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Balancing the Future Ep. 9 - Paving the Way: Sponsorship and Advocacy for Young Professionals with Amelia Bernal-Valencia
198 Plays1 month ago
Amelia Bernal-Valencia, VP of Strategic Accounts at Robert Half, sits with host Christopher Mitchell to discuss the importance of community within the profession. Herself a first-generation Mexican American, Amelia Bernal-Valencia credits her success to a drive to pave the way for others, paired with opportunities from sponsors who saw her potential. Hear how she devotes her career to providing a voice for young professionals and learn how to find the mentors and sponsors that will help you grow your success.
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Transcript
Introduction of Amelia Benall
00:00:09
Speaker
I'm here today with Amelia Benall and we're going to have a really good conversation. She is the VP of strategic accounts at Robert Half. So this is going to be a really interesting, invested conversation. So looking forward to it. So what I don't want to give away is your background.
Amelia's Background and Education
00:00:27
Speaker
Could you just share briefly, not briefly, but share as but share as much as you want about your success, kind of how you've evolved in the accounting profession and how you ended up at Robert Half. Yeah, Noble, thank you for the question. um Well, I am a first generation Mexican-American. I first go to college, um but decided to get a business degree, actually focus in accounting, believe it or not.
00:00:51
Speaker
And I started my career, did it. I interviewed with the big six, but it wasn't the career path I took. I went into industry, so started um in accounts payable position and worked my way up to division controller, like within a eight year time frame.
Career Transition to Recruiting
00:01:10
Speaker
um And I would say well problem because of sponsors I had, that I didn't realize I had, knowing what the definition of a sponsor is today. And later, when I was contemplating transitioning my career, I decided to ah Enlist Robert Half, because that's what they're known for, to work with finance and accounting professionals to help them find work. And I had just recently bought a new home, wanted to be closer to home, and I went into the office. And during my interview with them, they had asked, have you ever considered a career in recruiting? And I said, well, actually, no, I hadn't. And so tell me more. um And then the rest is history.
00:01:55
Speaker
Awesome, awesome. You know, when I think about traditional career paths and we have degrees in accounting right that we're supposed to do the debits and the credits and so forth and so on. right And it's so different. It is. What's your experience? Cause I know you do the recruiting and people that come through with the accounting degree, but they end up being something else. How often do you run across that?
00:02:16
Speaker
ah in terms of people changing their careers. I would say very often, very very often, I landed in a county, well, I took, I focused in a county because I was good with numbers, but I just fell into it.
Career Shifts and Advocacy for Accountants
00:02:30
Speaker
And when you're in college, they,
00:02:32
Speaker
share that this is either X or Y, right? and so um And while I was going through that journey, I didn't get the opportunity that I was really hoping for. I really wanted to go into public accounting and I wanted to pursue my CPA.
00:02:47
Speaker
and I was very disappointed. and And so anyways, so coming into Robert Half and why I chose to come to Robert Half, there's a couple different reasons. One, I was looking for stability. Two, they had ah an amazing like leadership above them. But most of all, I wanted to be the voice of the accountant, you know, the what because they're known to not have, um to be very shy or not not sell themselves, have a difficult time selling themselves. And at Robert Half,
00:03:17
Speaker
um I just wanted to help them find and establish and start their career. um and so that's And so even then, as I talk to people that come in or even individuals that might have had a career and um went stayed home for a couple years and reentered the workforce, I would say most of the time they're not reentering in the same capacity that they left. and i What I hear most is that individuals realize that accounting isn't really for them. I mean, I think it's a great a great baseline in terms of understanding how business runs, um the workflow, the the different benefits of the different teams that you all have that that exist within an organization. um So it's great experience to have, but there's other, and and you can always pivot. You can always pivot.
00:04:08
Speaker
So when I think about a vice president, I always think about that person being very accomplished with that particular achievement. And the audience probably wants to know, how do you become a vice
Role of Sponsors in Career Advancement
00:04:20
Speaker
president? How do you get to that level? It's not easy. I know it's hard work.
00:04:24
Speaker
But what else happens? You mentioned sponsor. I mean, how important are those things that you've and been involved with, help you be so successful? I know sponsors and so forth, but just give us an idea of what that might look like, those building blocks.
