Marketing and Sales Coordinator Review

I loved the fact that I had free reign to structure my days. No one was telling me what my priorities were, I had to figure them out for myself. And sometimes, you don't always get it right, but sometimes you do, and you feel great when you've had a very productive morning. Although not everything was perfect, I would like to emphasis that 3M allowed me to speak up for myself, ask for more responsibility and when it was given to me, I had a whole team of individuals who would support me to succeed.

As part of a central team, I do feel that my contributions to the team, including creating formal process that would be used company wide, were very much valued. This was made even clearer as we realised that our services would affect the other divisions if our activities were not completed on time and in full.

Although there were structural changes throughout my year, such as leadership changes, I did always feel there was someone to turn to, albeit not always my supervisor. However, I did feel that this gave me a chance to be independent and gain self-confidence. I actually enjoyed not having someone hold my hand all year.

It fluctuated. For the first 3 months of my placement I did feel a bit lost on a daily basis as I came in to a new team and our roles and responsibilities had not yet been detailed. However, there were weeks and months were, as a team, we were at 110% capacity, but as I said, it fluctuates. One day I'm running around like a headless chicken last minute prepping for an event, and other days, I'm cleaning up process and helping others in the team as I have spare time.

As part of my core role, responsibility was high as I was responsible for an entire business group encompassing 4 different divisions with completely different commodities. However, I think if you ask for my responsibility, and you show you can live up to the challenge, management are more than happy to give it to you. For example, I felt around November that I was bored and needed something to challenge myself, so I asked my manager and she let me manage a new process that was internally understood to be a core activity for 2017. This opportunity gave me the chance to work on a process that quickly became my baby and my legacy.

I think the greatest skill I've learned this year was communicating and being organised. Being organised allowed me to not panic when something went wrong as I was able to trace back my steps and problem solve. I think this will help me back at University as time will be of the essence and I will need to use every minute wisely.

Although open plan, I felt the office as a whole to be quite a quiet, studios place. However, there were great, open, light spaces that you could move to, to work more collaboratively. I also think it depends on where you sit and who you sit with. For example, my team is know for being chatty, but then again, we're a central team that work across divisions and we need to share information.

The overall IP scheme was well structured with trainings throughout the year and different site visits, however, as my role was new and in a new team, there was no handover on continuity which made things difficult and frustrating when all you want to do in your first few months is show how good you can be, but the activity you're working on does not allow you to show this.

3M take an interest in the personal development of their employees and even hold a bi-annual personal development month where they hold webinars and trainings on an array of things from being a productivity ninja to our own personal insights. There was only 1 training I couldn't go on due to cost, but every other time I've asked to go on a training, I've been given the chance. As part of the IP scheme, we also have to do some shadowing, which for me, turned in to 3 shadowings!

At a time like this, with Brexit ont he horizon and a multitude of change at 3M, they are not in an opportunity to give out graduate jobs to IPs. Where roles to do come up, it is advantageous to have been an IP, but it does not equate to a job. I think this is a shame as 3M have spent the entire year training us and giving us this chance, for us to not come back would be their loss.

I think it depends on the people. In my year of IPs, I can honestly say I've made friends for life, well I hope they are. I honestly couldn't have gone through the low points of the year with out them! Having said that, there was a very minimal social scene at work with only a few socials throughout the year. Something I would have wanted more off.

I lived in a student house as my university is in the same area. Reading is not the cheapest, but it's not as expensive as London, so you get the best of both worlds. Reading and its surrounding areas have a lot to offer, you just have to look in the right places and for the right things!

The nightlife in reading varies. There are some great clubs with amazing atmosphere and are a bit off the beaten track, and then there are the cookie cutter type clubs where all the freshers rave about. The bar scene in reading is great! There are always 241s and great deals on food and drink.

At 3M, we have a sports and social club so there is always something you could do, from touch rugby and netball to a book club and board games society. Even if you want to set up a new society you can do so! Just speak to the right people, get some people interested and there you go!