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What It’s Like to Be an Engineering Intern at 3M
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At 3M, we're all learning, discovering, exploring and innovating together. Our internship programs allow for students to join other 3Mers on their career journey. Here’s a more in-depth look at what it’s like to be an engineering intern from someone who has experienced it firsthand.
Intern: Grant Engeman
Education: Currently pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in coatings and polymeric materials from North Dakota State University
Internship Title and Location: Resident Project Engineering Intern in Maplewood, MN and Cottage Grove, MN
Past Intern Experiences: Engineering Design Intern at J&D Construction and Project Management Intern at Aspen Research Corporation
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Why were you interested in interning for 3M and the engineering program specifically?
3M works with polymers, something that interested me. I also knew they were a bigger company, so they would have more opportunities and benefits. It seemed like a good job because it was similar to what I did the summer before and it was relatively close to home.
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How did you find out about engineering internships at 3M?
I was offered an interview at a career fair.
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What types of projects are you working on in your internship?
I have two small projects, one at the global headquarters in Maplewood, MN, and one at the Cottage Grove, MN plant. I am also assisting on a large project in another part of the country.
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What has been the most memorable part of your internship?
The most memorable part of my internship has been my relationship with my mentor. She is always patient with me and I share a cubicle with her, so we share plenty of funny stories. I’m working on a big project with her and she explains things in a down-to-earth way that’s easy to understand.
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What do you think your main takeaway will be from this internship?
My biggest takeaway is how to think with a new approach to everything I’m doing. My mindset makes all the difference, whether I spot a potential area of improvement or ask the right questions in a design meeting. For the rest of my life I want to look at the bigger picture of what I am doing and how it relates to the other moving parts of the total system so that I can make the most compatible, efficient and user-friendly system possible.
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What advice do you have for those interested in this program?
Think innovatively, be yourself and practice coming up with new ways to solve old problems.
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Interested in an internship with 3M? Join 3M’s Talent Community and learn how your skills might be a fit at 3M when an opportunity opens up.
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