GSK – GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is biotechnology and pharmaceutical company based in the United Kingdom. Its primary purpose is developing vaccines, pharmaceutical drugs, and other medicines. Preventing disease is its stated goal, and most of its work is done in these areas: infectious diseases, HIV, oncology, and immunology. GSK is among the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, is well respected by the other large names in the biopharma research game, and offers opportunities to new and experienced applicants.

Table of Contents:

1. Firm Key Stats
2. GlaxoSmithKline History
3. GlaxoSmithKline Careers
4. GlaxoSmithKline Internship
5. Practice Areas
6. GlaxoSmithKline Locations
7. Exit Opportunities
8. Target Schools
9. Diversity Programs
10. GlaxoSmithKline Culture
11. GlaxoSmithKline Interview
12. GlaxoSmithKline Salaries

Firm Key Stats

Firm Website: www.gsk.com/en-gb
Firm Headquarters: Brentford, United Kingdom
Firm Number of Employees: 90,096
Firm Number of Locations: 84+
Firm Chief Executive: Emma Walmsley
Firm Revenue: $46.9 billion

GlaxoSmithKline History

GSK as we know it today was formed through a 2000 merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. In an earlier form, it was a crucial player in the development of the malaria vaccine 1987, and in 2022, is responsible for a newer version of it as well. It has also contributed to other highly important vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs, and today it is the tenth largest pharmaceutical company. However, GSK was convicted of fraud in 2012 for failing to report safety data to the FDA and releasing misbranded drugs, paying over $1 billion in criminal fines, and $2 billion to resolve its civil liabilities with the federal and state governments.

GSK Careers

GSK careers are rife with possibility and offer you a great deal of flexibility as far as where and in what you wish you work. Worldwide offices, innovative developments, and a reputable name are attractive parts of the package. The firm primarily hires within one of four departments—research and science, sales, engineering, or business. Identify what you might be interested in and search from there.

GlaxoSmithKline Internship

GSK in the US offers internships on a rolling basis throughout the year, so checking on their current openings is the easiest way to see what you could apply for. Internship subject matter could include human genetics, machine learning, medicinal chemistry, or R&D site engineering, depending on your interests, background, and location.

Practice Areas

GSK specializes in vaccines and medicines, working within these relatively narrow categories:

• Vaccines
• Specialty medicines
• General medicines

GlaxoSmithKline Locations

GSK locations are spread across the world, and there is at least one in every country mentioned, but exploring to find specific cities is recommended.

In addition to offices which run daily operations and contribute to research, GSK has four R&D-specific locations which specialize in different areas and concentrate efforts on particular projects.

• Upper Providence, Pennsylvania USA
• Stevenage, United Kingdom
• Rixensart and Wavre, Belgium
• Siena, Italy

Exit Opportunities

GSK has a rich collection of job opportunities that promise to keep you satisfied for a long time, if you choose to stay. Upon exiting, one could expect the ability to leverage these experiences to secure new positions.

Target Schools

GSK is headquartered right outside of London, so it’s unsurprising that many of their employees attended schools in London, although a large portion also attended in the United States.

• UCL (University College London)
• Penn State University
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• King’s College London
• Imperial College London
• University of Cambridge

Diversity Programs

GSK works with Stonewall, Proud Science Alliance, and Open for Business as it strives to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone. It has goals to be 30% and 18% ethnically diverse in the US and UK, respectively, by 2025. Another goal is to have 45% female representation in senior roles by 2025, which it is currently on track to meet. GSK in 2021 was named one of The Times Top 50 employers for women, and has been recognised by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.

GlaxoSmithKline Culture

Employees have shared that they feel balanced and appreciated in the workplace, with colleagues who are professional and skilled. Although there will always be the occasional manager who isn’t great at recognizing good work when they see it or may have poor organizational abilities, the majority have a good handle on what their teams need to thrive.

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GlaxoKlineSmith Interview

GSK interviews vary largely depending on the desired role, some following a pretty standard format, with HR, management, and a few technical and behavioral questions. Others like the data science and programming positions require case work and online assessments with many numerical, logical, verbal, and situational judgment questions. They don’t offer a lot of information on how to prepare for these questions, but from others’ experiences, it seems that knowledge of your position and an understanding of statistics and critical thinking will be beneficial.

GlaxoSmithKline Salaries

Employees at GSK shared that salaries and benefits were generous, and PTO and schedule flexibility were things they appreciated.

• Senior scientist: $157,473
• Analyst: $89,568
• Supervisor: $103,604
• Sales associate: $116,236

Conclusion

Though GSK has a few marks on its history, the work it has done with the malaria vaccine as well as other commonly used drugs has been hugely impactful. Employees are well compensated, have opportunities for upward growth, and enjoy the company culture. While no firm is perfect, work at GSK is likely to be very rewarding for the ambitious employee.

Additional Resources:

• Top 25 Consulting Firms
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• Consulting Resume: Complete Guide
• Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide