From UVM to WebMD: Alumna Deb Mignucci Offers Career Advice

Photo: Deb Mignucci and her husband, Alberto, graduated from UVM in 1982.

UVM alumna Deb Mignucci started her college career with a focus on pre-med. But after taking a physics class during her sophomore year, she decided the career path wasn’t for her. Instead, she chose to pursue a liberal arts education as a psychology major and graduated from UVM in 1982.

That liberal arts focus served Mignucci well. She went on to earn her MBA at New York University and rose through the ranks in advertising sales, working for Time Inc., American Media, Meredith, BabyCenter.com, and Disney Publishing.

Getting started with a WebMD career

After 25 years in the business, Mignucci was named in 2014 Executive Director of WebMD, the leading source for online medical news and information. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, WebMD reached an average 210 million unique users a month in 2015, generating 4.25 billion page views.

Mignucci’s job as Executive Director involves working with high-profile consumer accounts and leading a team of strategic advertising sales professionals.

In this first post in our new Alumni Advice series, we talked to Mignucci about what it takes to get hired in a competitive market, how to work through discouraging days on the job, and why experience waiting tables is a strong indicator of success in the sales industry.

When you were a UVM psychology major, did you have any idea you wanted to get into publishing?

Back then, I had no idea about publishing. I was a pre-med student, and I was thinking about working in psychiatry. That ended in my sophomore year, when I took physics, which is not my forte. When I was changing my focus in college, I thought, Do I really want to be in school throughout my 20s? I didn’t. So I decided I would get a good liberal arts education and see what happens from there.

What are some of your roles and responsibilities as Executive Director at WebMD?

My role is to lead a team of strategic ad sales professionals. We have large consumer sales accounts, including Nestle and Procter and Gamble, as well clients in the pet category, as many of our readers are pet owners. We figure out how we can build something that will meet our clients’ needs and figure out what our clients are trying to accomplish. We do a lot of entertaining – there are many dinners, events, and cocktail parties. Relationships build trust, which is key to earning your clients’ respect and confidence.

I also need to be fluent in “health” and understand current issues. I need to know who the consumers are and why they are coming to our website. I need to have a thorough understanding of healthcare, medical products, and health regulations. I need to be knowledgeable about how things like Medicaid reimbursement and the Affordable Care Act are directly affecting my clients.

What do you look for in a job applicant?

I have hired hundreds of people in my career and conducted thousands of interviews. The core things I always look for are a high energy level and an ability to connect. In sales in particular, you really need to have energy. It’s hard work, it pays well, but you have to work really hard.

If I’m interviewing you, I need to see that you have done your homework and can ask compelling questions. I want you to show me how experiences from your past connect to the job you’re applying for now. You also have to be personable, make good eye contact, and have a strong handshake. I want to feel respected and I want to respect the person I’m hiring. I want to know I can put them in front of my clients.

What are some questions you ask during a job interview?

I might ask you what gets you excited on Sunday night for the coming work week. Likewise, I want to hear what you look forward to on a Friday afternoon. Are you positive or negative? I look for people who will share something about themselves, who will tell me they look forward to hiking with friends on weekends or spending time with their family. I want to see authenticity.

If you’re coming in for an interview, do some homework beforehand. I would love for a job candidate to say, “I was on your website, and something struck me as odd. I saw an ad for dog food. Can you tell me more?”

I want to see that curiosity. I need to see that someone is thoughtful and curious because that’s something an employee is going to have to be working for me every day.

What do you look for on a resume or LinkedIn profile?

When I review a resume, the first thing I’ll do is double check the person’s LinkedIn profile. If there are inconsistencies, I will call the applicant on it or just pass on them. For obvious reasons, it’s really important that your public LinkedIn profile matches your resume.

(Flickr/Creative Commons)

I want to see your education and relevant experience, and on LinkedIn, I want to see your connections. I want to see that you’re connected to clients and not just sales people. If you’re fresh out of college, I want to know what you’ve done outside of the classroom, whether it be internships or working at various jobs.

As funny as it might sound, one of the strongest indicators for success in sales is having experience waiting tables. Having this work experience tells me you’ve been in a client-facing job and understand how to listen, be personable, and connect with people. If you don’t list waiting tables on your resume or other experience that you can show is relevant, I would suggest putting it in your cover letter. The ability to turn a potential negative into a positive is very valuable.

What do you say to recent graduates or young professionals who are feeling discouraged? What can they feel optimistic about?

I think people always have moments of being discouraged. There are often times that I wish I said something or did something differently. Someone told me a long time ago that if you have a bad day, go home, go for a bike ride, or do something that makes you happy. I have often done that. If I’ve had a string of bad phone calls, I go out for a walk or go down the street to get a frozen yogurt. You need to make your own happiness to get through those tough days. A change in perspective or just clearing your head will often help

Women in Craft Beer: Kristen Sykes on the Craft Beer Community

Photo: Kristen Sykes, left, along with other BABES members, take a break at a hop farm in Western Massachusetts during the Pedal to Pints brewery bike ride.

By Tera Dacek

Kristen Sykes knows a thing or two about beer. She is the former Executive Director of the Massachusetts Beer Guild and currently works on trails and land conservation during the day, while managing a women’s beer club BABES (Boston Area Beer Enthusiasts Society).

