At the Barrett Group we help clients clarify their career objectives. This means often changing industries or roles in the process—and then go out and discover their dream roles. We have been doing this for 30 years. We have developed a very successful, five-step program to navigate the job market. The Barrett Group has highly experienced coaches, consultants, writers, and researchers, and ev…

Have you noticed it? There is a distinct sense of spring in the air. Not just the season, mind you, but the spasmodic heave of the economic engine… with a tang of ozone… Business optimism is growing, feeding off increasing vaccination rates, economic stimulus, pent-up consumer demand, and loose monetary policy… There it is again… the unmistakable aroma of executive opportunity. Naturally, many…

Mix low inflation, government largess, easy money, pent-up consumer demand, low business investment, and vast amounts of hoarded cash… and what do you get? Once the pandemic eases, we predict a return to the Roaring Twenties. Economic news outlets such as Kiplinger may highlight higher inflation in 2021, but the picture is mixed when you look at specific sectors. For example, used c…

There seem to be two prevailing theories on offer at the moment regarding the economic cycle: A) Too much fiscal stimulus will ignite inflation and lead to recession.; or B) well timed and adequate stimulus combined with the broad success in vaccination will allow for a sustained and full-throated return to something approximating economic normalcy. So do you expect a V-shaped recovery, a b…

The catalyzing effect of Covid on a job search. I occasionally like to check in with journalist and colleague, Julie Norwell, who interviews our successfully landed clients about their experiences and shares them in the Success Studies page of our website. Through this work, Julie has a broad perspective about the experiences of our clients that may be interesting and useful to prospective or a…

Crude oil has recovered somewhat from the Covid-19 shock to consumption.  This reminds me of Jonathan Swift’s famous quip: “Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.”  But is the recovery in oil prices reason to cheer?  In the short term, perhaps, unless you focus on climate change, but let us consider the oil business’ broader future. There are multiple signs that a tectonic shift is ta…

Here I am continuing my interviews with a number of retailers.  All of them have interesting stories to tell about how Covid-19 transformed their businesses.  None of them are willing to state their names.  So we’ll handle these stories anonymously. Let’s continue with a major pharmacy retailer — a household name — selling billions of dollars to consumers in the US.  I spoke with their VP for…

Recently I have interviewed a number of retailers.  All of them have interesting stories to tell about how Covid-19 transformed their businesses.  None of them are willing to state their names.  So we’ll handle these stories anonymously. Let’s begin with a major branded retailer—a household name—selling billions of dollars of apparel to consumers worldwide.  I spoke with their SVP for t…

We are all essentially blind-sided by the limits of being human.  We can only know what we feel, observe, and think.  Everything else is actually an assumption.  So of course we experience everything through the lens of our experience and personality. Why so philosophical today, you might ask? Because this point is critical to your job search.  If you only see yourself from your own perspecti…

Looking for a new job can be a very lonely experience. You may often feel like you are alone in your quest.. It can be demotivating–submitting so many resumes to on-line job boards and receiving either a rejection or no response at all. Or reaching out to recruiters who may be open to talking (or not) but can only help if they have a relevant vacancy. Friends and acquaintances may liste…