Takeaways from a Terrific Summer- A Reflection of my General Mills Internship
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be a HR Business Associate Intern at General Mills. Over the course of ten weeks, I was able to support the Corporate Supply Chain and Manufacturing/Engineering teams at our Headquarters in Minneapolis- a summer full of learning and engaging challenges.
Living somewhere new and adapting to a new organization/environment can be difficult, but even on my first day, I was met with a welcoming, collaborative culture (and my own Wheaties Box!) I was one of seven HR interns, and while I was the only one from THE Ohio State University, having the opportunity to represent my program and collaborate with brilliant students from other high-performing universities was rewarding.
Throughout my summer, I was assigned two projects pertaining to Frontline Leader Onboarding and Learning and Development for the External Supply Chain. Through these projects, I interviewed over 100 relevant stakeholders and employees, interacting with and building upon GMI digital and AI tools, and helped create navigable toolkits impacting employees across all North American manufacturing sites. Additionally, all HRBA interns collaborated on a group project at our Chanhassen manufacturing plant to present recommendations to the Leadership Team on a relevant HR topic. These projects expanded upon my HR background, deepened my passion for the brand, and gave me the unique opportunity to interact with not only peers, but HR and Plant Leadership across GMI.
Beyond internship projects, working for General Mills meant I had the opportunity to take part in weekly networking and lecture sessions (including Senior Leadership and C-suite), an end of internship boat ride, celebrations for Pride Month, Interns Day, and the New Fiscal Year, and to interact with two of our incredible Employee Resource Groups, Betty’s Family and La Familia. The city itself allowed for unique adventures, too, with Twins games, biking/hiking, and the opportunity to interact with a fantastic acting and food scene.
When reflecting on my summer, I cannot help but be thankful for my journey in the MHRM program. Case Competitions allowed me to be a confident presenter and collaborator in individual/group presentations, a pivotal part of my internship program. Our Library and Career Management resources gave me research tools and people to contact, useful when living away from home. Finally, having access to brilliant alumni and current peers to talk about experiences and advice allowed for connection far beyond my internship.
I am grateful for my transformative internship experience, and to have had the chance to work for a company with such a strong culture, history, and sense for the people/communities it impacts. I learned a lot from relationships I made with coworkers, leaders, and interns alike, and learned what is possible for me as I start my career.
As the summer concluded, I was offered a full-time role as an HR Business Associate with General Mills! I am beyond excited to see how I continue to grow and improve, and look forward to one final semester as a Buckeye.
