“How amazing it is that one person can have such an impact on his field.”―Jonathan Finkelstein, Founder, LearningTimes, LLC and Credly, LLC
ABOUT PURPLE COW CAREER COACHING
“As of today, I have accepted an offer to become vice president of corporate communications―it’s a good role at a good company and I couldn’t more pleased. For the record, from start to finish this happened in 60 days. Thank you for your advice and encouragement as I went through the process. I definitely picked up many things that were helpful in making this placement possible.” ―David
“After months of being on the active job search, I’m excited to share that I just accepted an offer and I have YOU to thank for so much of this! I have been using everything I learned from you―I even had a member of a hiring committee tell me during an interview that they really loved the way I formatted my cover letter and resume (huzzah!). I am grateful for your support―I learned so much about myself, about what I want to be doing, and about what I value. The conversations we had resonated throughout all of it.”―Mike
“I have just accepted an offer thanks to your standout coaching. Thank you for guiding me to find my own STARs and see for myself and for the search committee a constellation of experience and skills and a picture of what might be possible in this position. What an uncanny gift you have to intuit exactly what would have the greatest impact!”―Adina
“Working with Greg has been a pleasure. He is not only highly informative but also incredibly empathetic and understanding. Career transitions can bring a lot of anxiety, yet Greg has a way of making the process feel easy. He’s relatable, kind, and creates an environment where you feel supported and confident. I truly appreciated his guidance and would highly recommend him to anyone.”―Christina
“Greg was an absolute pleasure to work with. I feel a lot more confident about my job search after working with him.”―Trent
“Thank you for working with me on mapping out my next career step. I sincerely appreciate the empathy and professional counsel.”―Ahmad
“Greg has helped me work through two major career crossroads in recent years. Through it all, he helped me better understand myself, how to align what I bring with what others need, and how to communicate that alignment. He’s brilliant, empathetic, and funny—I strongly recommend him to anyone looking to figure out what’s next.”―David
“Greg was excellent—accommodating, friendly, knowledgeable, supportive, and instrumental in providing strategic advice aligned with my career goals. His expertise in job search strategies and industry knowledge is outstanding, and his guidance has been crucial in refining my approach to potential employers.”―All-star
“I got a job! Thank you for your job coaching, support, and advice – it has paid off!―Joanne
“After working with you, I am better able to engage in reflective practice with confidence and agency as I reconnect with the field and move forward with my career.”―Emily
“Working with Greg was inspiring and helped me navigate the forest that is job hunting. He helped me identify my strengths, interests and values and be confident in my own abilities and how to navigate a job posting. By working with Greg I was able to present myself in a clear and confident way that eventually got me hired at my new job!”―Gavin
“I applied for a position, nailed the interview, and accepted the job a week ago! I definitely have you to thank for this. I want to praise how important our conversations and your mentoring was to me. I’m extremely thankful you were there to help me out of my slump.”―Michael
“Working with Greg kept me motivated and accountable as I navigated a career transition. His coaching helped me focus on my unique strengths and reminded me why I love working with museums. He gave me new strategies to employ in my job search and provided encouragement to start my next chapter as a consultant.”―Danielle
“Thank you very much for your guidance and advice. You share your knowledge and expertise generously with others. It is clear how deeply you care about helping others in this profession and use your experience to benefit them too. ” ―Krystal
“Working with you really helped me think through a lot of things. It allowed me to remember why I love this work and that I am good at it.”―Sara
“Working with Greg enabled me to identify and align my strengths so that I’m more purpose-driven in my job, proud of my capabilities, and confident in the work that I’m doing. I’ve been able to establish relationships in a variety of different settings which allowed me to explore the same career path to find fulfillment and community in my new position.”―Elinor
“When I was at a crossroads, with an uncertain future in a longtime job and having just finished a PhD., I came to Greg to help me sort out the different directions I could go. He helped me clarify my personal and professional goals, and even more importantly, helped me pitch myself to prospective employers. I’m pleased to say that thanks to his coaching, I landed an amazing new position and am on a much better track!”―David
