An internship is probably one of the most important parts of a student’s collegiate career. One Labovitz School of Business and Economics student, marketing major Molly Arbuckle, had the opportunity to intern for 3M.
Some of 3M's most well known products are Post-its and sandpaper. 3M is a global company and their slogan is Science Applied to Life. “it's only science until you sell something. 3M wants to make life more efficient for the world around us,” Molly says.
The internship worked out so well for Molly that she has the opportunity to work full time for them after graduation. Getting hired before graduation is an opportunity most college students dream of.
Molly heard about the internship through Professor John Kratz, interim sales program director & instructor of marketing. At the end of Molly’s sophomore year, she and Professor Kratz had a conversation about 3M and what the Frontline Internship is all about.
With the help of Professor Kratz, Molly decided to take a chance and applied for the internship her junior year. Molly saw this internship as, “A chance to grow independently and be innovative along with the company.”
With a two-week training prior to going to New York and two weeks of shadowing in New York, Molly felt ready to take on the position to its fullest potential. Despite her training, New York City still involved some culture shock and was a major learning curve for Molly.
Molly’s favorite project while interning was working with her manager. “It was really rewarding working alongside my manager. I learned a lot and being around someone so experienced made me feel really inspired,” she mentions.
Molly also worked on a separate project with her internship group. That project focused on redesigning the app that the company uses for the industrial safety market center. "To have the opportunity to help grow 3M and make it more efficient for the sales reps was something I will never forget” Molly explains.
Some of the most rewarding things for Molly when working for 3M was watching herself grow alongside other interns. She appreciates how the program helped her advance her knowledge while challenging her at the same time.
Molly says, “At the end, we gave a final presentation at headquarters during the last week of the internship. It was so bittersweet, because I remember the first time we had to give a presentation in Texas for our training in April. I was scared. I was so nervous to talk in front of full-time 3M employees.” At the end of this internship, Molly says, “I felt so confident and so proud to be given this experience.”
After graduation, Molly will be a full time hire for 3M and is “excited to grow with another cohort.” To get an internship in college Molly says, “put yourself out there, get some experience, be yourself, listen to yourself, and ask yourself, ‘Is this a company I want to work for?”
Learn more about LSBE's Marketing program.