Success Studies

Client:

David Ludwig was executive director of a network of state agencies in Iowa that provide educational support services to schools. 

Industry:

Education, Government Relations, Cybersecurity

Challenge:

David’s position was eliminated when Covid hit, but during the pandemic he struggled to find an appealing new position.

Process:

David reassessed his interests, cultivated his network on LinkedIn, and allowed himself to consider opportunities outside the education world where he’d spent his career.

Landing:

David was hired by a long-standing business contact to be VP of sales and a founding member of a cybersecurity startup company.

Study:

As state executive director of a network of state agencies that provide support services to public and nonpublic schools in Iowa, David Ludwig was charged with establishing and coordinating the equitable distribution of educational support services to all students in the state. The position combined principles that David had spent his career championing, notably the education of children and building efficient and effective organizational systems. He had performed the same role successfully for five years in Nebraska and hoped to continue the same work in his new job in Iowa.

Within a year, however, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and David’s job was eliminated. It proved to be a difficult time to launch a job search. 

“I was looking for a role as a district superintendent. I had a good resume and a lot of experience at the local, state, and national level, but when Covid hit they weren’t hiring for a lot of these positions,” said David. “So, I started to think about transitioning to the business sector.”

That’s when David stumbled across The Barrett Group (TBG) and realized that its services were exactly what he needed at this point in his career.

“That period was a transition for me. The more I learned about The Barrett Group’s services and its team, the more I realized that the company’s goal is to build a system for me to effectively transition my career from education to business. I felt that The Barrett Group’s mission wasn’t just to get me a job, it was to help me find the career I wanted – and to be a partner in my job search.”

David found TBG’s Clarity Program sessions exceedingly valuable both in helping him decompress after a stressful year and in teasing out strengths and interests of his to which he’d previously paid little attention.  

“Laura Leaton and I really hit it off well. Laura got that spark back into me. Working with her, I was able to refocus. I learned from the personality assessments she had me take that technology is one of my fortes. She got me thinking about how I could incorporate it into my life.” 

Although David didn’t have a formal background in technology, he came to see how he’d often incorporated it into his work.

“As state executive of Nebraska, one of my initiatives was to build a database for all the staff and student records in the state and a statewide data ecosystem. We wanted to build a single sign-on system and a portal. We wrote – and won – a grant to get funding for the project,” said David. “Working with Laura, and later Jerry, my career consultant, I started to realize that technology is where my love is even though my background is special education.” 

After the Clarity Program, David worked with Jerry Fronczak to revamp his resume and tailor it for the business world. Then he redid his LinkedIn profile and learned how to use the platform more effectively in a job search.

“I was active on LinkedIn before, but I learned a lot more about the depth and breadth of what you can do with it through Jerry,” said David.

Jerry showed David how to build up his LinkedIn connections, and then they began interview coaching sessions.

“Jerry has such tremendous business background. It was great to be able to pick his brain about how best to set a direction forward.” 

With Jerry as a resource, David applied for dozens of jobs, most of which were in education, but they either went nowhere or were unappealing. He came to realize that he had less and less interest in working with school boards and even within a school system. Although he had little experience and few contacts in the technology space to leverage, he continued to develop his base of contacts and waited for the universe to respond. 

On December 31, 2020, the universe responded.

“I got a call from an entrepreneur I’d known professionally for four or five years. He had started three successful businesses and was launching his fourth– a cybersecurity business,” said David. “The company assesses the cyber health of major organizations and makes recommendations to them on how to improve it. Their target clientele includes businesses, government, health care agencies – and educational organizations. He thought someone with my background could be very helpful in developing the business.”

David was offered the position of VP of sales, a role that sounded perfect…almost. In truth, the commission-based-only compensation gave him pause at first, but David has full confidence in the founder’s ability to create another great company, not only because of his record of success, but also because of the caliber of the team he’s bringing in. David is also very excited about the financial potential and the numerous future opportunities the job offers.

“The services provided by my new company are exactly what I was working on with my initiative in Nebraska. And now I’m in a position to help my former colleagues fulfill the grant we were awarded.” 

Best of all for David is that he now has the greatest office of his career.

“We bought a vacation home on Lake of the Ozarks a few years ago, planning to retire here. Now it is home and I get to start a new career from here.”

David couldn’t be happier to be launching an exciting new career in technology.

“If I didn’t have The Barrett Group, I’d probably still be looking for a state superintendent job somewhere. This transition is exactly what I needed. The Barrett Group has done a phenomenal job for me.”

Client:

Agata Lewandowska was head of administration and facility management at the Polish affiliate of a multinational engineering and technology company. 

Industry:

Administration, Engineering, Technology, Finance, Health, Non-Profit, Audit

Challenge:

When her husband was offered a job in Geneva, Agata quit her own job in Warsaw and looked for a new one in Switzerland, but job hunting was challenging in another country.

Process:

Agata revised her CV and LinkedIn profile and worked hard to develop a network of contacts in Geneva where she knew no one.

Landing:

Within about three months, Agata was offered a position as an operational efficiency consultant at a major non-governmental organization with a much better compensation package than she’d expected.

Study:

Agata Lewandowska was head of administration and facility manager at the Polish affiliate of a multinational engineering and technology company in Warsaw. She loved her job and was highly valued by the company for her skill in optimizing processes and creating efficiencies. However, she and her husband hankered for adventure, and they knew that they were unlikely to come by it unless they actively took steps to make it happen. 

