The 3M is a global technological enterprise that creates specialist industrial, safety, and consumer goods. Its wide range of business divisions include Safety and Industrial, Transportation and Electronics, Health Care, Consumer, Corporate, and Unallocated.
With its aim to help improve people’s daily lives, 3M ensures a competent team that delivers quality products through innovation.
This guide covers what it’s like to work for 3M, including the benefits, pros, and cons. Also, find out how to become part of 3M by checking the available career positions at the company.
- What Is the 3M Company?
- What Are the Products of the 3M?
- What Are the Specific Roles in 3M Teams?
- Why Should You Work for 3M?
- What Are the Benefits of Working at 3M?
- How Do You Apply for a Job at 3M?
What Is the 3M Company?
More than 100 years ago, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, which later became 3M, was a small mining business in Northern Minnesota. Now a global powerhouse, the company’s products help people worldwide live better lives.
The founders of the company were driven by creativity and hard work, and 3Mers still are. When 3M started in 1902, the five founders had a simple goal: they wanted to mine for corundum, a mineral that could be used to make sandpaper and grinding wheels.
What they thought was corundum turned out to be anorthosite, a low-quality mineral. The company’s founders could have given up when they found the low-quality mineral. Instead, they kept going.
In that first year, the spirit of innovation and teamwork was born and is now the basis of 3M today. Instead of giving up, 3M switched to different materials, used them in other products, won the trust of important investors, and slowly built up sales.
An Innovative Fortune 500 Company
Over the years, 3M’s scientific, technical, and marketing innovations led to more and more success, and the company is now always on the Fortune 500 list. Today, more than 60,000 3M products are used in homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other places.
One-third of the company’s sales come from products made in the last five years. This is because 3M now has thousands of researchers and scientists working worldwide who always come up with new ideas.
With offices in 70 countries and sales in 200 countries, 3M is committed to making technology and products that help every business grow, every home look better, and every person’s life better.
What Are the Products of 3M?
3M makes and sells industrial products and solutions. Its products include advanced materials, display materials and systems, home care, home improvement, stationery and office, personal safety, roofing granules, closure and masking systems, and more.
3M offers medical, oral care, consumer health care, food safety, and health information systems. It works with customers in auto, electronics, health care, safety, energy, and consumer goods.
The company has factories and plants in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. The main office of 3M is in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the US. 3M got its first patent in 1924.
Each year, the company gets about 3,000 new patents. In 2014, the company had more than 100,000 patents. As of 2019, 3M makes about 60,000 products and has four business groups focusing on safety and industrial, transportation and electronics, health care, and consumer products.
What Careers Are Available at 3M?
People who wish to start a career at 3M can take internships, sales and supply chain programs, and even a two-year strategy and marketing leadership development program.
The following teams are an active part of 3M’s business operation.
- Transformation, Technologies & Services (TTS)
- Design
- Corporate Engineering
- Finance
- Frontline
- Health Information Systems (HIS)
- Optimized Operations (O2)
- Research & Development
- Strategy & Marketing Development (SMD)
What Are the Specific Roles in 3M Teams?
Each team has specific roles or positions at 3M. Thus, there will be more opportunities for students and entry-level graduates to jumpstart their careers at 3M.
For example, in Corporate Engineering, employees are immersed in an innovative part of 3M that designs, builds, installs, and starts up equipment and products for all 3M’s business areas.
As a Corporate Engineering team member, you will have tasks similar to those of project engineers and engineering systems and technologies (ES&T) engineers, the two main types of engineers. Project engineers lead teams to ensure that the project’s scope, cost, and schedule meet or beat expectations.
Engineers in ES&T work on technology clusters, such as machine design and layout, engineering analysis, facilities, control systems, process electrical engineering, and manufacturing systems engineering.
Role Descriptions and Qualifications
When you visit the 3M website, you can check the specific role descriptions and qualifications for each position. Each post displays the required level of education for the position.