00:04:41
Speaker
Yeah, I would say, and that's a conversation that individuals are always, but that's the theme that you're hearing, even as I'm having conversations with individuals, mentors, sponsors, coaches, what does it all what does it all mean?
00:04:58
Speaker
It means different things. So a sponsor, of course, is someone who ah shares your name with others that they're having conversations with. A sponsor is somebody who will open doors for you because they see your potential. Your sponsor will help you dream or give you or or or give you a perspective that you didn't even think of, right? And so I would say we all have had sponsors throughout our entire career from the beginning because a career goes through multiple stages. And so for me, it wasn't something that we talked about. Now that I look back as i'm as we're defining these terms and um making sure that we have um
00:05:41
Speaker
bringing awareness to what that means. ah I never really realized who were my sponsors until recently and reflecting in my career so that I can go back and then share my story. um And so um for me, my first sponsor I would say was the controller of the first company that I worked for. She was tough, you know?
00:06:03
Speaker
They often are. Yes, very demanding. But um she i but it and when you're working, you one of the the but you you have to build trust. And I didn't even realize this, but you come in, you do your job. And obviously, there's a variety of different things that you know you just you want to learn and you want to consume as much as you can. And someone sees and you and gives you just other projects and you just take them on and you just take them on and you just continue evolving. um And i want ah I wish I would have stopped to reflect, but um and I would say that Robert Half has been the same. I started when I first um came to work for Robert Half.
00:06:44
Speaker
I took a pay cut to come to work for Robert Half. They were concerned about that. They said, well, you're cutting your salary in half. I mean, it has huge potential, but you are taking a pay cut to come here. Are you sure you want to do that? Well, I've never failed.
00:07:00
Speaker
So I've always succeeded. So I have to bet on myself that I'm going to be successful. So I'm going to take that risk. And so, um, so I quickly got promoted the first couple of years and, uh, manage teams. And, but I would say it's because um at the end of the day is because someone sees your potential okay or it opens the doors and gives you opportunity.
00:07:23
Speaker
So you know one thing, i when I look back on my own career, okay and ah in my own opinion, I didn't stick around long enough at a certain job okay because I thought I was ready to move on. okay And when I was early on my career, I was ready to move on often.
00:07:38
Speaker
So what do you say when I share something like that with you? Given your experience and on the recruiting front, what would your message be for the audience?
Job Stability and Growth Opportunities
00:07:48
Speaker
Stick around, hang in, get the feedback. That's a really good question, because I really like that question actually. There's pros and cons, right? Because everybody has a different perspective on that. Obviously working with clients, they always ask,
00:08:02
Speaker
Oh, why haven't they stayed long enough with their prior employer, right? And um the the beauty in what we do at Robert Half is in order for us to do our job well, we have to be a we have to know the person that we're working with. It's not just about their skills. It's about who they are as an individual and um and and understand the motivation behind it. and One, did they learn something from it, right? And if they have, okay, let's share that story, right? um when i Early in my career, when I ah when i started, it went up I was in the high tech industry, and during that time there was a lot of acquisition, so my positions were constantly being
00:08:40
Speaker
um We were being acquired and so I was losing the role the the positions that I was in right because of acquisition. And so the change was constant, but with change came opportunity. So there's two things. So change creates opportunity, you acquire more skills, you expand and you grow faster.
00:08:59
Speaker
I would say, um okay versus staying at one company, and unless that company has a um ah variety of different opportunities that you can leverage. But being at one company, one position, and just moving up in that one role,
00:09:15
Speaker
is also very linear and makes it very difficult, I would say, sometimes to transition because that's what I've seen in talking to the clients that we work with, that those are the concerns, those are the questions, and so those are those are the obstacles that we have to help our talent overcome.
00:09:32
Speaker
You know, I normally don't share stuff like this, but someone called me this morning and it's someone that I mentor. And I encourage them to take another opportunity probably about seven months ago. And they were calling me today saying, you know, I'm thinking about looking at another opportunity. I said, don't call me, you you haven't been there long enough. And the reason I said that, because it takes time. You have to be patient. And when I reflect back on myself back then, I just wasn't patient.
