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Aspiring Solicitors - AstraZeneca Work Placement
- Thread starter slowlyfadingaway
- Start date
Cambridge for me. Would be interested to know which you chose @bangarangbass39 incase that has had an impactLondon
I have to do a group interview, which I'm worried about. I don't think it means much, the recruitment process looks long. I can imagine so many people are being shortlisted.
Oh really? I naively assumed it was just going to be the one interview haha
I dunno. They said interview progression will be confirmed by the 25th. They will take place from the 29th to the 2nd of May. I have been given group interview 8 so I think a lot of people have been shortlisted.
I'm nervous guys. It's a group interview for 30 mins. I mean how are they going to decide I'm a fit with there being 4 other people, like wtf. Also, what will I be asked? I hope not a commercial question.
I'm nervous guys. It's a group interview for 30 mins. I mean how are they going to decide I'm a fit with there being 4 other people, like wtf. Also, what will I be asked? I hope not a commercial question.
Hi I did a group interview with them last year, everyone gets a turn to give their answer to the question asked, it’s only unfortunate if you’re picked last and somebody has already said what you wanted to say. Questions were mostly about how we plan to demonstrate ourselves and our skills during the placement, why the company etc. One commercial question at the end which tripped people up which was tell us about a recent commercial story
Thanks very much for that. Is it okay if I message you privately, I have a few more questions to ask if that's okay with you? I have been struggling to get in contact with someone who has done an interview for the scheme,
Thank you very much @slowlyfadingaway
I think it went okay. I was asked 3 questions in total. The first one tripped me up. This was "Why law and why commercial law?" I think I could have answered that better, I discussed my love for the skills required for the role and my internship both in-house and private practice where I was able to put these skills into practice for various tasks. I perhaps should have emphasised something to do with a commercial interest.
I was then asked, "What am I looking forward to the most?" I just talked about the opportunity to engage with the private practice firm that supports them, and how this makes the internship unique to other schemes run by PP where you don't get the chance to understand the dynamic between In House and PP. I mostly talked about my desire to understand their strategy to increase diversity within the Pharmaceutical sector. I said it would be quite interesting because of the need to address the lack of support during the pandemic, especially with the new CRSD and the CRDDD that pressure companies to be more conscious. I said it fits quite well with my academic experience researching developments in the intersection between science, technology and global politics for two years.
I was lastly asked, "How is AZ pioneering the healthcare sector in the UK". I talked about their new project which is the Trial Participant Analysis in Contemporary Clinical Trials where they have collated historical trial data (2010-2022) to understand disparities in clinical trial representation. I said this was quite important because of the information released from the pandemic which highlighted BME communities were negatively affected by the vaccine and lack of care from pharmaceutical companies. I said I wanted to understand this project more, especially from a legal perspective. I messed up though by not saying the name of the project and saying the wrong date (I said 2021 - 2022!)
Overall I think I performed averagely. But the first response wasn't my best. I don't think I got the opportunity.
I think it went okay. I was asked 3 questions in total. The first one tripped me up. This was "Why law and why commercial law?" I think I could have answered that better, I discussed my love for the skills required for the role and my internship both in-house and private practice where I was able to put these skills into practice for various tasks. I perhaps should have emphasised something to do with a commercial interest.
I was then asked, "What am I looking forward to the most?" I just talked about the opportunity to engage with the private practice firm that supports them, and how this makes the internship unique to other schemes run by PP where you don't get the chance to understand the dynamic between In House and PP. I mostly talked about my desire to understand their strategy to increase diversity within the Pharmaceutical sector. I said it would be quite interesting because of the need to address the lack of support during the pandemic, especially with the new CRSD and the CRDDD that pressure companies to be more conscious. I said it fits quite well with my academic experience researching developments in the intersection between science, technology and global politics for two years.
I was lastly asked, "How is AZ pioneering the healthcare sector in the UK". I talked about their new project which is the Trial Participant Analysis in Contemporary Clinical Trials where they have collated historical trial data (2010-2022) to understand disparities in clinical trial representation. I said this was quite important because of the information released from the pandemic which highlighted BME communities were negatively affected by the vaccine and lack of care from pharmaceutical companies. I said I wanted to understand this project more, especially from a legal perspective. I messed up though by not saying the name of the project and saying the wrong date (I said 2021 - 2022!)
Overall I think I performed averagely. But the first response wasn't my best. I don't think I got the opportunity.
Hopefully it works out for the best! Sounds like you made your research and had pretty strong answers for the other questions.
Please let us know what the outcome is if you feel comfortable doing so. I am rooting for you
I just wanted to write on here that I have had such a poor experience with AS and the interview process for this scheme. I was given less than 24 hours notice for my interview and I had to take a full day’s worth of annual leave, which thankfully my current employer accepted despite the lack of notice, and then to be kept waiting for a week to be rejected with no feedback is, in my opinion, very poor.
I appreciate that they provide charitable, free support but to offer a placement exclusively for graduates, who are inevitably going to be working full time, and expect unrealistic flexibility is a hindrance to social mobility and the opposite of their brand and strategy.
I appreciate that they provide charitable, free support but to offer a placement exclusively for graduates, who are inevitably going to be working full time, and expect unrealistic flexibility is a hindrance to social mobility and the opposite of their brand and strategy.
