have passed induction weeks and done my training, I was given responsibility in doing independent lab work, troubleshooting, etc. Though my responsibilities are limited beyond my own project work, depends on the supervision and management too.

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, quite plenty of lab skills, technical skills and personal skills, such as leadership, teamwork, etc.

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?

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?

I was given incredible support and guidance by my supervisor and team leaders and colleagues, my supervisor was in contact with me whenever I need her and we meet on multiple 1-1 meetings every week. Can’t say the same for all placement students though.

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?

4/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?

It’s hard to comment since this is my first company I work at. Though I can see a culture of good work life balance, and respecting working hours or holiday hours, and a culture of reporting if something is not right. A very friendly and collaborative working environment too.

How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?

5/5

How would you rate the social opportunities?

4/5

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 would like to work for the company again in the future. It gives me a taste of what industry is like in a structured programme timeline and it was fairly predictable in a good way. Permanent roles would not be exactly the same but overall I would still enjoy working here.

Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship

5/5

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

Do your research, polish your CV, and practice practice interview skills, it makes a difference, can make you feel confident if you have practiced and ready for it.