00:09:58
Speaker
If I didn't feel like I was a CEO the next day, then I had a problem with that. And that was absolutely the wrong approach. And I'm happy they get the feedback that I've gotten from you. So Alpha, and I'm going to bring Alpha up because I know you're passionate about Alpha.
Importance of DEI and Community Involvement
00:10:13
Speaker
You're a board member, you plugged in a lot of different ways. But before I do that, I want to spend a minute on diversity, equity, and inclusion. When I say that, what does that mean to you?
00:10:24
Speaker
Oh, that's a big question. What that means to me is respect, acknowledgement,
00:10:36
Speaker
and an appreciation for the the the tapestry of the multiple cultures that we have. um Just and opportunity, that's what that means.
00:10:55
Speaker
you know, when I think about DEI and it's, and I think it's changing. Okay. And we have a human capital equation and we're trying to solve for that. And I know that we come from diverse backgrounds and I know that it's important that we have a diverse group that are serving our clients. So it's not going anywhere. Okay. That's where I'm, what I'm thinking. And I think about this, how serious alpha is about it and how you're plugged in. So alpha and DEI, what does that mean? Given your, you're on the board and and kind of how it works.
00:11:25
Speaker
Well, believe it or not, I was introduced to Alpha. Alpha has been around for over 52 years. Alpha has changed its name. It was the Association of Latino Professionals for Finance and Accounting. Now it's for America. and um And when I was in my finance journey, i never I wasn't aware that this organization existed. I was introduced to Alpha by Robert Half because Robert Half has been a 15 year sponsor. And so about three years ago, I attended their virtual conference and I was i heard the the professionals that share their stories and and learned about the community that um i the the community that I belong to and then all the statistics and all the facts and all the data and it just brought a sense of pride.
00:12:17
Speaker
And it also validated the feelings that I'd been dealing with because I've been with one employer for so long. And so I went to school in the nineties. There you go. there you go light and me so And so, um,
00:12:34
Speaker
at and So you didn't you didn't experience a soft rock you were yeah after that. Yeah, and so for me back then It wasn't really something we talked about right so for me the last couple years has have been ah as honestly educating myself on what all of this means right and so why I'm so passionate about alpha is because I And and why I'm involved is I want to bring awareness of the organization to the Bay Area communities, specifically junior colleges, um because I would say they're the ones that need the pathways even more than the students that are already at the four-year universities.
00:13:16
Speaker
um I'm making them aware that there's this organization that's so passionate and um and and there's resources and there's people that want to be there to help
Personal Motivation and Family Influence
00:13:26
Speaker
that want to see you succeed. And so that's why I'm involved in Alpha and that's what it means to me and why I'm so passionate. So Amelia.
00:13:36
Speaker
You know, what, what is that spark that keeps you coming back waking up? I know you had Robert half. I know you plugged in alpha. You're doing all these great things. What's that spark? Some people point to family. Some people point to just the community and the difference that they're able to make. What's your spark? Where do you, where do you get that energy from? Oh my God. I'm going to get emotional. Please. It's okay. Um,
00:14:01
Speaker
That's a really great question. I ask that ask myself that all the time. No, but really, I'm the oldest of my family. And my dad was really, really tough on me, actually. And honestly, that gave me the drive to persevere. But now, as a mother, I have a son. He's 10. And I would say he's the one that gives me the spark to get up every day and to just do what I do because I want to create and open doors for him. And not just him, but I have two sisters. I'm the oldest of three daughters. And so I've always had to, like, you know, it just pave the way. It's what I do. It's what I know. It's who I am. And so I would say I just I'm this is just who I am. I just I'm naturally that way. I always, always, always want to do what's right. I always want to open doors. I always want to help. people. I'm a very very much a servant leader. awesome awesome But you made me cry because you made me think of my son. you'll be transparent That's what it's all about when I think about you know leaders and and getting to the position of VP and CEO and all these other titles.
