GlaxoSmithKline : Employer profile

Company profile

What do you want?

The chance to help millions of people do more, feel better and live longer? The opportunity to launch a graduate career in a responsive, innovative, global business? An undergraduate placement that will give you the practical experience to complement your studies? A company that’s genuinely committed to your personal and professional growth? Whatever you want, GSK has the answers.

Why GSK?

One of the world’s leading healthcare companies, GSK gives its people the chance to answer some of the biggest questions facing everyone on the planet – questions about future healthcare needs.

We discover, develop, manufacture and distribute vaccines, prescription medicines and consumer health products. Based in the UK, with operations in over 100 countries, we produce a huge range of healthcare products from lifesaving prescription medicines and vaccines to popular consumer products like Lucozade, Ribena, Sensodyne, Aquafresh and Panadol. In fact, every year we screen about 65 million compounds, make over four billion packs of medicines and healthcare products, and supply one quarter of the world’s vaccines.

What graduate programmes are available?
We run a number of two or three-year rotational programmes for graduates from a range of disciplines:

• Engineering underpins practically everything we do, so we draw on talented chemical, electrical and biopharmaceutical engineers.
• Our Sales & Marketing programme is all about developing trainees into commercial business leaders to ensure a pipeline of future leaders.
• In Purchasing, you’ll gain a thorough grounding in procurement and how to manage our suppliers.
• Finance will give you a solid grounding in financial management and help you to attain CIMA qualification.
• In IT, we offer a SAP Graduate Development Programme and a more general IT Graduate Development Programme.
• Science is all about bringing ideas to life using a variety of processes and the latest technology.
• Health Outcomes focuses on improving peoples’ lives by demonstrating the economic and humanistic value of medicines through in-depth analysis.
• Consumer Healthcare is designed to develop future consumer leaders for some of our best known brands.

What placements are on offer?

Firstly, we offer a whole range of industrial placements as part of a recognised sandwich degree. With training packages designed to meet your individual needs and a performance development plan, you’ll be able to build on the skills you’ve gained at university by applying them in a practical environment. Placements cover Manufacturing (including Production, Engineering, Science), IT, R&D, Sales, Marketing, Communications, HR and Finance.

We also offer summer placements in either Marketing or Purchasing. These typically last 10 to 12 weeks and are aimed at students who have the skills and experience to add value to our company, as well as the potential to build a long-term career with us.

What’s in it for me?

We are deeply committed to personal and professional development – offering a range of ongoing and tailored learning opportunities. We give our people the trust and respect to be themselves, and the chance to develop their careers across an incredibly diverse collection of businesses and geographies. You’ll flourish in an environment where personal growth plays a vital part in the changing face of the business. But most of all, you’ll enjoy the sense of purpose that comes from leading change in an industry that touches millions every day.

How to apply

What next?

Please go to www.gsk.com/uk-students to find out more about our programmes and placements, including our requirements and starting dates, and to apply.