Hi Beryl and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for us and for participating as the “prize” in PrintMediaCentr’s Win a Career Coach Contest. Hopefully this interview will serve as some background into you and your services, as well as provide some helpful information for people with career advice needs… and who doesnt need some good career advice now and then!
So, with that being said…
DC: Who is Beryl Greenberg and what does she do?
BG: I am a career and life coach who works with advertising and marketing professionals to find the life they love and a career to support it. I’m passionate about working in the advertising/marketing industry because I love the interesting people and the work they do. I’ve experienced the highs and lows of the business first-hand and see myself always being a part of it!
I’m a former advertising agency professional (12 years with Foote, Cone & Belding, now DRAFTFCB,) and I recently “retired” from recruiting in the advertising/marketing business (14 years with Tesar-Reynes executive search.)
I’ve transitioned my career to coaching (Career Coaching by BERYL) because I’ve witnessed that with all the changes in the business today, professionals are yearning to make changes in their lives and aren’t always sure where to start. As a coach, I work with individuals and with professionals within companies to discover what they really want in their life; not just in their career, but in their total life, and then help them develop a plan to go for it! So, I’m a listener, a motivator, a change agent and a partner to create the life that you want. I get such joy and satisfaction when a client creates new learning for themselves and then takes action on it
DC: What’s the difference between a job and a career?
BG: I believe your job is what you do every day for your livelihood and your career is who you become. I checked it out with Webster’s Dictionary….a job is a post, position, task or project. A career is an occupation or profession followed as one’s lifework. As a coach, I work with people to identify their career; their life’s work, their purpose. Their everyday job may or may not be their career, but my hope and goal for my clients is to identify that career; the life’s work, that meaningful place where one believes they are making a contribution. And, of course, to take the steps to get there.
DC: With so many people out of work and looking for work, how can someone separate themselves from the pack?
BG: When an individual finds themselves out of work, I think the initial reaction is to immediately write your resume and start sending it out. I believe that those job-hunters/career-seekers that are most successful are those who take the time to identify who they are, what they really want to do and what their unique gifts/talents/skills are that they have to offer a potential employer. When you are very specific, targeted and can “sell” yourself effectively, you are a much more compelling candidate to potential employers and for yourself!
We all know that employers receive many resumes and quickly sift through their stack. One reason there are so many is that people submit resumes to lots of companies to see “what sticks.” And, if the employer has to look too hard to see the “fit,” chances are they won’t. So, you, as the candidate need to present your “case” and sell the fit; tell them why and how you are right for their company or their position. You can’t assume that they will figure it out; they won’t spend that much time with your letter/resume.
And, you, as the candidate are more motivated/excited about the opportunities you are seeking when they “make sense” to you. You’ve probably noticed that some jobs/companies resonate with you more than others. Believe it or not, your resume, cover letter and your overall presence reflects that interest or lack thereof. So, wouldn’t it be great to feel that excitement more often, rather than facing the rejection from jobs you really weren’t that interested in to begin with?
So, the main point here is to separate yourself from the pack with what is most meaningful to you and with what you can uniquely contribute. Your interest and excitement for that will be contagious!
DC: Your experience as a Recruiter must provide invaluable insight as to the do’s and dont’s resume wise… can you share a few with us?
BG: Building on what I shared in the previous answer, I would view your resume as a sales tool to present what you can do for a potential employer, not as a summary of everything you have ever done in your life. This means leveraging those skills and talents that you believe your audience would be most interested in. And what more compelling way to do that, than in real life examples of things you’ve accomplished! So, make sure that your resume highlights relevant, specific examples of contributions you have made in the past. “Contributions” mean the impact you and your team had: money saved, efficiencies gained, clients won, ideas initiated, new processes created, people managed, etc. It is ok to leverage your contribution within a team environment, as long as you were a major contributor and you are truthful.
In addition, keep in mind the purpose of a resume……the resume alone will not get you the job, the resume alone won’t tell your entire story, but the resume will “whet the appetite” of your audience and encourage them to “ask for more.” So, the purpose of your resume is to intrigue your audience so you can get an audience…..so you can get that phone conversation or that in-person meeting and share more of your unique story and the contributions you can make.
DC: You have had several successful careers including your current one. What advice could you give regarding translating professional skills into other areas or industries?”
BG: There is definitely a “theme” here that I’m discussing… my advice is to go with what you are good at AND you love. Each one of my transitions involved
taking a look at my life: what I enjoyed and what I was missing, both professionally and personally. I had specific goals in mind for my transitions and evaluated my opportunities based on how they met those goals. Of course, “gut” played a role in the decision-making and I always encourage people to listen to what their “gut” is telling them. Often our list of pros and cons is swayed by our “gut,” so don’t fight it!
In order to have confidence in what your “gut” is telling you, take an inventory of your skills, traits and passions. This information will give you tangible insight into what is important to you in your next job and career. There are many skills that transcend industries and you might be surprised at the possibilities of what you can do!
Finally, “test out” your hypotheses. After you’ve uncovered what you can do and would enjoy doing, talk to people in those roles to determine if your hypothesis is correct. It is another great way to check out your “gut” and see if you get excited about the new role.
DC: Lastly, if you were to give the commencement speech at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a college you share with Michael Jahn who also did an interview for PMC, what would your advice be to the graduates about choosing a career to pursue?
BG: First, I would be so honored to speak at the U of I. I’m a huge Illini fan and loved every minute of my college career. And, it was a career for me because I learned so much academically, personally and socially during my time there; it definitely helped to shape who I’ve become as a person. So, my advice to graduates would be that. Think about the person you have become and the impact you want to have in the future. Choose a career that builds upon who you are and challenges you to make the contributions you are here to make. Do something you love and you will have the power to make your dreams come true. And, I’d end with a great big “Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois!”
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