Those who have skills will find a new job incomparably easier. What is problematic for some is that their skills were eroded here over time.
What is your experience like?
It would be great to hear that there are more of you who are satisfied with the skillset you've developed here than those of you who aren't.
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Lets also appreciate jayshree muffin making skills, gluten free even. And linked in posting skills. And watching movies skills. A lot of transferable skills for the next generation of pseudo scientists. Winning!
From personal experience (mid career guy here) and also from knowing various people in many areas who have left 3M over the years, here is my take.
If you are a technical person in 3M with demonstrated ability in product development and commercialization, you will be highly sought after in competitor companies or even other related industries. In general you should be able to match or even surpus what you were making in 3M.
If you were in a mid manager kind of role, keep your expectations low. It will be hard to match your salary elsewhere since knowledgeable firms will not splurge on someone whose main job was making slide decks, attending meetings all day and doing such zero added value for the company.
I've taken new positions across multiple factories, different business and technology areas, and with increasing responsibilities every 2-4 years for the last 23 years. I have solved numerous problems, led large initiatives and teams of talented people. I have spent millions on new capital equipment, traveled the world and worked on global teams, and developed and launched many new products that delivered valuable solutions to important customer problems. I have done all of this at 3M and hope I get to keep doing it. I just need to last longer than our terrible corporate leadership.
All the skills I learned from this company is making fancy ppt but never get anything done
One of the biggest red flags of 3Mers is when they introduce themselves with years at 3M. As if more years equals more skills and experience. It doesn’t! It never did. Quite the opposite, it raises concerns about adaptability. I hear it all the time and wince. Show us your accomplishments. Staying in the same company is not an accomplishment unless your goal was pension maximization.
Definitely need someone with poise under stress. We hired someone one time who had a nice resume, interviewed well, but was coming from one of the companies that had become a toxic brew of passive aggressive dog eat dog culture (I believe it was Kodak or Dupont) The guy would respond to stressful situations (something doesn't go as plan, a last minute change or substitution) by going off on some angry rant, yelling at people, etc. He was behaving in survival mode from his last work place. After a few coaching sessions, including recommending EAP, he just didn't get it and we had to release him in a year or two and start over.
That's what I would be worried about hiring a former 3Mer. Can they leave behind the low morale and defensiveness? I'd have no doubt about their technical skills.
Skills that are more valued at 3M than at your next employer:
- PowerPoint. If you have to use it for training, make it no more than 2 min per slide. I've been through 30 minutes safety training on lock out tag out where the guy had 50 slides! And wanted to read every word on the slide.
- Communicating complex topics via email and attachments. We're not impressed with excessive info. If we want more info, we'll ask for it..then you can add an attachment.
- Answering simple questions with long-winded word salads (read Mike's comment from the townhall)
Skills you need to develop or improve:
- Writing short and concise emails. I use the half pane view to read a note. If your message can't fit that I skip it.
- As with emails, learn to be more concise in verbal communications. Highly recommend Toastmasters. I've seen highly technical folks learn this skill and it makes a difference in how people perceive them.
- Conflict resolution skills. I can't count how many times I've heard people yell at each other. Things like: you're not listening to me, you interrupted me, that offends me, etc.
New employers don't what the drama queens and kings that people have been in this toxic culture.
I remember when a guy welcomed two women he didn't know in the cafeteria by using the word "ladies." The women made a big stink about it and were outraged and yelling. The guy apologized sheepishly but clearly didn't intend any offense. If that was a job interview, under no circumstances would I hire either woman. They could have either ignored it or politely said we prefer to be called women. That would have been something I would appreciate if I were a hiring manager.
3M has a lot of talented workers but they need to take this kind of advice in this note to heart. No one wants someone bringing their problems and attitudes with them.