We all know some of the best movements and communities start at ground level and are consumer driven. So for our third post in a four-part blog series on Women in Beer, we wanted to learn more about what drives Kristen and what a group like BABES can contribute to the craft-beer industry.

Building a Craft Beer Community:

We understand that you have visited quite a few breweries. What was your most memorable visit and why?

My most memorable visit to a brewery was a super-cool brewery called The Ale Apothecary, which I discovered on the Bend Beer Trail in Bend, Oregon. The brewery, described as a “wilderness brewery” in the beer-trail brochure, is located in a National Forest on the outskirts of Bend. The brewer, Paul Arney, a veteran of Deschutes, is brewing some pretty wild stuff, using a blend of old and new methods. While we were there, Paul pointed to a log lying on the ground of his property that he planned to use to make a Sahati [beer brewed by The Ale Apothecary] the way they were originally made, open-fermented and using juniper branches. I really like unusual beers and have made quite a few weird beers myself, such as a Japanese Knotweed beer, so this really appealed to me. After talking with Paul for quite a while, we also discovered that I worked with his wife, Stacey, years ago, when I was doing an environmental education program.

We noticed BABES was recently in Vermont. What was the purpose of the trip, and was it a success?

There is so much good beer coming out of New England that the BABES like to travel to different beer destinations to sample the local libations. This was our second trip to Vermont. We’ve also done trips to Portland, Maine, and the Seacoast of New Hampshire.

The trip was a great success due in most part to my friend Ruth Miller, the Beer and Cheese Maven. Ruth has been part of the beer and cheese scene in Vermont for many years and set up tours and meetings for the BABES, particularly with women in beer in Vermont, such as Destiny Saxon, head brewer for Zero Gravity out of the American Flatbread location, and Kate Cartwright, Manager Imagination Realization at the Beverage Warehouse of Vermont. It also helped that Burlington has so many breweries/cideries that are a quick walk from each other.

How did you start your career in the beer industry?

My first start in beer was not as a career, but as a hobby when I began home brewing more than 15 years ago. I delved even further into beer when I became a certified beer judge in 2009. My first actual gig in the beer industry was when I became the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild.

Did your role as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild motivate you to start BABES? What is the goal of this society?

I started BABES a couple of years before I joined the Massachusetts Brewers Guild. I moved to Boston from Philadelphia for a promotion. While in Philly I joined a women’s beer club called In Pursuit of Ales (IPA). This was the first time I had ever heard of a women’s beer club. When I moved up to Boston, I looked for a group similar to IPA, but none existed, so I started BABES in November 2011. The goal of BABES is to introduce women to new beer styles, food and beer pairings, beer professionals, and all things related to beer. We also support women in the beer industry and promote the positive image of women who enjoy beer. We take our beer seriously, but don’t take ourselves too seriously and overall aim to have fun! Men who support women who love beer are welcome.

Do you have chapters outside of the Boston area? What do you recommend women do in their own areas, if they are looking to connect with other women in the beer industry?

We do not have chapters outside of Boston, but we have done collaboration events with women’s beer clubs in New England, such as the Maine Beer Mavens. If you’re looking to connect with women in the beer industry, see if there’s a women’s beer club in your town. If not, start one! You can also join the Pink Boots Society (PBS) and use its database to see if there are any other PBS members in your area.

Do you think there are stereotypes around women and beer that prevent qualified women from joining the craft-beer industry?

While things are changing, there are still stereotypes that exist that women don’t like beer, and if they do, it will be something sweet or fruity. I don’t believe that these stereotypes are preventing women from joining the craft-beer industry, but they do continue to perpetuate the idea that beer is a guy thing.

What do you think beer lovers can do to open up these barriers?

Beer does not have a gender. Don’t assume that because the person ordering the beer is a woman, she would like a fruity or light beer over a hoppy beer. The best beer bars have well-trained servers who ask what flavors people like when trying to find the best beer for them and not presuming what kind of beer they might want because of their gender.

Tera Dacek is a consultant and freelance writer. She most recently worked as Marketing Manager for Alchemy and Science. When she unplugs, she can be found at her local mountain or one of the many wonderful breweries in her home state of Vermont

Why Aaron Landau Came to UVM to Broaden His Medical Career Options

The United States faces a shortage of as many as 90,000 physicians by 2025, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Aaron Landau

In 2013, there were about 767,000 doctors practicing in the United States, according to the report. Although physician supply is projected to increase modestly between 2013 and 2025, demand will surpass those projections.

The physician shortage is exactly why Aaron Landau is pursuing a medical career and planning to go to medical school. It’s also why he is more interested in family or emergency medicine than a highly specialized field. Rather than working behind the scenes doing research and seeing only a handful of patients, Landau is interested in being on the front lines of medicine.

Taking the next step in his medical career

Landau, who graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a degree in psychology and philosophy, completed the UVM Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program in May. We talked to the New Jersey native about his desire to not become overly specialized and why he changed his original career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist.

What have you been doing since completing the Post-Bac program at UVM?

I’m working as a scribe in an emergency department in Hoboken, NJ, doing real-time charting and documentation of doctors’ interactions with patients. I’m writing down everything as it is happening, which helps free up the emergency room doctors so that they have more time with patients. I’m also applying to medical schools and was recently accepted to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. I’ll start medical school next summer.