“I adored working at my company, but we wanted a change. Our life was very comfortable, but if you don’t consciously change things, you could do the same thing for your whole life,” said Agata. “So, my husband took a job in Switzerland, and we moved to Geneva.”

The move was good timing for Agata who was pursuing an MBA at the time and was stretched thin by the demands of her intensive academic load on top of work and family responsibilities. She left her job and spent her first year in Switzerland concentrating on completing her degree. Although she welcomed the relative break it afforded her, Agata’s new normal required her to fly back to Warsaw each weekend for classes and exams and left her no time to develop relationships in Switzerland.

As soon as she graduated, Agata was eager to get back to work. She had been out of the workforce for 10 months, by that point, but figured that having an MBA would open new doors for her. She underestimated the hurdles she would encounter, however.

“In Geneva they speak French. To work as a head administration or facility manager again, I’d have to speak fluent French, which I don’t – I speak French at an intermediate level. So, I thought I would target a role as a business analyst or project manager at an international company because I have solid experience in those two areas and, at an international company, I could use English,” said Agata. 

Agata was industry-agnostic, which should have made her job search easier, but no matter how many jobs she applied to, no matter how well she fit an advertised position, her search went nowhere. 

“I updated my CV and applied for numerous positions, but I got no responses at all. Nothing. It was like I was sending applications into the depths of the universe,” said Agata. “Many people told me I should forget about my experience and apply for junior roles, but I didn’t want to take a huge step back in my career. After three months, I knew I needed help.” 

That’s when Agata found The Barrett Group.

“I had a list of top-level headhunters from my MBA program, but I didn’t want a headhunter. I wanted a job. Headhunters just try to fit people into jobs that are available. I wanted an organization with a different approach. The Barrett Group was the only company of this kind that I found.” 

Agata started the Clarity program in December and valued the confirmation it gave her of her strengths and attributes. 

“I have undergone lots of training and development programs, so I wasn’t surprised by the outcomes of the Clarity assessments, but after being out of work for so long I had started to doubt the value that I offer employers,” said Agata. “Clarity not only affirmed that, but also it gave me a good idea of how to leverage my strengths and discuss my weaknesses in a realistic and positive way.” 

In the next phase of TBG’s program, Agata worked with her coach to revise her CV, her motivation letter, and her LinkedIn profile. At the same time, her coach gave her exercises to begin building her network. 

“It felt like the revision of my documents took a long time, but I realized later that it was designed that way to give me time to do the networking exercises. I had little experience with that, and I had very few contacts at all in Switzerland – 95% of my network was in Poland,” said Agata. 

Agata’s coach, Rebeca Gelencser, had her start by reaching out to contacts in Poland to get used to the process. Then she showed her how to reach out to people in Switzerland.  

“I didn’t have a lot of confidence at that point, but Rebeca was so supportive of me. She seemed more confident in me than I was in myself!” said Agata.

As Agata developed her network, Rebeca showed her how best to communicate her skills. 

“After about a month, I could see things starting to roll. I would talk to someone, who gave me the contact information of someone else. It was a really precious exercise,” said Agata. “To be honest, I never got to the point where I felt entirely comfortable with it because then I found a job!”

Agata’s coach learned of a great opportunity and brought it to Agata’s attention. 

“Rebeca saw a position for process optimization at a major non-governmental funding organization and connected me with the recruiter. This was the first job I applied to for which I felt my skills matched 100% and which also matched my requirements. It seemed perfect for me.”

After submitting a CV, Agata was invited to interview and take an assessment. She was delighted when the recruiter then invited her to apply for a second position in a different department.

“I was pursuing opportunities in two different departments. I finally got an offer from the first one, which I preferred. The offer was way higher than I expected, and I accepted it without waiting to hear about the second position.”

Agata is delighted to be back to work and in a role that offers challenge commensurate with her experience. The uniqueness of her success isn’t lost on her.

“It’s really hard to get a job if you arrive unemployed in a country where you have no network. All the immigrants I know in Switzerland said it was inevitable that I would have to take a lower-level position.”

Agata credits The Barrett Group program, and especially her coach, for helping her to forge a new path.

“I used to wonder who on earth would pay for a coach. I felt that I could always motivate myself – but that isn’t always the case. I often felt so discouraged. But Rebeca gave me strength and optimism after every conversation. She made me feel that I could do it,” said Agata. “The Barrett Group was so valuable because it offered me a different approach. I’m not yet comfortable with networking, but I’m sold on the process, and I’m going to keep working at it.”

Photo: 123rf.com

Client:

Lisa was the office administrator for a regional office of an international law firm and another office that housed all the firm’s back-office support. 

Industry:

Law, Administration

Challenge:

For family reasons, Lisa wanted to relocate from the Midwest to the Northeast, but she was unsuccessful in finding a new position on her own during the pandemic.

Process:

Lisa benefited most by leveraging her network, which included utilizing new technical skills on LinkedIn and robustly growing her LinkedIn connections.

Landing:

Lisa took a position as executive director of a law firm in Massachusetts where she oversees the operations of the firm’s five law offices.

