06-02-21

The Hiring Line:

1. George is standing center stage as the curtain goes up: “As we discussed jubilantly, V. accepted a position as Project Manager for a boutique management consulting firm. Following our coaching, he got them to increase his salary $5k, his signing bonus $5k. Also, they originally didn’t offer him relocation and he got them to give him a $2.5k relo package!

   V. did a great job at mastering our tools and getting many 1st interviews and a few 2nd interviews but just couldn’t quite get past that. Waffles joined me on several calls, and now, 11½ months after his Orientation, he has landed! Very exciting for all. I hope he will give us a testimonial.

   They had reached out to him directly on V.’s TBG-written LI page. He will be on the regulatory side. $125k base + 18% bonus + $10k Signing bonus! Yay, V.!”

   Thanks for your steadfast devotion to service and believing in your client, George!

The Big Turnaround: The Counteroffer!

1. It has been TBG’s policy for many years to advise against accepting a counteroffer from your employer after you have given your resignation notice. Well, here is the exception to the rule, and Julie and Waffles were impressed with V.’s reasoning and agreed with him:

   “I am planning to stay after talking to few people. The main 10 drivers for staying [at my current employer] after the revised offer estimates are:

   1. Base salary same in both the companies

   2. Opportunity to earn the bonus payout is immediate in 2021 and in [the other company] it is 2022 (need to be employed in May for the bonus to be paid out in November)

   3. Earning potential upside of 51% compared [to the other company] (conservative estimate on fair market value based on recent funding and 3-times return)

   4. Growth Opportunity faster [at my current employer] to VP (2 years – conservative) versus [the other company] to Managing Partner (3 to 4 years – conservative). The base salary will be similar at both the companies.

   5. The bonus [at the other company] is capped at 20%, whereas [at my current employer], it can be upside between 20% to 50% of base salary.

   6. The [other company] gives stability to be in one company for the next 10 years. [The current employer] opens the door to work at Senior level in other startup companies with stock options.

   7. [Current employer provides] access to use new generation software tools, whereas [the other] has traditional software tools.

   8. [Current employer offers the] opportunity to build something at scale, e.g. leading the team to their $1m monthly recurring rate this quarter and build it to $1bn in 4 years. [At the other company,] the scale to build will be traditional and slow.

   9. [Commute at my current employer is a] 10 min drive to work, 10% travel; [the other company requires] 45 min drive to work, 70% travel.

   10. Unlimited holidays and sick days [at current employer, the other has a] traditional holiday structure.”

Offers:

1. M.’s patience has paid off, just like Waffles said it would!

   “Good news – I received the verbal offer from [an ed tech firm]. They’ve moved quite a bit in what they were originally offering, although I haven’t received the paperwork yet. It will be a VP, Associate General Counsel role at $240k a year, which is a considerable bump to what I am making now, plus a $20k signing bonus. I would also be eligible for a bonus in 6 months (they do reviews/bonuses/raises every 6 months).”

   Let the negotiations begin, M.!

2. Paula’s client T. will receive an offer from an operator of travel centers for a Regional Manager role. Fingers crossed, Paula!

3. Isabelita checks in: her client A. received an initial (verbal) offer from a money transfer / fintech company:

   “I spoke to the GM yesterday and we’re in the process of setting up a call with the CEO. The current GM was transparent in stating his current package 120K + 20% bonus which I stated was considerably lower than my expectations. He must have shared my expectations with the CEO, because I’ve been invited to meet him. You’ll hear from me later this week with another update.”

   Stay with her, Isabelita!

Interviews Advance:

The first four are from Paula:

1. S. has his 1st formal interview with a consulting company (he previously met earlier with two partners via a referral), with HR for a Biz Dev or Operations Leadership role. Eggs in different baskets: he also has the interview with the Hiring Manager at a wireless operator (first was with HR) for an Executive role.

2. B. is waiting to hear if she is going to the FINAL interviews with an automotive parts supplier for a global exec supply chain role.

3. C. has had his 3rd interview with a software company for a CIO type of role – awaiting additional updates.

4. C. is advancing in his interviews with an electric car company for a role in RE Development and Management.

   Busy week, Paula!

5. Lori’s client S. has been unanimously voted to round 2 by the Board and is being flown out to the Midwest for her 2nd interview for the CEO role to meet with the Board of Trustees. She is one of two candidates being considered for the role. She developed a 30, 60, 90-day plan, which she is going to present during her interview! Yay S. 🙂 😊

6. Julie’s client H. Send this update:

   “I had 4 interviews in a row this week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and today. Really tiring!
   My 2nd interview with [a chemical company], which was Monday, went really well and they want me now to a 3rd round, face to face. They were quick to make the decision to move me to 3rd round. The next day, my recruiter told me the news: it will be June 4. This role is by far the best match. The 3rd round interview is with two other senior technology managers and the HR rep, who actually phone-interviewed me two weeks ago. So, very exciting! I hope it’s the last round. I am really exhausted… but I really like the job, company and the role.”