Why are you drawn to working in medicine?

The training I’ll receive as a student and throughout my career will provide me with a skill set that is relevant in almost any context. Doctors and healthcare professionals in general can always be of service to their communities. As long as there are sick people, there’s a need for doctors. I also like a doctor’s role as a diagnostician, his or her ability to actively apply scientific knowledge toward assessing and treating patients. It’s science in action and very exciting for a nerd like me.

What are some challenges and rewards of this type of work?

Helping people and knowing I’m making a difference is something I find very rewarding. The challenges I expect come from practicing in the context of the very complicated US healthcare system, such as defensive medicine/malpractice, rising costs of care, dealing with uninsured/under-insured patients, and poor coordination with social services. These are issues that may make healthcare a particularly volatile field, but also an exciting one. I think there will be a lot of changes and improvements happening in my lifetime, and it could be exciting to be a part of those changes.

After graduating from BU, you worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in a psychiatric neuroscience lab. What did you learn from that experience?

I have always been interested in patient care, and I initially wanted to be a clinical psychologist. What I didn’t like about the clinical psychology career path was the pressure to specialize very early on. I also started to realize that my scientific interests expanded beyond the realm of psychology, and I wanted to take the time to learn more broadly about patient care before I committed to any field. Also, a lot of clinical psychology programs are very research heavy. I enjoyed my time doing research, but I would rather my training be focused on patient care, while still considering research as a career option.

What type of medicine do you want to study?

One thing that was appealing to me about this path was the fact that I don’t have to decide until later in my education, when I’m more informed. That said, I’m not so interested in becoming super specialized. I’d like to work in a field where there is need. The US has a huge shortage of primary care doctors, internists, emergency doctors, and psychiatrists, and I see myself probably pursuing one of those fields. I’m most interested in fields where I would be on the front lines, interacting with patients on a regular basis. That’s important to me

Food Hub Management Alumna Pushes the Boundaries of Local

By Mariette Landry

Five years ago, UVM Food Hub Management program graduate Lisa Reeder worked part-time to provide sales, purchasing, and warehouse support at Local Food Hub in Charlottesville, Va. From there, she moved on to Grower Services and Purchasing, and in 2013, she became Local Food Hub’s Value Chain Coordinator. In this role, Reeder works to preserve and enhance the value of the food from farm to table and to ensure that each link in the supply chain invests in a high-quality, localized food supply.

In addition to her work at Local Food Hub, Reeder is currently serving as a Teaching Assistant in the Food Hub Management program at UVM. We asked her to tell us about some of the rewards and challenges of “pushing the boundaries of local.”

When you enrolled in the Food Hub Management program at UVM, what was your background, and why did you take the course?

I have an extensive background in food service, chef’s training, and several years under my belt in an operational role at Local Food Hub. I enrolled in the UVM program in order to broaden my own vision for local food. I wanted to extend it to include other region’s local food systems, in the hopes of learning about the common challenges and diverse solutions to a few persistent, troubling questions, like farm viability, wholesale market forces, and education and paradigm shifts around cooking and eating.

How did your fellow students educate and inspire you throughout the program?

UVM Food Hub students, including Reeder, visited the Mad River Food Hub in January.

During our first residency in January 2015, we sat in a circle to introduce ourselves, our organizations, and to give ‘big questions’ that we were hoping to work on during the program. There were a lot of sighs of relief as we each heard our hopes and our challenges emerge from others’ mouths.

Throughout the online coursework, we continued to support and challenge each other by offering differing viewpoints, resources from our own work, and introductions to other practitioners with similar challenges and potential solutions.

In addition to your work at Local Food Hub in Virginia, you’re also working as a Teaching Assistant in UVM’s Food Hub Management program. What does a typical day look like for you?

For the 2016 program, I’m currently working two to four hours per week to refine the class based on my experience as a student.

Along with lead faculty members Ann Karlen and Susie Walsh-Daloz, and based on input from practitioners and subject-matter experts who actually teach the modules, I want to emphasize establishing context and common ground across diverse types of hubs.

Every food region is unique in growing season and climate conditions, not to mention that food hubs are diverse in legal structures, financial models, and operational scope. I am revisiting the content and fine-tuning it in the hopes that we provide context, instruction, and support for the full range of student experience levels.

What’s happening at your organization that’s pushing the boundaries of local, and how do you share that with your colleagues across the country and your students at UVM?

Local Food Hub is a nonprofit that is six years old and has grown very quickly, so our physical boundaries are expanding every year, and we have to hustle to stick to our mission and keep our message relevant and accurate.

As a nonprofit, we have to find the balance between investing in operational growth and programmatic growth, and make certain that our decisions are expanding food access and bolstering small farms’ viability.

Because of the yearly seasonal cycle, I try to focus on what is a logical step for the coming year–what can we do the next time around? Is it trying out new packaging, or test marketing a new product by distributing samples?

As I pass my five-year mark with this organization, I try to remind myself daily that sustainable change is not found in a spreadsheet or online; sustainable change depends on people and our evolving relationships with one another and with food.

What are some resources for people interested in creating a food hub in their area? Any advice for getting started?

The National Good Food Network (NGFN) coordinates a number of excellent resources, including a monthly newsletter, listserve for food hub practitioners, and webinar series, all based on input from numerous Study Hubs and practitioners across the country..