Study:

Lisa spent five years as office administrator for an international law firm, a role in which she was responsible for managing the operations and facilities of a legal office in Kansas City and a second office that housed the firm’s entire back-office support. Lisa loved her job, but in 2020 she had to leave it. The combined catalysts of her children graduating from college and moving outside of Kansas and her growing concerns about her distance from other family members in Connecticut amidst a pandemic compelled Lisa to relocate to the Northeast. Unfortunately, her firm didn’t have any openings for her there. Lisa knew she would have to find a new job, and her firm graciously allowed her to continue working remotely until she did. Between moving and working full-time, though, Lisa was very busy and had little success with her job search. 

“I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own,” said Lisa. “After three months I decided to hire someone to help me.”

She researched professional coaches online and found The Barrett Group (TBG). She liked the company’s unique approach. Its programming seemed extensive, introspective, and educational, services which promised to be relevant both immediately and in the future.

“I thought Clarity was super interesting,” said Lisa. “I learned a lot about the way I handle things in business, what kind of professional personality I have, and where I best fit culture-wise. (It has to be fast-paced and organized!)”

In her career transition, Lisa was open to considering a different sized firm, a new industry, and other changes. For her, the most important factor was location – it had to be close to her family.

When Lisa began working with her career consultant, they reworked her resume and went through other elements of the TBG program. But the area where Lisa had the most to gain was in building up and using her network.

“I had a lot to learn there. For me, that was the hardest task,” said Lisa. “Julie told me to call this person and that person. She coached me to ask them for advice, not a job. I’m not shy, but I thought it was all nonsense at first. I didn’t think networking would work. But it does. I finally came to that realization as I started talking to people. I thought, Wow! This person knows another person who has a job opening that he thinks I should apply for. The seven degrees of separation thing is amazing!”

Lisa ultimately became convinced about the merits of having a good network.

“In the beginning, I kept fighting it, but I finally learned to just follow the program. When I did do the work, I was asked to do, the program worked!” said Lisa.  

Lisa’s coach also taught her a lot about how to utilize LinkedIn. 

“I hadn’t really used LinkedIn a lot and it was a good education,” said Lisa. “I learned a lot about searching for people and positions, and how to connect with people I didn’t already know. When I started, I had only 20 people in my LinkedIn network; now I have over 300 people. I now recognize that LinkedIn is a great career tool – one I can use going forward.”

Three months after signing on with The Barrett Group, Lisa’s job search bore fruit, thanks partly to her newfound skills in building and leveraging her network, and partly to aggressively pursuing a job opening that seemed to be a stretch position.

“I saw a role advertised online for an executive director at a law firm in Massachusetts and I started working it. My resume didn’t match the job description, but I know law firms and what they are looking for. I knew I could do that job,” said Lisa.

As luck would have it, Lisa discovered that she had two solid connections to the firm in her network. The first was a friend at a different law firm who knew the person vacating the advertised role. The second was her cousin, whose boss knew the hiring manager for the open position. In both cases, she was able to garner a good word made on her behalf to the company when she submitted her resume and cover letter.

“Those connections helped me get the job,” said Lisa. 

For Lisa, the new job checks a lot of her boxes, including great salary and benefits, having a decision-making role, advancing from office administrator to an executive director title – an admirable promotion – and, most importantly, the ability to relocate closer to family. 

“Those are all huge. I didn’t believe in the usefulness of networks before, but that is what helped me get in the door. Knowing how to network is now one of my skills, and I feel 100% certain that it will be helpful going forward.”

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. 

Client:

Bob Meara spent 20 years coordinating and developing advertising and marketing needs for New Jersey auto dealers.

Industry:

Advertising, Digital Retailing, Marketing, Automotive

Challenge:

When new senior leadership made corporate changes Bob disagreed with, he decided to leave. But after 20 years at one company he didn’t know where to start.

Process:

Bob prepped his resume to circumvent ATS filters, cultivated new contacts on LinkedIn, and patiently monitored LinkedIn for his ideal position.

Landing:

Despite the economic toll of the pandemic, Bob hopscotched from one new position to an even better one, now making triple the compensation.

Study:

As an automotive account executive in the advertising sales division of a major cable company, Bob Meara coordinated and developed digital marketing needs and video solutions for local automotive advertisers in New Jersey. He managed a team of marketing experts and a portfolio of over 25 clients. He’d spent 20 years with the company, but when changes from new senior leadership were no longer working for him or his clients, he knew it was time to move on. 

It wasn’t long after Bob first began looking for new opportunities that he decided to hire a professional. 

“I hadn’t written a resume or been on an interview in 20 years,” said Bob. “I wanted help getting my head together and to talk to someone with job market experience.”  

Bob was drawn by the breadth of experience offered by the The Barrett Group (TBG). He launched into the program and started networking, even as he continued to work, and quickly saw some promising leads develop. 

Then the Covid-19 crisis hit.

“All the people I had talked to went on a hiring freeze,” said Bob. 

Consumer purchases for cars plummeted, auto dealers cut their local advertising – in short, the auto industry took a hammering. Bob remained committed to a career change, but he discovered some surprises in the job market. 

“Everything is different. People don’t read resumes, computers read them. And computers weed out resumes by key buzz words,” said Bob. “You’re competing with many more people.”

Bob appreciated that TBG was prepared to help him navigate all these challenges, starting with the Clarity program, which confirmed what he wanted to pursue – digital retail marketing. He launched into the TBG process. Bob found his weekly meetings with George Shultz, his personal career consultant, to be the most valuable part of his experience. 