“You provided me with a clarity about why I do what I do, why it fits with my values and personality, and why I’m pretty good at it. You’ve also give me more confidence in my choice of profession, which helps me daily at work as well as in my pursuit of career advancement and professional opportunities.”―Gillian
“After a two-year hiatus from museum life to take care of a family member, I was uncertain of the path I wanted to take – return to a single institution or become a solo practitioner/consultant. Greg’s guidance through a series of soul-searching exercises helped me realize I wasn’t in an either-or position. We worked through concrete actions to get my resume revised, determine the parameters for roles I would apply for, prep for interviews, as well as take steps to formalize a business. I’m happy to report that I just accepted an offer for a directorship at an organization that is a great fit.”―Sharon
“After 30 years in the museum field and 18 at my current job, it was time for me to get serious about finding a new job that was better suited to my leadership skills. Hiring Greg was the first important step in the process. Beyond the support with the résumé, cover letter, and interviews, Greg was a supportive sounding board, coach, mentor, and cheerleader. I got the perfect new job–Greg’s guidance set me on the path to success!”―Jackie
“Greg has been more effective in a short period than many of my career mentors over the years combined. He provided immediate improvement and created a professional foundation that I will use for years to come.”―Patrick
“When Greg and I began our work together, I knew after a long stint overseas, I needed assistance in reformatting myself for the American job market. I knew right away I had found a treasure in Greg because of his extensive knowledge and experience in the industry. With Greg’s guidance, we created a portfolio of application materials, which boosted my confidence. Good news: I GOT AN AMAZING JOB! My success would not have happened without Greg’s coaching.”―Stephanie
“Greg Stevens was integral to my job hunt over the last eight months, providing mentorship and much-needed support. He is an incredible career coach who really helped me finally nail that dream job!”―Claire
“No matter where you are in your career, you can benefit by working with Greg. His process is unique and tailored to your needs. Greg’s insight helped me discover skills and passions that I hadn’t considered would be valuable to employers. We used that insight to create a personal brand and refresh my résumé to help me stand out on the job market. Greg’s knowledge and generosity made working with him one of the most valuable things I’ve done for my career!”―Eric
“Working with Greg was one of the most inspiring and profound moments of my professional career. I started working with Greg thinking we’d spend our time revising my cover letter and résumé. Instead, Greg took me through a deep, meaningful and fully accessible process that helped me to examine the job description and institution, as well as how my strengths and interests aligned with the position. When it came time to interview, I felt confident about my written materials, my responses to questions and my presentation of myself as a professional ready to move into a leadership position.”―Erica
“Thank you for helping me to ensure I was set up for success. Your strategies prepared me thoroughly for the interview and the critiques on my résumé/cover letter undoubtedly made me stand out as an applicant.”―Ibrahim
“I got the job! You are phenomenal! Thank you for being my partner on this journey these past months. You are a total rockstar!”―Khaira
“When Greg and I began our work together I was in a very challenging post, coasting in neutral, and dreading going to work every day. With just the right mix of encouragement, understanding, and persistence, he coached me through self-doubt and pushed me to tell the narrative of my diverse background in inventive new ways. Greg helped me gain an understanding of how my skills are transferable, assisted me with modernizing my CV and cover letters, and challenged me to quantify my accomplishments. Our work together gave me renewed confidence and optimism to imagine the next chapter in my career.”―James
“Greg was an incredible guide in helping me define my experience, goals and passions, and a path forward. Greg patiently and enthusiastically supported my journey toward discovering what I want and need from my career. Thanks to our work, I have a strong sense of my own talents and potential for contributing to my field. Greg is a terrific coach. His goal-oriented process is undergirded by his empathy, openness, and desire to help people feel satisfied and successful.”―Zachary
“Thank you for helping me prepare for the interview for my NEW JOB! The skills you taught me helped through the whole process.”―Aimee
“Thank you so much for all of your assistance with résumé building and interview skills. This set of interviews I did was the first time in my life that I haven’t been nervous and anxious to sit down and talk about my skills and qualifications. You’ve played such an instrumental part in helping me gain the confidence to reach these goals.”―Katie