In terms of starting food hubs, every community has to look at the stakeholder groups that are willing to collaborate on a better solution for local food production and consumption. This must include farmers. An accurate picture of community needs and existing projects is a good starting point. And it’s imperative that these projects not rest on any single person or group’s shoulders. While individual leadership is crucial, success brings growth, and the workload quickly outpaces what an individual is capable of, so collaboration needs to be part of the solution from the very beginning

The Craft Beer Industry & Sustainability: More Than a Pint-Sized Impact

By Tera Dacek

Even though beer has withstood the test of time, the use of water in the brewing and agricultural process–growing of hops and grains–may leave some wondering if it truly is sustainable. You may have heard a friend sarcastically joke, “Thirsty? Have a beer. It’s practically 95 percent water.” Although that’s all in good fun, it turns out that on average, a brewery uses three to seven barrels of water for just one barrel of beer.

That may leave you wondering what happens to the wastewater. Also, how can breweries allow for their consumers to truly “drink responsibly” with the amount of water used and wasted for just one pint of beer?

Sustainability in the Craft Beer Industry

According to the Brewers Association, in an article for its recent Water and Wastewater Sustainability Manual from March 2015, “Craft brewers are innovative leaders in the beverage sector and take pride in developing new products and processes that give both brewery employees and customers options for sustainable living.”

However, it continues, “Despite significant improvement over the last 20 years, water consumption and wastewater disposal remain environmental and economic hurdles that directly affect breweries and the brewing process.” With a ray of light, it also advises “that brewers need to be mindful of the future risks of cost and supply, which are key staples of a growing business. While the average water use ratio for a brewery is around seven barrels of water to one, many craft brewers are world leaders, with ratios below three to one.” This may leave you feeling even more grateful for the rise of craft breweries in the US.

Katie Wallace

Besides waste water and usage, land/soil quality and greenhouse gas emissions are also key environmental areas where brewing beer has the most impact on the environment, according to Katie Wallace, Assistant Director of Sustainability for New Belgium Brewing Company.

Wallace has been working at the brewery for 11 years, and although her focus is in sustainability, she was quick to point out that the founders and employees support sustainability. “Everybody here works in sustainability, and my job is to facilitate the conversation to keep everyone well educated, supported, and excited,” she says.

A Path for Change

Wallace believes that over time, the craft beer industry has evolved in its sophistication around sustainability. “They have embarked on benchmarking studies that help brewers identify best practices and work together to increase resource efficiencies in brewing,” she says.

Currently, New Belgium uses four gallons of water to make one gallon of beer, which is on the lower end of water usage in the production process. In the Fort Collins area in Colorado, New Belgium, along with many other breweries, are working together on a project called BreWater, whose focus is on restoring the local ecosystems and wetlands.

New Belgium’s recent beer and ice cream collaboration with fellow B-Corp, Ben & Jerry’s was a sweet and salty collaboration to fight climate change. “It’s about two companies coming together to raise awareness for climate change and show that businesses can be a force for good in the world. Plus, we like making yummy things with our friends,” Wallace says.

Although this is a force between beer and ice cream, Wallace explains, “Craft brewers know they can achieve sustainability faster when they work together, rather than letting competition get in the way.” She believes that if any industry can come together to inspire change, it is the beer industry.

As the US surpasses 4,000 breweries as of September 2015, perhaps the next time you belly up for one of your favorite local libations, you’ll ask about the brewery’s take on the environmental impact of brewing and what role it plays in sustainability.

Tera Dacek is a consultant and freelance writer. She most recently worked as Marketing Manager for Alchemy and Science. When she unplugs, she can be found at her local mountain or one of the many wonderful breweries in her home state of Vermont.

Alumni Advice: Bill Bright on the Art of Networking and Selling Yourself

Bill Bright’s passion for education, politics, and youth development runs in the family. His mother, Louvenia Dorsey Bright, was the first female African American to serve in the Vermont legislature. His father, William Bright, was a professor and served as interim dean of the UVM College of Education and Social Services.

The UVM alumnus, who graduated with a degree in political science in 1991, is the government relations director for the Boys and Girls Club in Washington, DC. After working for Sen. Patrick Leahy right out college and later as a lobbyist for 12 years, the South Burlington native decided to shake up his career in 2012 and move things in a new direction.

Changing his career three years ago was far from easy. We talked to Bright about the challenges he faced in finding a new job and what he learned along the way.

You studied political science at UVM and went on to work as a legislative aide and lobbyist. Did you know as an undergraduate that you wanted to do legislative and policy work?

It wasn’t necessarily a plan. My parents were active politically, but I got my first taste of politics while attending Boys State in high school, and then I interned for Senator Leahy while in college. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but Washington, DC, was a place I wanted to explore, and working in politics was a way to do that. I actually considered going to law school.

You then made a change in 2012 and became director of government relations for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Why did you decide to make this career transition after so many years as a lobbyist?

Bright started his career in Washington, DC. (Photo: Flickr)

I never ended up going to law school, and without a law degree, I wasn’t seeing opportunities to move or grow up as a lobbyist at the law/lobbying firm I worked for, which was changing into a more true corporate law firm environment.

I liked what I did, and I was a good lobbyist. But I wasn’t happy with the types of clients I was working with anymore. At that point, I was sort of going through the motions, and my opportunities were dwindling. That made me step back and ask myself, What are you doing in Washington? What do you want? I had to re-evaluate what I was doing.