00:15:12
Speaker
It's a lot that goes on behind that. You don't do it by yourself. It's more than the coach and the mentor and the sponsor. It's family coming alongside. It's wanting to make a difference within your own family because you're the example. What I've realized is that a lot of my my family, they've looked up to me yeah because I was the first one to get my master's degree. And they're like, wow, if he's able to do it, then I'm able to do it. right So it's a it's it's a lot of work. no It's a heavy load at times, but it's good. It is, and honestly, really, the the my mode the motivation is my son. My son is my motivation, only because he's had to work work hard already at a very young age, um because he's on the spectrum. So you know when you first find out, you don't know what that means. So for me, it was important to continue to work as hard as I can to just do a variety of different things, to give him the strength, to to show to show him that perseverance,
00:16:10
Speaker
um translates to success. And so, truthfully, he is the the wind you know behind me, honestly. So, thank you for that question. Absolutely, absolutely.
00:16:24
Speaker
and One thing that comes to mind is responsibility. When I think about my career and early on in my career, I sat in front of my boss at that time and I asked him, I said, what do you think? What do you think I need to do as it relates to my career? And he looked back at me and he says,
00:16:42
Speaker
One thing you need to remember is that you're ah you're responsible for your career. No one else is.
Career Responsibility and Personal Values
00:16:48
Speaker
When I mention that to you, what do you what are you what are you thinking about? Because and there are generations that are a little different yeah than my generation. And it may not be the same optics and understanding as it relates to that. So what do you think? Because I know you're in the recruiting business, and you may have heard this before. yeah Who's responsible? Somebody's helping me out. you know What does it plan to program look like? yeah What do you think?
00:17:12
Speaker
ah Well, that's a really good question. ah Yes, we're responsible for our career, number one. um And that's what i that's what i that that's what I say to the people that I talk to.
00:17:24
Speaker
but What's evolved is that there's a roadmap now, right? And so our careers go through evolution, just like us as humans, right, as we get older. And one what I share with them in terms of just framework, um in order to have control of your career,
00:17:43
Speaker
Is to have clarity in who you are as a person and your values and then take it from there right because when you're young and especially right when you're a young professional about to enter the workforce. One of the biggest challenges that they see themselves in is I don't have any work experience I don't know what I want I'm trying to figure that out but.
00:18:04
Speaker
you can help yourself find answers with clarity. One, because as you, you know, growing up, you had you had teachers, you had coaches, you had people you've looked up to, and you know, and you've seen them, they they've opened doors, they've, cop they, you've had a role model. And so I always say to them,
00:18:27
Speaker
Think about the attributes that those individuals have because many people don't leave their jobs. They leave their managers. That's the saying and it's true. Absolutely. People don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers. And so the key to success is to find someone who will champion your career, but before you can do that, you have to know what you're looking for and that's with clarity. So clarity in terms of attributes of the individual that you want to spend time with and that you want to invest in because you bring something to the table equally as they bring something to the table. So it's a two-way relationship.
00:19:05
Speaker
An employer is, yeah you're not doing them, they're not doing you a favor by hiring you. You're also giving back. So I would say clarity and who you are as a person so that you can find the right leader. And I would say every opportunity is an opportunity to learn something new. And every opportunity that you have, you can always take skills from that and pivot and bring that to something else. So you can take ownership of your career by just being aware of what your strengths are, what you're looking for in a leader. And, and, and, and I think eventually you'll find your way. So just to tag on responsibility and a coach, not a coach, but let's, let's just stick with mentor. Okay. Is it my responsibility to find a mentor? I know sponsors come.
00:20:00
Speaker
because they're part of the equation. my But I've found, I have to go and identify a mentor for me, someone that I'm impressed with, someone that's been been successful. When I say that, is that okay for me to go and search for that mentor that can help me be successful?
00:20:16
Speaker
Yeah, if you've done your homework and there's a reason why so of you if there is an individual, i and in my opinion, you should have an individual, you you you you're aspiring to be because they also help motivate your decisions. And that and and if there's an individual that you know you can learn from um and there's reasons behind it you and you reach out to them, well, one, I think it is your responsibility because Clearly there's things that person brings to the table that you want to learn from. So it's it makes sense for you to be the one to reach out and tell them why you want them to mentor you. What what can they bring to your career? And and and and hopefully that will become a perfect match. But I would say vice versa, a mentor might say, you know i can really I see myself in you, I see myself in you 20 years ago and here's what I can offer. but
00:21:14
Speaker
It's up to the person who accepted, so I could go both both ways, but I would say more often than not, it's the individual that seeks out the mentor.
