Product Development Engineer IP Review

by 3M

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

Rating

3.9/5
  • The Role
    4.1
  • The Company
    3.7
  • The Culture
    3.9

    The Role

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

    • I really enjoyed my work placement for the amount of development opportunities on offer and the diversity of work. I got the chance to work on new concepts and add my thoughts to the design process. I also got the chance to meet lots of new people every day and visit other 3M sites making friends all over the country.

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

    • I was given the responsibility of 2 projects to lead from a project management stance which involved organizing the work breakdown for individuals and reporting to stakeholders in the US, France, China and Poland.

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

    • I was given great support from my supervisor in terms of regular meetings and always being given the resources I needed to make a project work or create a new concept.

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

    • I was very busy for most weeks which I think added greatly to the experience and the number of opportunities to learn. A lot of days I worked extra hours though I was never the only member of teams working late and afterwards we would often go for a drink which gave a good feeling of teamwork.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • Was given a brand new concept to start a project and technically lead a team. This included creating the first prototype, setting out the project charter and also visiting other sites. I created the work breakdown structure for the project up to the concept gate.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • Massively helpful for the future, I received a lot on training on various software as well as Six sigma training which will help me approach problems in the future.

    5/5

    The Company

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

    • 3M provided a very happy and inspiring working environment with plenty of friendly staff who were all willing to help with questions. There were always meeting rooms available and people made time to speak about how the placement was going for me and offer new opportunities to join teams.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Initially my placement was not very well organised as I had a fairly poor handover from my initial supervisor however after 4 months I had a new supervisor who quickly turned things around and from then on everything was very well organised and I was always busy. This was a great change and I am really enjoying my placement a lot more since this change.

    3/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • The company provided a lot of training. I got to travel to various sites around the country for training on communication and networking as well as a Six Sigma green belt training course which was extremely beneficial to me and required 5 days out of work to complete. This was a great experience to meet other 3M staff as well as learn some great skills.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Flexi Time

    Sports and Social Club

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Above 25 days holiday
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • Very appealing I will likely be returning to 3M for the graduate programme. I feel nlike I have become a part of the organisation over my placement year and learned a lot that would really help me and I could build on if I returned. The graduate scheme allows travel around the country and working on various sites.

    5/5

    The Culture

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

    • Yes I have been for a lot of nights out with people from work whether than be straight down to the pub after work for a beer or two before going home or meeting up at the weekend for kayaking and days out in various cities in the north east. Also went away for a great birthday party with and this really helped to strengthen relationships with people from work .

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

    • Cost of living was very reason able in the north east compared with other areas in the country. Pints often come in around £3.00 which compared with everywhere else is very reasonable. My rent is less than half the price of my friends equivalent lodgings in one of the London Suburbs.

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

    • I live in Darlington currently where the nightlife is quite alright but I spend my weekends in either York, Durham or Newcastle which are all around half an hour away on the train from Darlington and all have fantastic night life. Newcastle particularly for bars and clubs and then York stands out for Pubs.

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

    • Yes 3M supports a volunteering scheme which allows one paid work day per year to do a volunteering event. We used this day to go to a village in north yorkshire and do some gardening for the residents of an elderly peoples home as well as paint fences and mow lawns. This was a great day and it allowed all of the IP students from other sites to get together.

    4/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

North East

June 2017

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