Interviews:

1. Vivek’s client L. sent us her quick notes:

   “Met with the Recruiter for [a recreation products company]. My resume was sent her way by a colleague. The role is very similar to my current role, which is focused on material development. She had me walk through my resume and then gave me more specifics of the role. When we got to the salary piece, we realized that we were further apart, which was not a surprise to either of us. We plan to keep in touch for other opportunities that may be of interest to me in the future.”

2. K. shared this with Lori and Waffles:

   “I’ve had some first interviews since [a freight network]. One with [a logistics provider] and another with [a food delivery company] because why not?

   As you may remember I’ve been volunteering as a veteran counselor at [a homeless shelter] for a few years now. And I found an opportunity there that interests me greatly.

   It’s a fundraising outreach role and I just secured an interview with a decision maker for next Friday.”

   What a great fit for you, K., keep up the great work!

3. Jerry’s client J. had an interview with a manufacturers association this week.

   Isabelita meets us for thick Turkish coffee, across the street from the Minaret:

4. K. interviewed this week at a medical devices company in the Middle East for the Pricing & Tender Management Director EEMEA opportunity.

5. C. is in his first week of the program – same day of 1st session, he already landed the first job interview with a food & beverage company.

6. M. – Ongoing compliance with our techniques on LinkedIn. Landed a new job interview with a recruiter for a VP Global Demanding role for a leading manufacturing firm.

7. A.’s second appearance today: She has an interview with a fintech startup Modulr for a GM role scheduled for later this week!

8. George’s Notes: T. currently lives in Europe. He is excited because the Chief Data Officer position for a luxury products company would be in T.’s home! It’s the right job for him and he believes the pay would be acceptable.

9. D. followed Paula and Jayson’s advice in his messaging and introductions to have 10 recruiter calls this week (100%) of his outreach. He is also interviewing at the Board and C-Suite levels for three companies this week (2 former employers…)

10. Paula’s delighted: through a former boss, A. is in early discussions for a senior role with a start-up in his target relocation spot!

Appreciation:

1. Client inspired to become a career consultant by his work with The Barrett Group (just like Waffles)!

   “Dear Isabelita:

   It was again a pleasure and very insightful to exchange productive thoughts and interesting ideas during our recent call.

   I am fully enjoying the TBG Career development sessions during the last three months. Your usual support, coaching and guidance is very much enriching and highly appreciated.

   With over 30 years of my working experience in various senior leadership positions at the local, regional and global level, I assumed that my next career path should also continue as a C-level executive, hence I enrolled for TBG’s career development plan in February 2021.

   However, after successfully completing TBG’s Clarity Program with you, it was very clear to me that my priorities need to be revisited and aligned with my strengths, happiness and well-being to ensure that I have proper work life balance, avoid the usual corporate grind, and add value to support other people for their development. As a C-level executive, I was fortunate to have extensive experience of working with people from various countries and cultures.

   I successfully set up business service processes in UAE, Iraq, KSA, USA, Kuwait, Africa, Brazil, Lebanon and Turkey, involving key functions for people associated with Finance, HR, Admin, Talent Management, Legal, Risk & Compliance, Audit, IT infra, IT security , IT applications viz ERP, TOS, CRM, Digital transformation, Operations, ISO, HSE, Projects, Investments, Commercial/ Business growth, Restructuring, Training , Organizational Development, Performance Management, and so on.

   As a business leader, I always enjoyed working with large teams of people and actively associated with mentoring, coaching, training, and developing talents with due care, empathy, and compassion wherever applicable so that teams remain empowered, motivated, and focused to achieve the desired goals, so that everyone grows and wins together.

   Over the years, I have been regularly contacted by friends and colleagues for guidance consultation and motivational advice for career move, education road map, to pave the way for meaningful growth, employment prospects, career counseling, and coaching. I have been supporting and helping people on a Pro-Bono basis.

   As discussed, I am now in the final phase of my career path, I would like to embark on a journey of productively utilizing my communication, interpersonal and leadership skills by sharing my several years of successful experience by doing what I enjoy the most, i.e., career consulting, motivating and coaching people.

   I would appreciate your support and guidance in exploring suitable executive career consulting and coaching opportunities, preferably with TBG, with whom I have already developed a very close bond during the recent months.

   Many thanks in advance for your understanding and support.

   Kind Regards,

   R.”

2. Isabelita’s client H. shared this:
   

   “Isabelita is transparent and thoughtful to others. I came to her with The Barrett Group and I was in a devastated mood. With her knowledge and experience she managed to flip that mood and helped me in negotiating my latest job successfully. I recommend her for anyone who is having difficulty in landing the proper job. Thank you for all the great work you did with me.”

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