After working for a law/lobbying firm for a dozen years, did you feel a bit rusty when you decided to make a change?

It took me a while to re-acquaint myself with the process of the job search, from networking to interviewing. I had a career coach who helped me through some mental blocks, such as getting stuck on how to articulate concrete examples of professional successes. Once I was able to tease out key points and work through the narrative to sell myself, it became much easier.

How important was networking to finding your job at the Boys and Girls Club of America?

Bright would cold call new contacts before emailing them.

Networking was crucial. I was moving into youth development, and it was a new area for me. I had to look at my network of contacts differently and figure out who – and how – those people were connected. You really have to work your existing network to then build your network.

For example, each time I met someone from my network, I would ask for a name of someone else I didn’t know, and I would then contact those people – sometimes with an introduction, sometimes with a cold call.

If I got their voicemail, I would leave a message and follow up by email. But I would always call first because I needed a voice and to be a real person to them.

Was that intimidating?

It was hard. For the most part, people were helpful and willing to chat. Still, not everyone wants to meet in person, and not everyone is going to respond or call back.

What advice would you give to someone looking to change careers or find a new job?

Get your resume and your narrative straight. Be ready to give specific examples of what you’ve referenced on your resume. Also, tailor your resume based on the job you’re seeking. I had five versions of the same resume.

When I was interviewing for my job at the Boys and Girls Club, I had to think about my experiences in a different way. I had to ask myself, How am I selling myself to this organization? On my resume, I would add four to five bullet points highlighting my successes that were directly relevant to the job description, and I developed narratives and examples to back them up.

How long did your job search take?

I was looking for seven months before I found the Boys and Girls Club job. My current boss was one of the first people I met with when I was building my network.

Could you share some mistakes you’ve made in your career and lessons you’ve learned along the way?

I don’t think there is necessarily a right path to a particular job or profession. My career path is not an obvious, straight thing. Sure, it looks linear and seems to all fit together. But when you look right below the surface, things are all over the place. The right career is the one that gets you to the job you’re looking for.

In addition, when you’re making a transition, be cognizant of your own professional development and how the next position helps move you forward. Companies are acting differently with employees these days, and they’re not as committed or loyal. So you have to own your professional development and build your network with an eye toward the future

Business of Craft Beer Certificate Sets Sights on Industry Growth

For the first time since 1873, there are more than 4,000 breweries in the United States, making the craft brewery market more competitive than ever. To succeed in the industry, the common denominator is a high level of craft beer knowledge and business acumen.

UVM is offering a new online Business of Craft Beer Professional Certificate Program in February with three career tracks: digital marketing, sales, and business operations. These areas reflect growing job trends in the craft beer industry. Of all job openings in the industry between August 2013 and July 2014, 87 percent required skills in sales, marketing, or business operations; only three percent were in brewing, according to data from Burning Glass Labor Insight TM.

“People in the craft beer industry are more innovative and business savvy than ever,” says Gregory Dunkling, program director of the UVM Business of Beer Program. “One of the things our program will do is help professionals outside the industry gain a better understanding of what it takes to succeed in today’s competitive craft beer market. We can help those people get their foot in the door, and also help those already in the industry advance their career to the next level.”

An Option for Apprenticeships and Career Coaching

Apprenticeships and career coaching make UVM’s program unique. This is the only program in the country that incorporates industry apprenticeships to gain on-the-job experience. UVM has entered into agreements with breweries and distributors to set up apprenticeship opportunities for participants. Apprenticeship partners include von Trapp Brewing, Harpoon Brewery, Whetstone Station Brewery, Sheehan Distributors, Farrell Distributing, the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance, and Craft Brew Alliance.

The career coaching option offers a job-search strategy that translates participants’ newly acquired skills into a full-time job or apprenticeship. While securing an apprenticeship is the responsibility of each participant and is not guaranteed, the career coaching option will provide substantial support along the way.

UVM’s Business of Craft Beer Certificate Program was developed in collaboration with the Vermont Brewers Association. The program is for those looking to start a brewery, those who work in sales, marketing, or operations and who want to move into the craft beer industry, as well as craft beer industry professionals seeking career advancement.

Most students will complete Fundamentals of Craft Beer in a 12-week online course, followed by a selected career track: business operations, digital marketing, or sales in craft beer.

The program offers three entry dates per year in February, May, and September. For more information, visit learn.uvm.edu/craftbeer.

*Photo courtesy of von Trapp Brewing

Women in Craft Beer: Celine Frueh Shares 5 Ways To Land a Brewery Job

By Tera Dacek

To have great beer, one may argue that you must have a great brewer. To run a great brewery and develop a strong brand, then you would also need great employees who are the perfect blend of qualified, passionate, and hardworking, right?

To test our assumptions, and to round out our final blog post in a four-part series on women in the craft beer industry, we reached out to someone who probably sees many résumés every day: Celine Frueh, human resources director at Allagash Brewing Company, in Portland, Maine.

Celine has worked in Human Resources for 17 years and has been a craft beer enthusiast since her college days. The amazing beer and the dynamic group of people drew her to jump at the opportunity to be a part of Allagash. She has now been with the brewery for 3½ years.

