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Name: Sam Gray Age: 20 University: Newcastle University Course: Marketing BSc Company: GlaxoSmithKline Job Title: Communications Assistant in Global Community Partnerships

This time a year ago I remember scrolling through RateMyPlacement.co.uk looking for potential placements in which to apply. After filling in various application forms for roles in all types of companies, I was offered a position in Communications at GlaxoSmithKline, GSK House.

My knowledge of the company was limited – I knew that they made Ribena and Lucozade but that was about it. Now, a third of the way through my years placement I have learnt that there is a lot more to GSK.

My department, Global Community Partnerships, deals with supporting healthcare programmes globally. It is responsible for donations of medicines made to disasters and the programmes we have committed our help to. As a whole the company spent £124 million in 2008 on donations through cash and product. It really highlights the importance of ethics in a global company and I get to be involved with a lot of great projects. It’s a great department and everyone has been really welcoming.

I have been asked to do a lot of writing in the role which I haven’t had much experience with since school, however I have had help and direction when needed. I have written and updated a lot of the content on the website and had to attend various meetings in central London. I am responsible for the social media for a new company which has been made, and have been surprised at the amount of responsibility I have been given. The good thing about this placement is everyone is happy for you to get involved with a different side of the business. I have learnt that being on placement is not just being the ‘tea girl’ but in fact a lot more.

As a placement student here I really enjoy the social life. There are about 40-50 placement students in GSK House with the majority working in IT and consumer healthcare (Ribena, Aquafresh, Lucozade etc). There are also students in HR, communications and finance in our building. We all meet up for lunch daily and organise nights out together so it’s really social, but that’s how we have made it. I had to move to Brentford as it would have been a 2hour commute from home, so I met 3 other girls on Facebook and we got a house together which is working out fine.

If you fancy a placement at a large global company with lots of opportunities I would really recommend you apply to GSK. Employers think highly of it in the future for graduate applications and it really does give you an insight into a corporate company. There are many benefits to the job and you get a lot of responsibility. A placement at GSK looks brilliant on your CV and I have even been told to put it above my degree on mine!