I met John Quattrone, General Motor’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources and a Le Moyne Alum, during an on campus lecture. My school does a great job of keeping alumni connected and bringing them back to campus to share their respective journeys. John and I connected during a lunch our Human Resources club held for him before his lecture. By the end of his lecture, the General Motors team offered me this incredible opportunity.

General Motors uses a personal candidate experience to bring talent into the organization. Our company depends on the 20+ partnerships enterprise schools as well as personal interactions like mine to recruit talent. I used online sources like LinkedIn, Indeed and GlassDoor to learn more information about the organization. You can learn a lot about an organization’s culture, expectations, and business model from simply looking at job descriptions.

When I started at Le Moyne my plan was to graduate, attend law school and change the world. Many of my plans have changed [since then], except for changing the world. My liberal arts – Jesuit education gave me the resources to find my passion. I fell in love with my psychology, law, and business classes. I considered changing my major several times between the three. All of our classes and the culture at Le Moyne bring Jesuit values and principles to the forefront of the conversation. I connected most with [the phrase] cura personalis, or care of the whole person. I realized that no matter what I did, I wanted my career to be focused on people. I took my first human resources class on a whim with an engaging and brilliant professor who allowed me to see the connection that human resources had with psychology, law and business. After one class, I knew I had found my passion.

I wanted to go to graduate school early in my career. I watched my mom go back to school for her masters while working full-time and raising a family and knew that the sooner I entered a program the better. An MBA was an obvious fit for me. I wanted a well-rounded business education that would give me experiences in all of the business functions I could one day partner with.

I have had many amazing internships and job experiences through the years. Although I didn’t see it at the time, all had a significant impact on my role with General Motors. During high school, undergrad and graduate school, I worked part-time for Best Buy in their customer service and sales departments. The six years I spent with Best Buy allowed me to see an organization from the operational side [and] through ups and downs in the economy. Best Buy is where I discovered my passion for customer service. 

During undergrad, I interned for the New York State Assembly with Assemblyman Al Stirpe. I learned to be adaptable, and the experience allowed me to focus on my communication and change management skills. Prior to receiving my internship offer from General Motors, I worked for Aspen Dental Management Inc. in a human resources rotational position. I had the benefit of experiencing all facets of Human Resources in a young and growing business from great leaders.

Out of all of my experiences with internships I have learned many great lessons. I owe so much of my success to the mentors I have had along the way and the relationships I’ve built. I earned both of my human resources internships in very unconventional ways. Life is an interview and you never know when opportunity is going to be right in front of you- always be prepared. While you are in an internship, be curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions allow your leaders to see your passion and eagerness for the business. It’s never too early to start looking for internships. Use the connections that you already have and start early in college.

My personal recruitment experience was amazing, very personal and unique. By the end of the night that John came to speak on campus, I knew I would soon be moving to Detroit. General Motors is transitioning into a relationship-based approach for recruiting. I believe this is the way that they will attract top talent.

My advice to students going through the recruiting process would be to always do your research. Look up the organization you’re applying to and get a basic understanding of the history and nature of the business. Or look up the LinkedIn profiles of the people involved in the hiring process. You will be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. It’s also very helpful to research what type of interview style and questions the company uses. Get familiar with different styles like behavioral based, competency based or action based questions. Most importantly, always keep your resume and LinkedIn profile up to date and accurate.

Confidence and professional growth. I’ve had one-on-one meetings with senior level leaders collaborating on strategic projects. I’ve presented at a General Motors conference on top university recruiting practices and developed surveys to identify key opportunities in our talent recruitment process. The project that I am proudest of is a document I developed that connects the skills that military officers develop within their Military Occupational Specialties to specific roles we have on our Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing Teams. Many Americans believe in employing veterans but there are also strong business cases behind the movement- I connected the two. I’m passionate about veteran employment initiatives and proud that I was able to assist our company in the process. 

The best part of my internship with General Motors is that I don’t have a daily routine. Each day changes with the needs of the business, which has been exciting and refreshing. My summer has been filled with many one-on-one senior level leadership meetings, workshops, educated debates, team lunches, presentations, and hard work. However, each day comes with a trip to Starbucks for my own enjoyment!

General Motors has such a unique culture. There is so much history, but the energy of the company is exciting and contagious. My coworkers believe in the brand, and work to reinvent and improve the daily experience. We have an initiative at General Motors called GM 2020 which is a grassroots movement that allows employees to directly impact our culture through their own voice every single day. It’s exciting to work for an organization that has programs like these that promote new ways of thinking, collaboration, and passion for our product and organization. 

 I work with two different functions- Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing and University Relations. Every project that I have worked on is collaborative and brings a high level of exposure. I am encouraged to meet with senior leaders which has helped me build connections and develop my personal brand. I interact with my team members pretty much every minute of every hour in the workday. Even when we’re not working on projects, we are grabbing coffee or going out to lunch. It has been amazing!

The biggest surprise I faced during my experience this summer was my passion for the city of Detroit. News stories and articles didn’t always paint Detroit in the best light. I wasn’t nervous coming here but I expected culture shock coming from a small town in Texas. Instead, Detroit was welcoming, energetic, exciting and refreshing. It’s a city I am proud work in and I love sharing it with friends and family that have visited. I have become a huge champion and advocate for Detroit.

Internships have been an integral part of my career journey. As an intern I have been allowed to participate in discussions, partner with leaders, ask provoking questions, and gain exposure that may not have been possible in an entry level position. Internships bring many opportunities that entry level positions don’t necessarily afford. [They] allow you to see if you’re in the right career before actually diving in. I thought I was going to be the first female President of the United States prior to my sophomore year of undergrad. After interning with the New York State Assembly, I realized that politics was not for me! I hope that everyone gets a chance to test drive their career because it’s an important time for personal and professional growth.

I have an amazing planner! That’s my secret and that’s the only thing that gets me through my school year. During undergrad I was a student athlete, worked part-time, always had an internship and oh yea…took 6 classes a semester. During grad school I worked full-time and had a full load of classes so it’s very important that I stay organized. I have a customized planner that allows me to keep track of every part of my day. I make list after list after list. This helps me manage my time and stay organized. I’ve also been very lucky with the supervisors that I’ve had. They have all believed that school should come first and have flexed my work schedule and load around my academic commitments.

This one that gets me every time! I have had many people give me lines about human resources like this! Modern human resources is strategic, complex, and an advocate for the people and for the business. I make sure people know what I really do and what my partners do. I give them insight into organizational structures, professional development, attracting top talent, people strategies that reflect business needs and change management. People are the most important asset and resource of any organization in any industry. Human resource professionals are an integral part of developing and managing an organization’s people strategy.

I have been accepted into General Motor’s TRACK Human Resources program. My first assignment is on the University Relations team as a Talent Specialist. I will be working with five University teams, partnering with the teams to develop recruiting strategies for intern and entry-level talent. I will also be the contact for the Going for the Gold, a partnership I am extremely excited and passionate about. Going for the Gold is a pilot program aimed at increasing our disability inclusion practices, growing our hiring initiatives for individuals and veterans with disabilities, and raising the effectiveness of our policies, processes and practices. This assignment is what really makes coming to work every day that much better. Initiatives like these are my passion because it makes doing the right thing an everyday occurrence in our organization.

After I complete the TRACK program, I hope to become a Human Resources Business Partner for any one of our functions at General Motors. I want to develop the people strategy for our organization and continue my work with our Veterans and employees with disabilities. Most importantly, I don’t want to stand still. I want to continue to learn and grow.