“George took the time to understand my current business and circumstances. He made the effort to learn what motives me – what makes me tick,” said Bob. “He told me all about the unpublished market. I never thought about that stuff before. It was very instrumental.”

Bob also found the expert help on rewriting his resume and LinkedIn profile to be very helpful.

“I don’t know what people are looking for in a resume or in a LinkedIn profile, but The Barrett Group showcased my attributes in a way that was very appealing to recruiters,” said Bob.

When it came to interviewing, Bob felt totally prepared. 

“They told me all the questions I should expect to be asked so I would never be surprised. Then we rehearsed my answers,” said Bob. “By the time we were done, I had my pitch in my head and nothing felt too hard to answer.”

Five months after beginning the TBG program, Bob responded to a job posting and landed a position in digital retail marketing. At first it seemed like an ideal job. It offered him a great opportunity with potentially limitless compensation, but within a few months he came to feel that his expectations would go unfulfilled. 

“The way it was painted for me was different from how it was. There was no upward mobility and I realized I wouldn’t be able to make the income I’d like,” said Bob.

So, Bob reconnected with his TBG career consultant to explore better opportunities. 

“George and I reviewed how to utilize LinkedIn to the fullest to be sure that I was running on all cylinders. He also coached me how to explain to another potential employer why I had left a job after only four months.”

One day Bob noticed a position open up at a company that he’d been following for a year on LinkedIn. He had been in talks with them about a position a year earlier, but when the pandemic hit the company froze all hiring. Bob was delighted to see that the new position was even better than the original one. Fortunately, Bob had actively maintained his contacts at the company and called them directly.

“They were impressed that I had continued to follow them throughout the pandemic and said, ‘This is the guy we need – someone who is going to create his own luck!’”  

Bob is thrilled to have begun a position as regional sales director for the Northeast for an automotive marketing company – a position at which he now makes three times in compensation what he made a year before. 

“I’m so appreciative of George and The Barrett Group for what they’ve done for me,” said Bob. “With their help, I was able to land two jobs within 12 months. Their program works – the proof is in the pudding!”

Client:

Bob Meara spent 20 years coordinating and developing advertising and marketing needs for New Jersey auto dealers.

Industry:

Software Development & Design

Challenge:

When new senior leadership made corporate changes Bob disagreed with, he decided to leave. But after 20 years at one company he didn’t know where to start.

Process:

Bob prepped his resume to circumvent ATS filters and positioned himself as the ideal candidate for a job even in the absence of social capital.

Landing:

Despite the economic toll of the pandemic, Bob landed an exciting position in a related industry that has much more growth and compensation potential.

Study:

As an automotive account executive in the advertising sales division of a major cable company, Bob Meara coordinated and developed digital marketing needs and video solutions for local automotive advertisers in New Jersey. He managed a team of marketing experts and a portfolio of over 25 clients. He’d spent 20 years with the company, but when changes from new senior leadership were no longer working for him or his clients, he knew it was time to move on.

It wasn’t long after Bob first began looking for new opportunities that he decided to hire a professional.

“I hadn’t written a resume or been on an interview in 20 years,” said Bob. “I wanted help getting my head together and to talk to someone with job market experience.”

Bob was drawn by the breadth of experience offered by the The Barrett Group (TBG). He launched into the program and started networking, even as he continued to work, and quickly saw some promising leads develop.

Then the Covid-19 crisis hit.

“All the people I had talked to went on a hiring freeze,” said Bob.

Consumer purchases for cars plummeted, auto dealers cut their local advertising – in short, the auto industry took a hammering. Bob remained committed to a career change, but he discovered some surprises in the job market.

“Everything is different. People don’t read resumes, computers read them. And computers weed out resumes by key buzz words,” said Bob. “You’re competing with many more people.”

Bob appreciated that TBG was prepared to help him navigate all these changes, starting with the Clarity program, which confirmed what he wanted to pursue – digital retail marketing. He launched into the TBG process. Bob found his weekly meetings with George Schulz, his personal career consultant, to be the most valuable part of his experience.

“George took the time to understand my current business and circumstances. He made the effort to learn what motives me – what makes me tick,” said Bob. “He told me all about the unpublished market. I never thought about that stuff before. It was very instrumental.”

Bob also found the expert help on rewriting his resume and LinkedIn profile to be very helpful.

“I don’t know what people are looking for in a resume or in a LinkedIn profile, but The Barrett Group showcased my attributes in a way that was very appealing to recruiters,” said Bob.

When it came to interviewing, Bob felt totally prepared.

“They told me all the questions I should expect to be asked so I would never be surprised. Then we rehearsed my answers,” said Bob. “By the time we were done, I had my pitch in my head and nothing felt too hard to answer.”

Bob ultimately found his ideal job – in digital retail marketing – from a job posting. And all of his coaching prepared him to know what to do to land it. He’s thrilled by the new opportunity. The company is relatively new, the territory is untapped, and he faces no internal competition. As for compensation, “The sky is the limit!” he says.

“The Barrett Group helped me know the right timing of when to follow up on things,” said Bob. “And the really important thing I learned is to be sure to pick the keywords out of the job description and put them on my resume. Playing that game gets you to the head of the table.”

Quotes:

“The Barrett Group helped me know the right timing of when to follow up on things. And the really important thing I learned is to be sure to pick the keywords out of the job description and put them on my resume. Playing that game gets you to the head of the table.”

