Taylor Brown, Junior STS Major
To be honest, when I applied for the Operational Excellence Internship at GlaxoSmithKline, I did not really know what I was applying for. Nevertheless, I applied, interviewed, and received the position. I began working on May 20, 2013 and immediately started learning all about the company, my department, and what it means to be part of the workforce.
During my summer at GSK, I worked closely with the manufacturing and packaging departments in the TUMS factory, which is located in St. Louis, MO, only thirty minutes from my house. I quickly learned that I would not be treated as an “innocent intern” and would be held to the same standards as the full-time employees. Because GSK must abide by FDA and OSHA guidelines, I had to complete many standard operating procedures, SOPS, and undergo extensive training on how to handle the product and wear the proper protective gowning.
During my time as an intern, I was able to utilize the technical writing skills I have learned during my Butler career. I authored two manuals that are currently being used a points of reference during site-wide training. I was also able to write a new SOP, which will be used in the manufacturing departments. I completed daily operations tasks, such as efficiency analysis, participating in safety meetings, and performing quality experiments in the site’s chemistry lab.
At the end of my internship, I left GSK with an awareness of what it means to be part of the workforce as well as a strong sense of accomplishment in the science-writing field. The experience also opened my eyes to the manufacturing world which I hope to be a more permanent part of in the future.
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