We asked Celine to provide us with her top five reasons a craft brewery should hire you, as well as a few no-nos. Of course, there is never a guarantee, but we will jump at receiving a few hints anytime.

Top 5 reasons why a craft brewery should hire you:

You like to work really hard. There is nothing glamorous about working at a brewery. It is a true labor of love and team effort to make consistently high-quality beer.

You are familiar with the brewery and our beer. You have tried a few different types of our beer and can articulate what you like about them. Knowing a bit about what makes our company unique is a bonus.

You are passionate about something in your life. It could be beer, or it might be music, skiing, art, your family, or your dog. It matters less about what it is and more about your energy when you describe it. We want people who are positive and who can bring that outlook to their work.

You are humble. You love beer, but you don’t claim to know everything about it. Our brewmaster would fall into this category—he knows a ton about beer but would never try to one-up anyone in a conversation.

You have a sense of humor. Life is never perfect, here or anywhere else. The ability to laugh through the harder days is a saving grace.

As promised, here are a few ways to really spoil a first impression:

Don’t send a bad cover letter. It sounds basic, but we put a lot of stock in a good cover letter. If you don’t take the time to tell us why you want to be considered for a position at Allagash, that is an automatic disqualifier. Show you care by double-checking the spelling—especially as it relates to our brewery’s name. Also, don’t ramble on about yourself; show us that your skills and our needs line up.

Don’t dwell on your current job and how much you hate it. We get it—not every job is not the greatest. But if you choose to share how your boss is the worst and you need to get out of there, it comes across as really negative. It makes us worry that you will have trouble getting along with your co-workers or managers.

Tera Dacek is a consultant and freelance writer. She most recently worked as Marketing Manager for Alchemy and Science. When she unplugs, she can be found at her local mountain or one of the many wonderful breweries in her home state of Vermont

Alumni Advice: Amelia Gulkis on Creating Your Own Success

A chance interaction changed the course of Amelia Gulkis’s career.

The UVM alumna, who graduated in 2001 with a degree in history, is now the chief operating officer of EnSave, an agricultural energy-efficiency company in Richmond that helps clients from around the country.

After earning her degree, Gulkis worked as a development researcher for UVM Medical Center before landing a job in 2004 at EnSave as a proposal writer. Gulkis learned about the unadvertised writing position at EnSave from a colleague in a book club. That colleague also sat on a local nonprofit board with EnSave president Craig Metz. For Gulkis, that connection changed everything.

“It’s so interesting that so much hinged on that interaction,” says Gulkis, who describes herself as an introvert. “I always think back to that, and it’s a strong lesson about what can come from networking and talking to people.”

Gulkis was named COO of EnSave in 2010. The company has 22 employees and more than 200 subcontracted data collectors around the country.

For our Alumni Advice series, we talked to Gulkis about what makes a good manager, questions she asks during an interview, and career lessons she has learned along the way.

As a chief operating officer, you clearly have some experience in management. What are two or three of the most important qualities a manager should have?

My job requires some personnel management, and these days I am fortunate to work with a strong team that helps me manage other staff and contractors. That said, I think a manager should be fair. You should be even-tempered and empathetic, but not let your emotions run the day. You’re not always going to be the most popular person in the office. A good manager is focused on helping others find solutions or remove roadblocks. Your job as a manager is as a facilitator to help others solve problems rather than thinking you have to solve every problem alone.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate?

At the end of the day, someone’s attitude is more important than skills. You can always learn skills, but I look for a good attitude—someone who is committed to growing themselves and the company. How engaged is this person? Is the candidate interested in what he or she is doing and enthusiastic?

What are some questions you ask during a job interview?

One question I’ve been asking is, “If you were to come in next week and start this job, what would your approach be to learn about the position?” I ask this because as much as we have a training plan, success really depends on their ability to take ownership of their training. This question also gives me insight into their organizational approach and how much they can take on themselves.

What are some mistakes you see people make during the job search/interview process?

I’m always amazed that there are standard things about job searching that people don’t follow. For example, you need to proof your résumé, dress well for the interview, not be late, and send a thank-you note. Also, make sure you have questions for the interviewer. These are basic things you need to know for the job interview process. When I was looking to transition from UVM Medical Center to EnSave, I got plenty of rejections. Still, I always made sure to put my best foot forward.

What do you look for on a résumé?

It seems like the one-page résumé has gone by the wayside. When I see things go beyond two pages, especially with recent grads who don’t have much work experience, it begs a couple of questions. First, are they not able to edit down their work experience and highlight the most important points? Or do they think they need to use all that space because they have an inflated sense of accomplishment?

What about a cover letter?

A cover letter is more important to me than someone’s résumé. A cover letter is the creative side of the process and the person’s opportunity to tell me a story about why he or she should work with us, while a résumé is just the facts. I think people overlook the power of the cover letter.

Could you share some lessons you’ve learned in your career?

Whenever I put myself beyond my comfort zone, it’s benefited me. I always have to remind myself of this because it’s easy for me to keep doing my favorite things, but then I never grow and change. These days, I can be so busy with the day-to-day work that I have to make a conscious effort to set some goals for myself in addition to the goals I set for the company.

What would you say to a recent graduate feeling discouraged by the job market?