“They told me all the questions I should expect to be asked so I would never be surprised. Then we rehearsed my answers. By the time we were done, I had my pitch in my head and nothing felt too hard to answer.”

“The Barrett Group provided me a lot of resources to get to the plate and know what to do.”

“George Schulz took the time to understand my current business and circumstances. He made the effort to learn what motives me – what makes me tick. He told me all about the unpublished market. I never thought about that stuff before. It was very instrumental.”

“Everything is different. People don’t read resumes, computers read them. And computers weed out resumes by key buzz words. You’re competing with many more people.”

“I hadn’t written a resume or been on an interview in 20 years. I wanted help getting my head together and to talk to someone with job market experience.”

“I don’t know what people are looking for in a resume or in a LinkedIn profile, but The Barrett Group showcased my attributes in a way that was very appealing to recruiters.”

Client:

Rob Szafraniec was vice president of a national supplier of industrial products and tools and general manager of one of its business divisions.

Industry:

Manufacturing

Challenge:

When his company went bankrupt unexpectedly, Rob found himself cast into the employment market for the first time in over 20 years.

Process:

Rob overhauled his resume, built up his network, and utilized LinkedIn Analytics as he patiently waited for the right opportunity during the Covid slowdown.

Landing:

Rob landed at a company in a parallel industry as general manager of a growing division, a position that ticked every box on his wish list.

Study:

As vice president of a major, Pennsylvania-based industrial MRO distributor and general manager of one of the company’s divisions, Rob Szafraniec co-managed $220 million in revenues, 350 employees, and 22 locations. Rob got his start in the industry when he joined his family’s industrial MRO distribution company in 1999. He helped run the company for 17 years until it was acquired in 2016 by a larger company, which was itself acquired two years later by an even larger company. Through both acquisitions, Rob advanced in position and was expecting to move into the C-level soon when the company suddenly fell on hard times and was forced into a rapid restructuring.

After 23 years at, essentially, the same business, Rob found himself thrust into the employment market with little idea of where to look for a new job.

“Our company hit an iceberg and it eventually shuttered,” said Rob. “I had been swept along with the evolution of this company and had never had to look for a job. I hadn’t updated my resume since 1996.”

Rob tried to reintroduce himself to modern job hunting, but he quickly realized that he needed help.

“I hit the job boards, rewrote my resume, and spruced up my LinkedIn profile, but I didn’t get anywhere,” said Rob. “I was a neophyte. I had no direction or plan.”

Somehow, Rob stumbled upon The Barrett Group (TBG) and reached out for more information. He was surprised by the cost at first, but the more he learned about the program, the more he felt it justified the investment.

“The Barrett Group promised to educate me on how to market myself. That made a lot of sense for me because I hadn’t thought about that in forever,” said Rob.

He found the Clarity Program to be among the most valuable aspects of the whole program.

“Laura and I hit it off fantastically. My sessions with her went very well – not just because she’s so good, but also because it was important for me to understand where I was in my career and in my life and where I wanted to go,” said Rob. “I learned what I liked and what I didn’t like about my previous employment, and how to develop a personal business plan. It was a powerful experience because I’d never done that before.”

One thing Rob learned is that he did not want to travel as much as he had previously done.

“Travel was impacting me more than I realized. Clarity highlighted the need to bring balance back into my life with my next job,” said Rob. “I have little kids, and these are important years. You don’t get those years back.”

In the next phase of the TBG program, Rob dove into restructuring his resume in a way that made his accomplishments shine.

“My background and skills were all there, but it wasn’t coming through on my original resume. The Barrett Group helped me immensely with that,” said Rob.

Rob also took a lot of time to understand how to do effective LinkedIn searches and use LinkedIn Analytics. He also learned how to leverage his social capital.

“The concept of networking wasn’t completely foreign to me, but TBG’s tactics really opened my eyes.” said Rob. “I had spent a lot of time building business contacts for my sales and my business, but I had never really cultivated relationships on a personal level.”

When he finally launched his job search things went well – until Covid hit. All his job opportunities in-process were put on hold.

“It was nerve-wracking,” said Rob. “I wondered if things would ever change, but I stuck to my guns to keep leveraging my social capital and job hunting.”

Rob leaned on his career consultant for support when he needed it, checked LinkedIn frequently, and kept an open mind to opportunities in industries outside his expertise. It took a while, but his patience eventually paid off.

When Rob finally landed, it was through a combination of the published market and leveraging his social capital. After playing around with his settings on LinkedIn, he noticed an interesting job post appear that previous searches had never triggered – a position for director of MRO in the machine tool industry. He researched his network on LinkedIn and discovered that someone he had once worked with over 20 years earlier was employed at the company. Rob reached out to him through LinkedIn to reconnect, then set up a call. Before long, Rob’s former colleague was walking his resume directly to the president’s office for him.

At first, the lead went nowhere. The company wasn’t hiring due to the Covid downturn. But a couple of months later the president reached out to tell Rob that they were ready to move forward. Within two weeks Rob had a fantastic job offer.

Rob’s career consultant coached him through the compensation negotiations, which yielded a package with far superior potential to his last role and a strong opportunity for advancement. Rob couldn’t be happier.

“Without question I’m happier than I was in my previous position,” said Rob. “I could see spending 15 years at this company. I’ve landed a dream come true!”

Client:

In some ways, Lee Price was an untypical client. He had had two exceptionally successful careers, and he was retired when he engaged The Barrett Group.