Gaining Leadership through Mentorship
00:21:22
Speaker
You know, something is floating around and it's the seat at the table, the space that we're making. We're building a new table, given the equation. When I say that, what do you what comes to mind for you? To me, that what comes to mind is,
00:21:36
Speaker
This comes from, this you need a sponsor to get a seat at the table. ah Someone who will be your voice, someone who will advocate for you, someone that will talk and share what you can bring to the table. so And you also need to be have a mentor to help you understand the dynamics of what that might look like. um But it is important to have a seat at the table. We need to make space because we have a variety of different where tapestry of individuals and. With variety comes more opportunity and so that's why I'm that's what I'm working towards is creating more space we we want more leaders at the top so that they can open doors for others to come up you wanna elevate together.
00:22:25
Speaker
You know, when I think about the takeaways and I say the takeaway is what I can learn from you, what others can learn from other executives and leaders out there.
Key Takeaways for Career Success
00:22:34
Speaker
What are those takeaways? What are those? Give me five takeaways. I know it's a lot. Oh my God. But what are your five? Seriously. I mean, if I got someone out there that's trying to figure it out, someone who's entering the profession, someone who's experienced, we can, we all need help. Right, right. So what would those takeaways be and how to get and have success and get to where you are? Oh my God.
00:22:55
Speaker
Oh, I've been exploring that question myself, actually. we all do know Going back to a career has its a career just like i we has it evolution,
00:23:09
Speaker
but the same principles apply. And what's interesting is being here this week at Alpha, um I've had to give a workshop to talk to young professionals about acing that perfect job. right and so But it's also given me an opportunity to reflect on my career and and reflecting I realized that the principles that we're giving them are the same principles that we need to um implement so that we can continue to move forward. I would say um one would be take risks
00:23:48
Speaker
That's one thing I wish I would have done differently. I wish I would have taken more risks because if I reflect back and look at my career, there's moments where if I maybe would have taken a risk, something else might have happened, but hey, everything happens for a reason and I'm here today. I would say risks, not ah to step into your fears, I would say is another one. All of us are afraid of of of failure, I would say. So you have to step into your fears and own your space.
00:24:19
Speaker
know who you are. Okay. And have clarity in what you want to, what you want your, what your legacy was, what you want your legacy to be. And hopefully with that, you'll achieve your goals. Awesome. That is awesome. Thank you. You know, one thing that comes to mind and as it relates to myself and, and I'll share this with the audience, be patient.
00:24:46
Speaker
You don't have to do stuff tomorrow. you're right You don't know what you will be. You don't know what will be important to you. You don't know what will come into your life. good right you know A son or a daughter or something else that's a lot more important than lacing my butt every day and going to work.
00:25:02
Speaker
And you know just cherish that and you won't know it unless you're patient because you'll move fast. I was very fortunate where I move fast and up and through whatever. And I got there and I realized that, oh, OK, maybe this is not what I thought it would be. So it just be patient and i and enjoy the moment.
00:25:23
Speaker
I agree with you 150%. I thank you for reminding me know to be patient because I would say that that's something that i that I need to remind myself to do because you need to enjoy the moments because time goes fast.
00:25:43
Speaker
Absolutely.
Final Thoughts on Patience and Opportunities
00:25:44
Speaker
Well, Amelia, it's been an absolute pleasure having you and talking with you today. And I think what we've learned today um is that, one, be patient. Two, make sure you find and surround yourself with good people.
00:25:59
Speaker
Know it's your responsibility. A mentor won't always find you. You have to seek them out. um Be patient in just the steps in your career because you may be presented with a lot of opportunity, but it doesn't mean it's the right opportunity. And even though you're taking risk, be smart about it. Be smart about what you do and how you're aligning that. So thank you for being a part of today's conversation, looking forward to what we can bring you next. So be on the lookout um and just enjoy. it Thank you so much for having me, Becker CPA.