Before you get discouraged, do a reality check of sorts. Have people take a look at your résumé. Also, I think people are looking for the perfect fit right off the bat and coming out of school with pretty high expectations. I encourage people to focus on a job and get themselves into a company or organization. Delve into something, be as valuable as you can, and set yourself apart. In many ways, work is what you make of it.

Networking is clearly important and had a big impact on getting your foot in the door at EnSave. What advice would you give to people who might find networking difficult?

Networking can definitely be hard. It’s about getting out there and meeting people outside of your circle. For introverts, networking doesn’t have to be as forward as it sounds. Just being in the room with a professional group is a start because you’re benefiting from being around other people and making your presence known. Over time, you can build connections and start to feel more confident. Even if you don’t meet many people at an event or meeting, it’s worth it. Over time, you’ll make new connections and feel a difference

How to Be Successful in Sales

(Photo: Flickr Creative Commons)

Closing the deal is what Joe Candido loves most about being in sales. The rush of signing a new prospect or selling a product makes his job feel meaningful and rewarding.

Candido, who is president of Fifth Element Associates, a Colchester-based research, marketing, and sales consultancy firm, is a seasoned sales professional with more than 30 years of experience working with multinational corporations, regional companies, and nonprofits.

His secret to success? For Candido, it’s all about time management and building relationships.

We talked to Candido, an instructor in UVM’s Collaborative Selling Professional Certificate Program, about what it takes to make it in the world of sales.

Sales is more complicated than it was 20 years ago. What kind of business sense do you need to be in sales?

Today, salespeople need to have a very strong business acumen. They need to understand finance, their customer’s business, the competition, the market, and a wide range of internal factors such as product pricing, margin, features, and value proposition. If you’re selling beer to a restaurant, for example, you can’t just go in there and say you have a great-tasting beer. You need to have a strong understanding of that restaurant’s business, their customers, and their needs.

What are some of the qualities you need to be effective in sales?

You need to be a problem solver. You have to know the problem your customer is having and work collaboratively with them and your company in finding a solution. Your customer needs to be shown the merit of what you’re recommending. You have to be smart, do your homework, and be disciplined.

I think most successful salespeople are good time managers. The average salesperson spends only about a third of his or her time selling. if you’re not vigilant, you won’t spend enough time selling, which means you won’t be successful. Compare that to the great salespeople who spend 50% or more of their time selling.

If one-third of a salesperson’s time is spent selling, what is he or she doing the rest of the time?

You’re spending your other time developing solutions and planning. You have to work internally with your company to determine things like a pricing model, credit checks, and intervals of delivery. You have to come up with a solution that works for everyone.

In order to be effective and efficient, your time should be spent on account planning and call planning. You want to look at your sales territory and accounts and make sure your level of service is appropriate. Without planning, you become highly reactionary and you’re just putting out fires. You also want to keep on learning about your product to stay current and research prospective customers.

You also want to figure out the right person to call and why, and figure out how to differentiate yourself. Ask yourself, “What do we bring to the table that no one else brings?” That’s smart selling. Otherwise, you’re basically just doing the equivalent of dialing for dollars.

Do you need to be an extrovert to be successful in sales?

I used to buy in to all those assumptions that I would be good at sales because I had an outgoing personality. I thought sales would be easy for me because I had the right personality. But I eventually learned that all kinds of personalities succeed in sales. It was a real eye-opener to see people who were on the introverted side be better at sales than me.

What do you love most about sales?

I love closing and I love getting the deal. It’s a rush. If you’ve done your job, then you know you can help the customer. Most of selling is building relationships and building trust. Customers are looking for salespeople who believe in the solution they’re proposing.

Why are relationships so important in sales?

Relationships are very important in sales because you need to establish trust and good communications. Customers buy from you because they trust you. It’s not about liking you; it’s about trusting you

Where The Mind Is Without Fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Study the Latest Advances in Medicine at UVM’s Summer Academy

High school senior Carter Visicaro is setting his sights on becoming a pathologist.

The Vergennes High School student has always wanted to work in medicine, and participating in UVM’s Summer Academy’s Health and Medicine course helped him decide what he really wants for a career.

Carter Visicaro

“I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field, and Summer Academy help me realize where I wanted to land. It made me realize I want to be a pathologist,” he says.

The Health and Medicine course exposes students to the world of modern medicine and bioscience through active learning in labs, lectures, demonstrations, and hospital visits.

The course, which runs July 7 to Aug. 2, 2019, is part of UVM’s Summer Academy, a four-week residential and online program offered to high school juniors and seniors who want to explore areas of study and earn transferable college credit.

Health and Medicine students learn in the Larner College of Medicine’s academic facilities, including the Clinical Simulation Laboratory, where students perform virtual medical procedures. The program helps students discover their interests, learn about the latest advances in bioscience and molecular medicine, and develop an understanding of diverse medical and health science career paths that might be right for them.

Noah Fryou, a senior at Lexington High School in Massachusetts, is interested in studying pre-med when he heads to college this fall. He hopes to eventually become a physician assistant (PA) or surgeon. He attended Summer Academy last summer to learn about what kinds of medical careers he could pursue.

“The Summer Academy program seemed to be the most dynamic and was the best fit for me,” Fryou says. “It was more academic than some of the others I had looked into, and it was a good way to get hands-on experience in the labs.”

Noah Fryou

Fryou, who underwent a series of surgical procedures as a child, has a special appreciation for the medical field.

