GM FYI Blog

You know the rest…

By Lesley Hettinger
GM Intern

Lesley Hettinger, small town girl from Nowhere, Ill., spending a summer with one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers.

That is a brief piece of my recently updated autobiography. I attend Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., (literally) pursuing my B.S. in PR. Here’s a look into my path into becoming a GM intern…

Last fall, with my junior year of school entering full force, I attended a national PR conference in Salt Lake City, where I soon met my future summer employer. My school teaches us communications students that networking is the key to being successful in our field. Little did I know that this simple act would lead me to one of the best, most challenging experiences of my life!

When I left Illinois, Salt Lake City-bound, I had no intentions of returning with a summer internship at a global corporation. To cut to the chase, I interviewed with GM while in Salt Lake. The interview was long and relatively intense. I walked out of it feeling very confident in my performance knowing that I had given it my best. A month later I was enduring finals week and preparing for winter break, and then…the phone rang! And there it was: the call to join General Motors for a summer.

I began my summer in mid-May with GM in Lansing, Mich., at the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant. Having not grown up with any connections to the manufacturing industry, let alone the automotive industry, I had my own perceptions heading into my first day. Dirty, hot, smelly and just about any other disgusting descriptive word you can think of is what I was sure I was going to experience this summer. Much to my surprise, I was entering into one of GM’s newest, most environmentally friend facilities in all of North America. The environment and the people at LDT welcomed me with open arms and a lot of opportunities.

Although manufacturing communications was my primary responsibility this summer, I had the chance to experience different aspects of GM Communications. The last two weeks of June I had the opportunity to be part of the first-ever Detroit International River Days. My main task was leading the social media strategy for the six-day event. Prior to this assignment I had never experienced the social media aspect of PR (online stuff). Needless to say I became an expert quickly.

I interviewed the various talent components that appeared along the Riverfront for the GM-powered I Got Shotgun, and other social networking sites. I successfully familiarized myself with being on camera, and the journalistic role that came with this project.

The second challenge to this experience came in the form of a blog. I had commented on blogs before but had never developed one of my own. My River Days blog posts went hand in hand with my I Got Shotgun videos to help provide a more descriptive view into the entertainment facets of this major event. While I would by no means consider myself a “pro,” I do feel I am a more well-rounded PR practitioner having had this experience.

Upon return from the first week of July shutdown I took a trip to the Tech Center in Warren, Mich. I jumped in on media analysis in preparation for the E85 Tour. Throughout my research I learned more about our fuel-efficient products as well as the alternative fuel options.

So I know you are wondering, “Was there anything you didn’t like about you GM internship?” I would have to say that it was hard finding something negative. I decided that I didn’t want to list a negative because there was not one. I can honestly say that this is the most amazing experience I have ever had to date. I know that one day I will look back and remember all the individuals that empowered me during my summer at GM.