RUMMAGE through your bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboards and there’s a very good chance that you’ll find at least one of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) products. The company accounts for approximately 7 per cent of the world’s pharmaceutical market and manufactures almost four billion packs of medicines a year.

GSK was formed after the merger of the Glaxo company with Wellcome in 1995 and the subsequent union with SmithKlineBeecham six years ago. The resulting organisation’s mission is “to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer” and its brands range from over-the-counter and prescription medicines to dental care, nutritional drinks and smoking control products.

A large part of GSK is dedicated to research on priority diseases including Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, as well as developing vaccines and treatments for asthma, infections, mental illness, diabetes and cancer. Its emphasis on research has made GSK the graduate employer of choice for science and R&D in The Times Graduate Recruitment Awards for four consecutive years, but GSK offers a range of graduate programmes in its commercial and manufacturing functions, as well as direct-entry positions for graduates in its R&D operations.

The graduate programmes last for between one and three years and are designed to provide a thorough grounding in a particular area of the company. Most parts of GSK accept graduates from any degree discipline although the manufacturing and supply programme requires relevant technical qualifications. All of the company’s graduate programmes include a balance of placements — often at different sites in the UK or beyond — plus professional training and personal development.

Although graduate jobs at GSK are advertised year-round, competition for places is fierce and many of the company’s vacancies for September have already been filled.

www.gsk.com

Martin Birchall is editor of The Times Top 100Graduate Employers

NUMBER 17: GSK

What does it do?
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of the world’s largest consumer goods and pharmaceuticals companies. It employs more than 100,000 people in 116 countries and produces more than 1,200 brands, including Lucozade, Ribena, Aquafresh, Zovirax, Horlicks and Nicorette.


What will graduates do?
Thi year GSK is hiring at least 40 graduates to work in science, production, engineering, logistics, sales and marketing, finance, IT and procurement.

Where are the jobs?
GSK’s headquarters is in Brentford, Middlesex, but the company has 20 manufacturing or research sites throughout the UK.

What are salaries like?
Vary depending on job and location.

What’s the competition like?
Last year consumer goods companies received an average of 100 applications per graduate vacancy.

How has GSK done in the Top 100?
2001: 15
2002: 22
2003: 22
2004: 19
2005: 13
2006:13

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