“The marvels of science and medicine have made me interested in this field for a long time,” he says. “It’s just amazing what we can do now.”

Students in the Health and Medicine program engage with experts in genomics, cancer research, medicine, nursing, and allied health practice on the latest advances in their fields. Students will interact with clinical and scientific faculty who train the University of Vermont medical students in the College of Medicine, known for being one of the most competitive and successful medical schools in the country.

For Visicaro and Fryou, the power of making a difference in people’s lives is the main reason they want to work in medicine.

“I’m doing this because I want to know, at the end of the day, that I helped someone,” Visicaro says. “I want to be able to help people in a serious and deeper way.

How To Earn Respect in the Workplace

For those of us who may not know how to act in business, it can be somewhat intimidating. But it can be pretty easy to make sure that you handle yourself well in the world of business.

Here are a few simple rules to follow.

Always listen: This may simple enough, but when you demonstrate that you are a good listener, it shows that you respect your bosses and coworkers, and are genuinely interested in what they have to say. This can also give you a chance to gain some helpful knowledge. Perhaps you meet someone you can trust and feel comfortable asking for advice about workplace etiquette. Remember, asking questions doesn’t show ignorance, it’s a sign of intelligence.
Go the Extra mile with a smile: Obviously, it shows a great deal of care if you take on a few extra assignments or willingly work longer hours. But when you do it without complaining, it shows to your bosses what a good worker you are and how much you care about the job. Many people you work with may not be so interested in taking on those few extra tasks and going the extra mile, but if you can do it gladly, you can show the bosses just what a valuable asset you can be to their company.
Never Assume: This piece of advice works in tandem with the last piece. You want to be willing to take on any extra work that is available, but you also do not want to get in over your head or come off as presumptuous. If you are new to the job and show up acting like you run the place, no one is going to appreciate your help or enjoy working with you. Understand, that you are the new person and that you do not know everything. If anything, your boss will appreciate this quality, as long as you also demonstrate a willingness to learn.

Getting started with a WebMD career

When you were a UVM psychology major, did you have any idea you wanted to get into publishing?

What are some of your roles and responsibilities as Executive Director at WebMD?

What do you look for in a job applicant?

What are some questions you ask during a job interview?

What do you look for on a resume or LinkedIn profile?

What do you say to recent graduates or young professionals who are feeling discouraged? What can they feel optimistic about?

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Building a Craft Beer Community:

We understand that you have visited quite a few breweries. What was your most memorable visit and why?

We noticed BABES was recently in Vermont. What was the purpose of the trip, and was it a success?

How did you start your career in the beer industry?

Did your role as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild motivate you to start BABES? What is the goal of this society?

Do you have chapters outside of the Boston area? What do you recommend women do in their own areas, if they are looking to connect with other women in the beer industry?

Do you think there are stereotypes around women and beer that prevent qualified women from joining the craft-beer industry?

What do you think beer lovers can do to open up these barriers?

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Taking the next step in his medical career

What have you been doing since completing the Post-Bac program at UVM?

Why are you drawn to working in medicine?

What are some challenges and rewards of this type of work?

After graduating from BU, you worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in a psychiatric neuroscience lab. What did you learn from that experience?

What type of medicine do you want to study?

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When you enrolled in the Food Hub Management program at UVM, what was your background, and why did you take the course?

How did your fellow students educate and inspire you throughout the program?

In addition to your work at Local Food Hub in Virginia, you’re also working as a Teaching Assistant in UVM’s Food Hub Management program. What does a typical day look like for you?

What’s happening at your organization that’s pushing the boundaries of local, and how do you share that with your colleagues across the country and your students at UVM?

What are some resources for people interested in creating a food hub in their area? Any advice for getting started?

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Sustainability in the Craft Beer Industry

A Path for Change

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You studied political science at UVM and went on to work as a legislative aide and lobbyist. Did you know as an undergraduate that you wanted to do legislative and policy work?

You then made a change in 2012 and became director of government relations for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Why did you decide to make this career transition after so many years as a lobbyist?

After working for a law/lobbying firm for a dozen years, did you feel a bit rusty when you decided to make a change?

How important was networking to finding your job at the Boys and Girls Club of America?

Was that intimidating?

What advice would you give to someone looking to change careers or find a new job?

How long did your job search take?

Could you share some mistakes you’ve made in your career and lessons you’ve learned along the way?

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An Option for Apprenticeships and Career Coaching

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Top 5 reasons why a craft brewery should hire you:

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As a chief operating officer, you clearly have some experience in management. What are two or three of the most important qualities a manager should have?

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate?

What are some questions you ask during a job interview?

What are some mistakes you see people make during the job search/interview process?

What do you look for on a résumé?

What about a cover letter?

Could you share some lessons you’ve learned in your career?

What would you say to a recent graduate feeling discouraged by the job market?

Networking is clearly important and had a big impact on getting your foot in the door at EnSave. What advice would you give to people who might find networking difficult?

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Sales is more complicated than it was 20 years ago. What kind of business sense do you need to be in sales?

What are some of the qualities you need to be effective in sales?

If one-third of a salesperson’s time is spent selling, what is he or she doing the rest of the time?

Do you need to be an extrovert to be successful in sales?

What do you love most about sales?

Why are relationships so important in sales?

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