Practice 33 3M interview questions covering innovation, technical problem-solving, and collaboration.
Question 16 of 33
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Your interviewer is wondering how confident you are that this is the right position for you, and whether you have the experience level required to perform well in this job. As they say on their career site, "Job titles vary from company to company depending on the size and titles available in the organization, so having those responsibilities listed can help us figure out what your title equates to at 3M. And 3M managers may want to learn about you. Learn how your skills might be a fit at 3M." You can search for jobs on their website where they've posted hundreds of open positions. To adequately answer this question, you should not only have done your homework on the company and this position but also on your own experience, skills, and work history to identify all the ways you are the perfect candidate for them. It is all about relative and translatable experience and less about direct industry experience. Think about the variety of skills that you have and how those can benefit them. These are your transferable skills.

Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"I like to see myself not only as cross-functional when it comes to working with other departments in my company, but I also see myself as cross-industry-functional. Although my background is not in your precise industry, I have worked with many clients who worked with me and your industry in tandem, so I feel very familiar with the crossover. I consider myself a leader and a professional, and I work hard and do what I do well. So many of the core responsibilities are the same here, and I bring excellent transferable skills that qualify me for this position. These skills include my advanced abilities in Excel, my outstanding cold-calling abilities, as well as my proven background in team leadership. But, at the end of the day, my talents and skills revolve around helping people and making companies profitable."
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Written by Kevin Downey
33 Questions & Answers • 3M

By Kevin

By Kevin