One of the things I have thoroughly have found the most rewarding thing about teaching is to not only share my enthusiasm for PR and social media, but mentor my students to help them achieve their goals and dreams after graduation in the profession they want to go into. It’s always so rewarding to see everything come together.
Which brings me to the inspiration of this post. As I have written about previously, I had the opportunity to be an Educator Fellow at GM this past summer. This was one of the best professional experiences I have ever had and I am very thankful to the great team at GM as well as the Plank Center for allowing me to be part of their community.
Since I was in Detroit, I have been sharing my story and experiences at GM among all of my classes. This semester, I started off the first day of class introducing myself and then talk about my time this past summer at GM. After class, I had one student come up to me and said that was his dream place to work at and he had been to Detroit several times to attend the auto shows.
I think this is what professors need to recognize about students – we have to be aware that not everyone wants to go into one particular area of PR, Marketing, or even Communications. Each student has their own experiences, interests, and goals, and I think we have to take that into consideration. This is what really worked for me when it came to Sam – he knew exactly what he wanted to go and we came up with some game plans for what he would need to do to get to Detroit.
Which brings me to the exciting news – Sam just found out he got one of the GM summer internships this summer in Detroit! He will actually be working with one of the best students I’ve had in class, Whitney Drake, and the great social care team which is part of GM’s CoE. I couldn’t be happier as a professor!
So, what can you do to help your students achieve their internship goals and provide strong mentorship? Here are some suggestions:
- Really spend the time talking to them about their goals and interests: I tell my students I am not a mind reader, so they have to let me know what interests them and what are some of their goals after graduation and beyond. Provide them with a window into what they could expect going into different areas or specializations within the field.
- Chat with colleagues on what they are looking for in future professionals: I try to do this pretty much on a regular basis – I ask colleagues what are the most important things they are looking for when it comes to new hires and what stands out for them. I take this wonderful and extremely helpful feedback and share this with my students. It gives them an idea (and action plan of things they need to have ready to go) for the application process.
- Provide them with an action plan for internship applications: Have Plan A, B, C, and so on for what they need to do to achieve these goals. You want to help the students have more than just one option to consider when it comes to internships and professional opportunities.
- Help them connect with professionals in their position: Luckily for me, I did have some strong connections to help Sam out, but you have to tap into your rolodex of professionals you know who could be great professional resources and mentors for students to reach out to. As a professor, you want to continue building your community and network.
Congratulations again to Sam for this amazing opportunity and I know you will learn a great deal during your time at General Motors! You will have a great supervisor in Whitney (she’s one of the best!) and I am thrilled you will be able to work with the amazing team at GM this summer.
Best Wishes,
