Placement: GlaxoSmithKline, Laboratory Assistant (2011)

"In today’s current economy a first-class degree does not always guarantee you a graduate job. In many cases employers need to be certain that you can do the job asked of you, and without experience this is incredibly difficult to prove. Therefore, to obtain a year’s worth of work experience at a reputable company such as GSK was an opportunity not to be missed.

"The Biomarker department where I worked utilised a range of assay platforms to provide a central focus for biomarker strategy within projects. My main role concerned assay development across a variety of platforms. After my initial training I was given my own projects with deadlines to which I had to present my results on a monthly basis. I had to create my own experimental methodology and write my own official lab books, effectively working as an independent member of staff. I was kept busy throughout the whole year, enabling me to learn a range of practical techniques.

"This has not only boosted my scientific skills in regards to my degree, but also improved my future job prospects. The experience gave me a unique set of skills that other graduates will not have, allowing me to stand out from the crowd. It also enabled me to integrate with a scientific community of friends, who are willing to help me with the development of my career, and in some cases, who you know can really make the difference."