Chance plays an undeniable role in our lives.  We have so many expressions reflecting this: roll the dice, lady luck, fortune favors the bold… and many sayings to help us respond… play the hand you are dealt, roll with the punches, anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… What do you do when you encounter five coyotes? But when chance presents you with the opportunity to make a rapid…

Let’s face it: this is a complicated employment market for executives.  So let’s assume that after trying to find a good job for some weeks (or months). You have finally decided to get serious and hire a professional (ideally, the Barrett Group) to help you accelerate your job search process. Like the more than 100 TBG executive clients who have already landed since April.  (Read More.)  Will y…

As Covid-19 resurges, regional economies prepare for a new lock-down. Some industries contemplate shedding even more jobs. It is easy and natural to feel depressed and helpless.  So let us share 100 Reasons for Optimism with you as a small light in a dark time. Since Covid-19 became serious in April we have now helped more than 100 executive clients land jobs. Most clients had significant incr…

“I’m going to try it on my own first.” We hear this fateful phrase from prospects quite often. These prospects are usually a little bit younger (and less experienced) executives. They are hesitant to invest in their careers and want to try their luck. Some of these succeed, of course. But none of them have our experience in helping executives find jobs. How could they? We’ve been helping cli…

Would it matter to you if your doctor, dentist, auto mechanic, or tax preparer was an expert in your industry? Probably not. You most likely see their fields of endeavor and experience as being distinct and separate from your own industry experience. Yet, sometimes prospective clients ask us in effect whether we are an expert in their particular industry, to which I say… “Oh, I see. You ar…

On the North California coast (and probably elsewhere in the world) you will see wave signs sometimes saying, “Never turn your back on the ocean.” This is because freak waves occasionally visit these areas. These waves can take you by surprise if you do not keep your eyes open. The same is unfortunately true of our economy at the moment as the wave of economic reinvention is forcing their …

Clients come to us looking for support in their executive career searches. They vary by personality and experience as much as the rest of the population—with one exception. Often these high-powered executives think they know everything there is to know about money and negotiation. Perhaps in their respective fields, they do! However, when they negotiate their own compensation, they typical…

Why should you pay to play for career management services and what difference can that make? I’m probably an unusual case in that I have paid for career management services five times in my life. Why did I pay to play: in each case I knew I needed help. The scope of services varied significantly, but in 80% of the cases the investment paid off, and my return exceeds 2,000%, so, it is no wonder …

Your job is not your life. You may already know this, but some of us have to discover it the hard way. In my case, this lesson came as a sudden derailment to my plans. I was expecting a promotion when the divisional presidency abruptly changed. The new president brought in his “cronies” and a lot of worthy people had to go to make room. So there I was—having built a $100 million dollar bus…

Clearly, this is not the vertical lift-off politicians were hoping for. In fact, the recovery, if there is one, is more like a patchwork quilt. Certain areas and industries are performing better while others suffer. Perhaps you should not wait for the world to catch up. Perhaps you should instead lay plans for your own personal economic recovery. Let’s find out. Fortune has a great map of the…