1. Newsroom
  2. More than Meets the Eye
Newsroom
  • More than Meets the Eye

    August 25, 2016
    • 3M Newsroom intern Archie Gjerdrum at the 3M Center in St. Paul.

      By Aklilu (Archie) Gjerdrum, 3M Newsroom Digital Team Intern

      Before coming to 3M, I was an ordinary teen who thought 3M was only a manufacturing company, making tape and other behind-the-scenes sorts of products. But after spending a couple of days here as an intern, I realized that 3M is much more than what I thought it was.

      One of the first things I had to learn when I started at 3M is that I was not going to learn everything in one day and that’s okay. The 3M campus in St. Paul is big and is home to many divisions within the company. I learned that within 3M, there is a lot of culture and diversity, something that is reflected across the different business divisions. It’s great because everyone works together, leading to teamwork and collaboration.

      I had the opportunity to work with the 3M Newsroom team. Everyone brings different attributes and ideas to the table; we work together, and everyone is heard. This was clear during a brainstorming session to create new content for our social media channels.

      So far, there are two big things that I've learned while working here at 3M: be proactive and try new things. 3M has a lot of career opportunities, so making sure you find time to explore, ask questions and get to know people is important. I’ve also learned that it’s not how many people you meet with, it’s about the strength of the relationships you build. In other words, it’s about quality not quantity. I had a great summer working at 3M and look forward to using what I’ve learned and applying it to my life.