Marketing Assistant Industrial Placement Review

I have completely enjoyed working at 3M over the past year! It has been a great learning experience and opportunity to develop myself professionally. I have had various responsibilities which has enabled me to grow throughout the year.

In my team, I'm not just seen as an intern but as a real 3M employee and have been given real responsibilities and feedback. They always took my opinions and ideas into consideration and appreciated my support throughout the year.

My managers were always available to support me in case of queries, issues or concerns. They provided guidance whenever I needed it and were happy to help.

Majority of days were really busy as I always had tasks to complete along with my on going long-term projects. On occasion when I was less busy, I asked for more work which was readily provided.

I have been given various levels of responsibility throughout the year. I have been in charge of my own projects which I have run from start to finish. Towards the second half of the year, I was also responsible for covering projects for my manager who went on maternity leave.

This year has enabled me to challenge and push myself in order to develop as much as I can. The skills I wanted to focus on were mentioned to my manager who was more than willing to help me develop these, including presentation skills, project management skills and leadership. It was also a great opportunity to put the theory we study at University into practice and to get an understanding of the real business world and how an organisation of this scale operates.

3< has an open and friendly culture with everyone being approachable and welcoming. This was a pleasant surprise when I first started my year. People are also always happy to give time to answer questions and support us whenever needed.

The placement program has been part of the 3M culture for many years and so the year was well organised. They also asked for constant feedback on how the program could be improved which was given.

There were many workshops we could get involved in, including productivity, personality and the work place. Online interactive sessions were also available to us. I also had opportunities for specific product training and to visit customers.

It is a great company to work for! However, currently due to a hiring freeze there is no official Grad Scheme. However, if this is brought back, I would love to come back to 3M after University!

Yes, we formed our own placement student group and organised events. There were also a few dinners that were organised by the company for us students. Besides that, my team organised lunches/ dinners on a regular basis. There were also general company run events throughout the year which were fun!

The cost of living was slightly expensive being close to London.

There are quite a few clubs/ bars in Reading which was good.

Yes, at 3M we are always encouraged to get involved in as many projects/ social groups as we like! I was involved in a few projects that were out of my job role and daily responsibility.