“I truly appreciate your insights, your ideas around organizing thoughts, and the importance of focusing on strengths. Thank you!”―Maggie
“I was offered the position today! Thank you again for working through the interview process with me. I was able to respond to questions with specific STAR examples that we worked on. Thank you for all your help. I’ve referred you to my friends who are job hunting.”―Andy
“The coaching session really helped me understand that my current résumé was communicating something other than I wished to communicate. The guidance you provided in the coaching together with the application deadline is motivating me to make the necessary changes to submit an aligned and compelling application. Thank you, again. I am now looking forward to my career transition!”―Joanna
“I was impressed by Greg’s deeply knowledgeable, friendly manner. He put me at ease with his forthright, thoughtful observations and advice. He had thoroughly familiarized himself with all the writing samples I had sent him, and he asked thought-provoking questions that showed me new ways of looking at my own experiences. The guidance was immensely helpful.”―Shane
“Your words of advice helped prepare me for my interviews and thinking through my next steps. I’m very much looking forward to getting back to doing what I love.―Rachel
“I worked with Greg in a workshop and in private, and got wonderful advice from him for my job search and interviewing. In particular, his STAR system was a huge help in making sure I had a good understanding of my knowledge, skills, and abilities and how to talk about them.”―Tom
“Greg’s career coaching was valuable to me in so many ways. He’s great at helping maintain perspective during the inevitable peaks and valleys of a job search. He brings his professional experience and research (which is considerable) to his coaching. Greg is a good listener and at the same time provides thoughtful feedback.”―Wayne
“I highly recommend working with Greg. He is smart, articulate, creative and kind. He is approachable, and his answers are clear and insightful. Greg meets you where you are in your career and elevates you in whatever area you are seeking guidance.”―Erica
“Meeting with you forced me to take a good, hard look at the image I present to the world. I think it made all the difference to sit down and think about ‘value’ as opposed to accomplishments. Thank you for all your help.”―Allie
“Greg was approachable and engaging, energetic and positive, open and non-judgemental the entire workshop. Greg made me hopeful for my future.”―David
“Greg scrutinized my writing, contemplated my ideas, and tirelessly responded to my questions with thoughtful encouragement and insightful direction. His personalized and earnest feedback clearly showed his investment in my future career. His guidance challenged and gave focus to my career goals, which he helped me craft into a strong résumé. Greg pushed and challenged me to be the best version of myself.”―Brittany
“I have been the beneficiary of Greg’s extensive professional expertise, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. Throughout my recent job search, Greg was a font of counsel and sound advice, a keen and thorough eye on my resume and cover letters, and a solid voice of experience with interview preparation. Greg helped me understand and tell my own story more effectively than I had before we began to work together.”―Richard
“Greg has shown repeatedly that he is the ideal mentor and career counselor. He was always readily available for any concerns or questions I had and gave consistent, constructive feedback when it came to the work–ranging from building a network to refining my skills. He listened intently when I shared my background and future goals and used this to give me career guidance while simultaneously helping me identify and utilize both my skills and passions, allowing me to communicate my accomplishments in an effective manner.”―Patrick
ABOUT THE YOUR CAREER IN TRANSITION WEBINAR SERIES
“I want to express my thanks to you for hosting the professional development webinar series over the past month. As a furloughed, junior-level museum worker now considering a drastic shift in the direction of my career, the seminars helped me think about and begin to take action towards this transition. I’m glad to have these webinar recordings to return to when I prepare application packages.”―Sam
“I want to let you know how much I appreciated the ‘Your Career in Transition’ webinar series. Other career development workshops I have attended in the past have been fairly generic, but yours was specially tailored for professionals in transition. ‘Your Career in Transition’ has renewed my confidence during uncertain times. Thank you so much!”―Joanna
“In this time of uncertainty, many people’s careers are on hold due to COVID-19 and the lockdown. The ‘Career in Transition’ webinars were a perfect remedy. Excellent guest speakers assisted with the series with expertise across several industries. The series was interactive with Greg asking questions throughout for the audience to answer, making an engaging experience. The webinars motivated me to think and work on my career development after lockdown.”―Giblet