Industry:

Federal Government

Challenge:

Lee had retired. Then Lee unretired, and that’s how he came to engage The Barrett Group to help him with his third act. The economy and job searching had changed – and he wasn’t sure how to go about it.

Process:

The Barrett Group’s process of course involves all the strategies of a conventional job search, but it also involves unconventional but tried and true strategies, to get your portfolio directly into the hands of key decision makers.

Landing:

“Within twelve weeks of when I signed the contract, I had three quality job offers to choose from. All involved the type of money I wanted to make and were the type of jobs I wanted. And, you know, it’s nice to be in a position where you can pick.”

Study:

Why are successful executives sometimes those most in need of The Barrett Group’s services? They might have a long tenure with one company, or they might, if they do switch companies, do so because they have been recruited or poached. Such was the case with Lee Price.

In some ways, Lee was an untypical client. He had had two exceptionally successful careers, and he was retired when he engaged The Barrett Group. First, a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Naval War College at Newport, Lee had a distinguished career as a Navy pilot, commander, and chief of staff, overseeing pilot training at Whiting Field Naval Air Station. Next, building on his military experience, Lee had a successful second career in the private sector as a director of training for a shipbuilder in Mobile, training or testing nearly 10,000 employees.

Eventually, Lee retired. Then Lee unretired, and that’s how he came to engage The Barrett Group to help him with his third act. “Retirement didn’t turn out to be what I thought it would be. It was pretty boring. After about a month, I decided I needed a job. But the economy wasn’t great and job search had changed so much since I had last looked that I was really unsure how to do it. There were things like LinkedIn that I hadn’t considered, as us old-time Boomers had sort of got left out of that.”

Like many clients, Lee’s engaging The Barrett Group was less an impulsive affair and more a process. He shopped around, talking to several firms, before determining The Barrett Group would be the best for him. And before making it official and engaging them, he went to a career counselor and attended a career conference. “I went to that conference and determined that they weren’t looking for guys like me, that career fairs aren’t for guys with significant experience. They were looking for much younger, cheaper, newer options. So I came back, signed with The Barrett Group, and never looked back. They did everything I expected them to do—and more.”

Lee’s consultant Michael did not whisper sweet nothings to convince him to engage them. Instead, he had serious, sober, realistic conversation with Lee about expectations. “My [consultant] was the one who basically gave me the facts up front. He said, hey, it’s going to take you this long to land a job. He said it would probably take 6 to 18 months to get the type of job I wanted, at the money I wanted, and at a place I would want to be. And he said this is going to be our approach, and this is what we’re going to do. It was actually really good to talk to him about that.”

The Barrett Group’s process of course involves all the strategies of a conventional job search, including identifying attractive openings, submitting applications, and following up on applications. But it also involves unconventional but tried and true strategies, such as doing a sort of end run around HR to get your portfolio directly into the hands of key decision makers. This appealed to Lee, as he sensed the shortcomings of pursing positions through normal channels. “The HR folks are often looking for other types of talent and not the leadership stuff. They don’t really know what to look for in terms of leadership. So I think the key is to get your portfolio into the hands of the leaders of the companies.“

This strategy is executed using two of The Barrett Group’s assets—their deep experience in effectively executing such strategies and their proprietary database. “They teach you what to say and how to follow-up. And, you know, it’s just a matter of people with experience that have done this for a long time teaching you how to do it.” And it is implemented in a broad but not blind or haphazard way. “The Barrett Group has an unbelievable database of who’s who in the corporate world—and in the areas you want. It allows you to write CEOs and COOs directly, and they teach you what to say and how to follow-up.”

So, in the end, was the strategy effective? Absolutely. “It was a different experience and The Barrett Group was responsible for getting my portfolio into the hands of the right people by using their database rather than going through normal channels. And their approach works. It worked very well for me. And I’ve seen it work well for a lot of other people as well.”

Lee and The Barrett Group made a terrific team, and he landed interviews fast. “I don’t believe I heard a single question in an interview—and most were the HR sort of questions—that I had not heard or discussed with The Barrett Group.”

The early stages of The Barrett Group’s process are dedicated to laying the groundwork for success. In addition to mapping a course, they are about preparing the tools necessary for the task at hand. “After you sign, you use their system to write your letter, sharpen your resume, and hone your LinkedIn. Then, you’re ready to go, and they go in an orderly fashion. They are with you all the way, and you just do this as a process that you track. It gets results.”

The Barrett’s Group’s process is not intended to be easy—it is intended to be effective. “After I signed, I had a personal consultant Paula who led me through the process. She was knowledgeable. Outstanding even. She helped me prepare what I wanted to say and in some cases recommended that I say them a little differently. And she was always right.”

The Barrett Group has a clear, excellent process, and one of the greatest advantages of a such a process is that it encourages focus from the beginning to the end, during both highs and lows. “I knew they were knowledgeable. With their help, I knew what I was looking for. And so, I stayed focused. They not only managed expectations at the beginning, but until the very end. They pick you up when things that happen to everybody in job search happen to you.”

Despite some ups and downs, working together, Lee and The Barrett Group got spectacular results. “Within twelve weeks of when I signed the contract, I had three quality job offers to choose from. All involved the type of money I wanted to make and were the type of jobs I wanted. And, you know, it’s nice to be in a position where you can pick, after all that time.” And the positive results did not end with the end of his job search. “You know, after I accepted a position, I got several calls from HR people saying, ‘Our leadership got your resume and they asked us to give you a call to talk about where you might fit in at our company.’”

