“AwesomeLikeUmYouKnow.” How you speak is as much part of your “packaging” as is your resume or LinkedIn profile. Sooner or later in the career change process you will inevitably speak to potential employers. Will they understand you or even take you seriously if you use phrases like “AwesomeLikeUmYouKnow?” Some years ago, I was working with a young executive. We were developing his skills and …

At the moment I am working on a review of the economic data that is emerging showing a weakening world economy increasingly supported by government largesse (at the taxpayer’s expense). It is a worrisome picture and I will address it again soon, however, in spite of the general gloom, we helped seven clients land jobs last week—seven in one week! We must be doing something right! Ce…

A success story. When a particular prospective client asked to speak to me, he did so because he had heard that I have successfully used career management resources in Europe. He wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. He was considering hiring the Barrett Group at the time to help him exit unemployment and find a great job that matched his career aspirations. To preserve conf…

You may have heard the expression on occasion, “My eyes were suddenly opened.” Metaphorically, this means that we come to a new understanding. We see things differently. We adopt a different and new perspective. In my case, I suffered from radial cataracts (as no doubt do many people) that cause a painful reaction to bright, glaring light as the illumination is scattered unproductively a…

Hurray! As we look back at the second quarter, we can report solid success for our clients. Fifty-three of our clients landed executive jobs during that quarter—in the middle of an economic crisis and pandemic. Hurray! These clients deserve a lot of the credit because career change is not a walk in the park. It requires discipline and focus. They were supported by our talented team of c…

Your inner voice. There are so many reasons not to listen to your inner voice. Fear. Urgency.  External demands.  Confusion.  Inaccurate information… These are just a few of them.  In fact, in general it is probably easier to be distracted than to be attentive. For example, when I decided to move back to the US after twenty-plus years in Europe, I hired the Barrett Group to help me find my nex…

One September, I was the Director of Association Relations for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions based in Virginia, USA. Then in November, I stood smiling in front of a post-communist management team of a chicken and egg processing facility in Moravia (then Czechoslovakia) and explained through an interpreter that my employer had hired me to privatize the f…

On June 1st, Forbes Media and Statista gave The Barrett Group a two-sided honor. They recognized The Barrett Group as one of America’s Best Recruiting Firms 2020 in the Executive Search category. This is a great honor. Of the thousands of firms nationwide considered, only the top 200 executive search firms specialized in filling positions with salaries of at least $100,000 received this ranki…

What does the phrase “Two heads are better than one” mean? Sometimes it simply means sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone you trust who can give you an external perspective. From a career point of view in my experience, people appreciate a second opinion. They value the professional advice they receive from experts. In any case, personally or professionally there is much truth to thi…

“Your money or your life?” We have usually associated these words with an act of robbery, however, now they seem to be more related to employment.  At many levels of society people are making the choice to work and expose themselves to the Covid-19 virus or to minimize their exposure—with sometimes dire economic consequences. But could health be overrated?  Recently I was shocked to read thes…