ABOUT THE BOOK, A LIFE IN MUSEUMS: MANAGING YOUR MUSEUM CAREER
“I have found A Life in Museums extremely valuable in helping me take perspective on my own career path. Greg Stevens – a recognized leader in career development in museums – helps to make this book entertaining, easy to digest, thoughtful, and very honest.”―Jonathan A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career
“Absolutely brilliant book and advice. Each chapter was so helpful and provided great insight. It has reaffirmed my love for the field and my hopes for a career in it. Thank you so much!”―Rebecca A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career
“This book was exactly what I needed. The sections on cover letters and résumés have helped tremendously. Before using their advice, I wasn’t getting any responses to my job applications. Now, I’m getting responses to jobs I thought I’d never have a chance at! Well done!”―Tiffany A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career
“Greg Stevens has amazing insight into what museum employers are looking for. If you are an emerging museum professional or thinking about transitioning into the museum world, this book is a must-read and will provide you with all the information you need to make a good and lasting impression as well as navigate your career successfully.”―Tom A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career
“I 100% used your STAR method and the chapter from your book when interviewing for my new job! Thanks again for all your help in reworking my résumé and thinking more about my own personal philosophy.”―Audrey, coaching client
“I feel now more confident to take on new challenges after working on some basic tools such as a well-crafted résumé and interviewing skills. Thank you for putting this book together for many of us out there in need of guidance and mentoring.”―Daniel A Life in Museums: Managing Your Museum Career
ABOUT GREG STEVENS
“You exemplify the best—connecting the dots, building creativity everywhere, reaching out with welcome, kindness, humor and beyond boundaries.”—Mary Case, co-founder, Qm2 Consulting Community
“After attending a career lab led by Greg, I gained a better understanding of how to identify my skills, brand myself and build my network. He presented the overwhelming topic of career development as an approachable and manageable plan. Greg also helped me recraft my résumé and cover letter for over an hour in a one-on-one coaching session. As a result of his thoughtfulness and professional insight, my documents are strong communication tools for a competitive job market.”―Anna, participant, career workshop
“Greg is a skilled mentor and coach and has helped hundreds of professionals—many emerging in the field—find their voice, passion, and path. When approaching his work, Greg plans with the results in mind.”―Nathan Richie, Director, Golden History Museums and Park
“Greg is passionate about helping people succeed through professional development and training. He is creative, thoughtful and organized. He has done more to support mid-career museum professionals than anyone I know.”―Carol Bossert, Exhibition Specialist, Radio Talk Show Host
“Greg does a remarkable job of coaching the best work out of people. Greg’s leadership style is inclusive and targeted. Greg clearly believes there’s no “right way” to accomplish a project or solve a problem. He delights in the learning process of discovery, exploration, and experimentation with a results-oriented focus and is a consummate cheerleader for those journeying along with him. This is one of the skills and characteristics that makes Greg such an extraordinary teacher, coach, and curriculum developer.”―Ann Fortescue, Executive Director, Springfield Museum of Art
“You are a polished and professional reflective practitioner who can motivate anyone with whom you come in contact.”―Lotte Lent, Assistant Director, Museum Education Program, The George Washington University
“Smart and creative, kind and generous, Greg Stevens has helped countless professionals—including me—do their jobs better. He’s fun to work with—good-humored, but extremely disciplined—and his projects always result in high-quality programs, efficiently produced with meaningful impact. Greg knows that success requires a systematic, goal-oriented approach to keep projects on track. He makes it look easy. He’s also a master of social chemistry, blessed with the ability to work with all kinds of personalities, bringing out the best in partners.”―Tim Hallman, Director of Communications and Business Development, Asian Art Museum
“Greg is an incredibly talented individual. He brings to the table program planning and project management skills and adds in creativity and a talent for bringing people together. He is someone I have volunteered for, learned from, and worked with. I would recommend unconditionally his expertise and the passion for what he does.”―Jennifer Thomas, Executive Director, Virginia Association of Museums
“I have the greatest confidence and trust in you and value your passion and commitment to your work.”―Dean Phelus, Senior Director, Leadership Programs, American Alliance of Museums
Purple Cow Career and Talent Development 