Marketing Placement Student Review

by 3M

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.6/5
  • The Role
    3.7
  • The Company
    3.4
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • A placement at 3M provides a great insight into a multinational company with thousands of products in a vast range of markets. You don't realise how much the company does until you start working there! For placements you would be working in one department offering a great insight into their products and market. This does mean every placement is very different depending on what department you are in. Majority of placements are in a B2B environment, so if you want more of a traditional marketing role this may not be for you. Marketing roles tend to be much more product management based which can be quite logistical and technical based. If you are not concerned with doing a placement where you work on lots of big budget 'marketing' tasks and dont mind getting into the not-so-glamorous nitty-gritty of making projects happen then 3M can offer a great experience with lots of responsibility.

    3/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Lots of people in 3M have a lot of experience in the company and are willing to share/support you in getting the most out of your placement. You are treated as a proper employee and offered the same respect as anyone else. I felt anyone who I worked on projects for were very appreciative of my help and always gave me time to learn and develop along the way.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Weekly catch-ups with my manager, official quarterly reviews, and an open policy so we could chat through any questions/issues whenever I wished. Always tried to be adaptable in providing the work I wanted to do and give me the best range of insights across the year.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Around key projects there would be periods of being really busy, but on the flipside there were also quite a few weeks that were very slow. In general this is not a fast paced office and no one is ever under too much pressure (which can be a positive - there was never an issue with having to stay late!). The problem when you are on placement was you have less ability to generate your own work load, so if it was a quiet few weeks there was little work you could create for yourself.

    3/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • Given plenty of responsibility and a good mix of my own tasks vs completing tasks for others. Even when working on other peoples projects you were trusted to make decisions and there was no micro-management.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • A great insight into how businesses work that you can apply in other job going forward or also in your degree. You learn and are trained on a lot of skills that are 3M specific but will give you a big advantage if you choose to come back as a graduate. A lot of things you learn are applicable in other jobs too so sets you up very well for the future. 3M also has a great reputation in a lot of industries so is fantastic to have on your CV.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The offices are very open plan so you see a lot of people on a daily basis. At times it does feel like there was a lack of collaboration as there are not many group projects so it is very easy for people to not interact that much over the course of the day. If you are happy working o your own then this is fine but if you prefer a lot of face to face interaction in can be slightly more difficult.

    3/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Well organised with the right mix of formal inductions and more casual events. Plenty of events where you get to work with other placement students.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • Training courses for IP/Grads and also wider 3M training days for the whole team.

    3/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Sports and Social Club

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home
    4/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • A lot of placement students come back as graduates. Company very willing to bring in new talent. Slightly restricted/risky due to a lot of decisions being governed by budgets/headcount etc so it is not always guaranteed that you could come back to the job you wanted to do. However if you create a good impression everyone works hard to accommodate you. Good grad salary and chance to take on more responsibility.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Big group of placement students so lots of people in the same boat as you. Plenty of Grads/younger people who are all up for socials and going out. Good sports and social club too.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • More than covered by salary

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Reading pretty good for a night out with all the standard clubs/bars expected from university towns. Also only about 25 mins to London by train.

    4/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Sports and social club organsie plenty of events - they also do a fireworks display November, summer fun days and a great christmas party.

    4/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

South East

June 2014

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