Having spent over two decades as a development and training leader, Lee has positively impacted the careers of thousands. He currently serves as the State Director for Texas, Office of Apprenticeship, US Department of Labor. And sometimes he tries to help others by passing along his perspective about job search, shaped in part by his experience with The Barrett Group. “When I talk to people who are looking, I go back to the fact that you’re going to have to be willing to participate in your own job search. You can’t expect anyone, even an exceptional, knowledgeable company like The Barrett Group, to do everything for you.”

And, just as The Barrett Group helped him navigate some rough waters, he tries to put the down times into context for others. “One of the things about job search is there are some down times. Just when you think everything is going the right way the rug gets pulled out from under you. The Barrett Group kept me up about job search. And I now tell others, ‘Hey, it’s not always as bad as it looks when you’re on the inside.’ It’s the uncertainty that kind of gets you. But things will turn out fine. And I think that they always do.”

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Client:

Laura was a long-time employee of a financial institution in Silicon Valley. By any measure, her tenure was a success. She appreciated her company, and her company appreciated her.

Industry:

Banking

Challenge:

When her superior left, she asked for a promotion to his open position. She was told something vague and discouraging, like, “You’re not quite ready.”

Process:

Laura made improvements to how she presented herself to the marketplace, particularly LinkedIn, and became a dedicated and effective networker.

Landing:

Laura became a director and then a global director. Her new employer allowed her to grow and, to this day, encourages her to grow.

Study:

In some cases, our focus is on protecting already maximized value, like when The Barrett Group helps a c-level client who has been downsized as part of a merger find a similarly lucrative and powerful role with another company. In other cases, our focus is on helping a client unlock their value, like when The Barrett Group helps a client who is a high-level manager move from a company that undervalues her to a company that recognizes her potential and true value. This is such a story, told at the client’s request without names to protect employer and employee alike.

Our client was a long-time employee of a financial institution in Silicon Valley. By any measure, her tenure was a success. She appreciated her company, and her company appreciated her. She received raises and promotions through the years. Beginning as a project manager, she was promoted to a full management position overseeing the project managers and then promoted again, this time to a senior manager position.

After becoming a senior manager, she did as she had always done—she sought out added responsibilities, something her employer no longer encouraged. And when her superior left, she asked for a promotion to his open position. She was told something vague and discouraging, like, “You’re not quite ready.” or “You’re not there quite yet.” She decided that she needed to find somewhere else to work if she was to grow, somewhere with more light and less shade. What good is the potential for growth in a place without the room or resources to grow?

Initially, our client tried to find a new position entirely on her own. It didn’t work. She decided she might need some help. Like most clients of The Barrett Group, she did not simply rush to us for help. She looked around, talking to a number of firms, and she shopped around. And only then did she decide that The Barrett Group would be the best bet for helping her unlock her value.

The Barrett Group does not sell magic. It sells a process that works. That process, especially the beginning of that process, can be difficult, as The Barrett Group and clients work, as partners, to build the foundation of a successful search. In this case, the beginning of the process was helped by something worthy of relief and elation. Our client discovered that she was not alone in her valuation of herself. In finding The Barrett Group, she found not only an ally, but a team of allies, who, unlike her current employer, agreed with her valuation and were determined to get the marketplace to recognize that valuation.

Our client went to work to prove the truth of her valuation, and The Barrett Group to prove that their encouragement of her valuation was not bluster. Together, they revised her resume and her LinkedIn profile, The Barrett Group persuading her that her LinkedIn image shouldn’t be an online version of her resume—that the two serve different purposes. And they convinced her that she had even undervalued herself in a few specific ways. For example, when accounting for her implementation experience, she should count not only her years in charge of implementation projects, but also her years working as part of implementation teams. And so, she began making subtle improvements to the way she presented herself to the marketplace.

Perhaps most importantly, The Barrett Group convinced her to become a dedicated and effective networker. They explained to her that they would be willing to network on her behalf—but only as a last resort, that for her job search to be the very best job search she needed to try networking herself. And she did. Because she engaged The Barrett Group, she networked in ways she would not have networked without them and with a previously unimaginable level of dedication, in part inspired by the financial commitment she had made to her search.

In the process, she not only became an effective networker, but a zealous convert. When she reached out to former colleagues, with the encouragement of The Barrett Group, she was pleasantly surprised. And when she contacted a former supervisor, who she hadn’t talked to in 15 years, she was also pleasantly surprised. She discovered that people were not only willing to help her, but that they were happy to help her. She had a nice lunch with her former supervisor. And, with the help of and a little bit of pushing by The Barrett Group, she discovered that networking isn’t so bad.

During her job search, her employer, perhaps sensing something, offered further evidence that it did value her, as she was offered a retention bonus. She accepted, as the bonus required her to stay with her employer until a specified date but in no way prohibited her continuing her search for a better place to grow. And she continued to search as before, with energy, intelligence, and the help of The Barrett Group.

Soon, she had a number of interviews and multiple offers. When a hoped-for offer didn’t materialize, The Barrett Group supported her. When a good offer materialized and she decided she should decline, The Barrett Group supported her—fully, as The Barrett Group recognizes that the goal of a job search is not job offers, but the right job for their client. Despite her present situation, working for an employer who did not recognize her true value, she remained patient.