Moreover, there is information on where you will be designated and expected activities. You can also see how to begin the recruitment and application process.
Why Should You Work for 3M?
At 3M, you can use your skills in bold, meaningful ways. By learning about the company’s core values, find out what makes 3M an innovative place to work. It’s also important to know that your chosen company supports and helps you in return.
With 3M, you get a chance to make a difference in the world by using science and technology to work together to solve global problems, improve people’s lives, and help make the world a better place. As of 2019, every new product from 3M must have a Sustainability Value Commitment that shows how it helps the greater good.
You’ll be a part of a global company that has been a leader for more than 116 years because it moves quickly, adapts to change, and stays honest. In industries like health care, manufacturing, electronics, transportation, and consumer goods, you’ll find opportunities that will inspire you.
Further Reasons to Work at 3M
3M is a place where everyone is welcome, and you will work with other curious and creative people who have helped bring more than 55,000 products to market in many different industries. About 3,000 patents are given to 3M around the world every year.
Whether you work in a company’s labs, offices, manufacturing facilities, or research centers, you will learn, grow, and do challenging, rewarding work that helps you and 3M.
3M rewards you if you do a good job. The company is a “pay for performance” institution, which means that the more you help 3M do well, the better off you are. 3M has good base pay and many benefits and discounts to help you live your best life.
What Are the Benefits of Working at 3M?
At a top global company, you can grow by doing challenging work and be rewarded for your efforts. Doing a great job you’re passionate about helps 3M succeed and makes you even more successful. If you look around, you’ll see that inspired opportunities are everywhere.
3M calls its pay and benefits package “3M Total Rewards.” 3M Total Rewards is a set of plans and programs designed to attract, keep, and motivate the high-performing employees we need for growth and success. 3M Total Rewards are broken down into three parts.
- Your Pay
- Your Benefits
- Your Life at 3M
When you get paid at 3M, you are rewarded for the important things you do to help the business. 3M regularly compares its pay and benefits with those of other companies of a similar size and scope. This helps ensure that their pay stays aligned with their desire to remain competitive.
The base pay is the same for all employees, but some employees can get variable pay, including annual bonuses, sales bonuses, or other bonuses.
3M Employee Health Care Benefits
Another important part of 3M Total Rewards is the health care benefits. 3M gives you and your eligible dependents a wide range of high-quality benefits. You can choose to cover yourself, your legally married spouse or domestic partner, no matter what gender, and your eligible children up to age 26.
On your first day of work at 3M, if you are eligible, you can take advantage of most of the benefits they offer.
- Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Health Savings Accounts
- Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Disability Benefits
- Life Insurance
- Voluntary Benefits
- Paid Absences
- General Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Retirement Plan
3M has a lot of programs to help you live your best life, both in terms of your health and finances. The 3M Healthy Living Program has many tools, rewards, and incentives to help you live a healthier, more active life.
How to Apply for a Job at 3M
It is easy to apply for a position at 3M as you only need to visit its official website. You can search for the role you aim to apply for and see if there are openings.
The website is like a job search engine, wherein you can filter and search for specific job posts. It allows you to sort the result according to location, job type (part-time or full-time), date posted, and job category.
Find out when and where you can talk to a 3M team member about a job that would suit you. There are opportunities for you to attend 3M recruiting events so that you can streamline your application at the company.
Contacting 3M Human Resources
3M is an employer that treats everyone the same. 3M won’t treat job applicants differently because of their race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a veteran.
If you have a disability and need special help or accommodation to apply for a posted job, call the 3M Human Resources department at (877) 496-3636 or use the Contact Us form.
Conclusion
The scientists at 3M, a multinational corporation, never cease innovating. The integrated team of scientists and researchers has developed 51 different technological platforms with our customers.
Versión en Español: 3M Company – Beneficios, Ventajas y Desventajas, y Vacantes Disponibles