And then, something—something so fortuitous that a reasonable person would not even dare to wish for it—happened. An offer began to materialize as the date for her retention bonus approached. One day, she received her retention bonus, having fully honored its terms. The next day, she left.

In the end, she had not only a retention bonus, but a better salary, a better title, a better employer, and, bottom line, a better job. And so, what began as a story of one manager believing in her valuation of herself, continued as a story of her finding someone else who believed in and supported that valuation. And it ended as a story of a third party, her new employer, recognizing both her present value as an executive and her growth potential. Together, the three of them, the client, The Barrett Group, and the client’s new employer, succeeded in unlocking her value.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. Photo: 123rf.com

Industry:

Construction

Challenge:

James had not been in the job market for over 20 years.

Process:

The Barrett Group helped him prepare to successfully leverage relationships and provided interview coaching.

Landing:

James secured a position as Design Consultant at a home improvement company. 

Study:

Firstly, I recall being incredibly apprehensive initially, as this was obviously a significant investment that required a lot of trust.

It had been over 20 years since I had to put myself out into the market again as I had always been recruited for roles throughout my career.

I also understood that I was ultimately the one who would secure my new role. That The Barrett Group would not just get me a new job, but support, direct and guide me through a very thorough process that would prepare and enable me to be successful through leveraging relationships in my portfolio whom I trusted as mentors throughout my career to date.

Waffles Natusch, Dan Resendes and several support team members were all instrumental in not just support with weekly calls, but available at incredibly short notice if an interview came up. Even on weekends. Everything from refreshing a relevant resume/CV, training for interviewing techniques, depending on either agency or direct company members and their backgrounds, LinkedIn data mining, company databases etc. and a journey of homework and groundwork in preparation.

I think it would also be relevant to add that obviously as of late, the world has changed massively. Major retailing/business trends that are coming out of COVID19 are focusing on collaboration, partnership, community & transparency.

The need to be agile, flexible and must have the ability to pivot their business and to pivot digitally.

Balancing technology with humanity is now vital and how we navigate the physical environment and digital environment become more relevant.

The rise of sustainability and the rise of the mindful consumer and mindful consumption increases.

Today’s consumer is much more thoughtful, that cares, is focused on health & safety, security, and trust.

When searching for the right fit with future roles, candidates should focus on challenging to understand how brands/companies nurture the consumer, focusing on empathy, inclusivity and feeling safe.

The future will quickly become PEOPLE FIRST, SAFETY FIRST as opposed to product first.

ALL of this is completely how The Barrett Group focuses their support and I full endorse them 100%!

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Client:

Heather worked 15 years overseeing multi-billion-dollar projects as a construction scheduler for a major developer of resorts in Las Vegas.

Industry:

Construction

Challenge:

Heather wanted a change of both corporate environment and geography, but her job search efforts failed to gain traction.

Process:

Plumbing her LinkedIn profile revealed valuable connections to an ideal job at a major construction firm in the unpublished market.

Landing:

Before she even completed the TBG program, Heather was offered, at a whirlwind pace, a position as scheduling executive in Seattle.

Study:

As the director of corporate scheduling at a world-class developer of resorts in Las Vegas, Heather successfully managed upwards of 50 construction projects at a time, spanning multiple locations, each worth millions or even billions of dollars. She loved being a scheduler, but after 15 years with the same company she started to feel that her values were no longer aligned with the values of the company. She craved a change.

Heather started her job search by using Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and many other job search tools. But her search went nowhere. She just knew there had to be a firm out there that could help skilled, experienced executives transition to new positions, and she scoured the internet looking for it. Finally, she found The Barrett Group (TBG).

“It was obvious that I would not be able to find a new position doing what I wanted to do without help. I had never heard of The Barrett Group before, and I was so happy that I found it,” said Heather. “The Barrett Group process is incredible.”

Heather derived a lot of benefit from the Clarity program at the outset, not least of which was a realization that she wanted to move someplace with trees.

“The personality testing was wonderful. It was amazing to see how I’m perceived by others, and it has helped me be more cognizant of my strengths and weaknesses,” said Heather. “It was clear to me that the TBG team was using the information they gleaned from the test to tailor the program to me.”

A steps-driven person, Heather valued the very logical methodology of the TBG program. She appreciated that it was flexible enough to enable her to work through it at a pace that suited her. She learned a lot about how to manage LinkedIn, and spent much of her time working with it. And she was delighted by her resume makeover.

“The TBG team did an incredible job with my resume. My new resume makes me look like a million bucks!” said Heather.

Before Heather had even finished Phase 1 of the program, an opportunity popped up on LinkedIn that she thought would be ideal for her. To her delight, Heather found that 10 of her close connections had direct connections to the company in question. She started making phone calls and, though the Covid pandemic was in full swing, found herself, within a day, interviewing for the position. Within two weeks the hiring manager asked her how soon she could start.

Heather credits The Barrett Group for channeling the special kismet that produced such a rapid, successful career transition.

“It was thanks to the coaching I got that made this job opportunity come to fruition,” said Heather. “Before I hired The Barrett Group I would have seen the job ad, applied, not gotten it, and moved on instead of first reaching out to my network, asking them to talk to their connections, and have them put me in touch with the right people. That’s what The Barrett Group did for me.”

Some identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. Photo: 123rf.com