Success Studies

Client:

Ray White was co-founder, VP of marketing, and executive coach for a small, business consulting firm providing companies executive coaching on business growth.

Industry:

Business Consulting, Executive Coaching, Wellness, Eye Care

Function:

Administration, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Marketing, Executive Coaching

Challenge:

A year after starting a coaching business, Ray realized that coaching didn’t interest him nearly as much as hands-on marketing and growing companies, but he struggled in finding a new job.

Process:

Ray learned that showcasing the talents that meet specific needs of a company, versus advertising the breadth of his talents, is a much more effective strategy in a job search.

Landing:

Within four months, Ray landed as VP of marketing operations for a young, digital marketing agency providing services to eye care professionals – becoming the company’s first-ever executive hire.

Study:

Ray White spent over a decade of his career overseeing operations, performance, and marketing at a multinational digital marketing company before giving rein to his entrepreneurial side. In his first venture, he created, co-launched, and developed a mental health and wellness app for large businesses. His passion for emotional health also prompted him to start a business consulting firm focused on coaching companies to improve organizational performance by reducing personal stress. 

Ray’s work with his largest client went exceedingly well. In addition to executive coaching, Ray shouldered the company’s marketing responsibilities, as they lacked a leader. Marketing wasn’t what he was initially hired to do, but Ray loved it. When the company fell on hard times some months later, it terminated Ray’s contract. Ray realized then how much he liked having a hands-on role in growing a company. 

Ray decided to make a career change.

“Losing that client was a major decision point,” said Ray. “I enjoyed being a coach, but it was not as fulfilling as the marketing aspect of the business and working with a team. I talked to my business partner and, ultimately, decided to pass my clients to him and seek a role at a marketing agency.” 

It didn’t go well. Ray looked for jobs on LinkedIn and reached out to people in his network with few results. 

“I stumbled across one or two interviews, but they weren’t what I was looking for. I didn’t have any other good leads, either,” said Ray. “It’s funny because I’m a marketing guy and you’d think I’d be better at marketing myself. But I’d never had to look for a job before, so I wasn’t any good at it.”

Having heard of The Barrett Group (TBG) from a friend, Ray resolved to engage the company for career management help if he was unsuccessful in landing a job on his own. Soon after, that’s exactly what he did. 

“Getting coached was refreshing! It was the first time for me, and it felt good to be the person who was learning,” said Ray. “I started by meeting with Marsha Foster in the Clarity Program. She was awesome! She took me step-by-step through an examination of myself, making me think about me and what I want to do.” 

Ray decided that he wanted a job where he could continue to coach as well as have input into the growth and strategy of that company – and it had to be a growth company, either in Dallas or full-remote. He targeted four industries.

“Marsha’s coaching gave me a good foundation for my job search. Working with her made me feel like I was on the right path,” said Ray.

Ray saw even greater benefit from the next part of TBG’s Program. 

“Barbara Limmer was my career consultant,” said Ray. “She provided a lot of really good information – content, training, and clear steps. She didn’t just say, ‘Go do this.’ She said, ‘Here are all the pieces to the steps you need to take. Here are the challenges you will encounter, the steps on how to get through them, and the plan for what to do next.” 

Such counsel proved helpful for the toughest element of the program for Ray – building social capital. 

“I have always been someone that people come to for help, so it was very hard for me to ask for it,” said Ray. “The TBG angle, of course, is NOT to ask for help, rather to offer support to others or just connect with them. It took a while to get my head wrapped around it, but it got easier. Barbara pushed me through it, and it was rewarding.” 

What turned out to be the most valuable aspect of Ray’s career campaign was re-branding himself. He began by rewriting his resume with the help of the TBG writing team, understanding that he would adapt his resume to every opportunity. He and Barbara also discussed the use of applicant tracking systems (ATS) in screening resumes.

“I knew of ATS, but I was completely unaware of how big an influence it has in the hiring process and how strict the filters can be,” said Ray. “I thought my new resume turned out great. It was a big change from before.”

Ray also learned how to create an effective LinkedIn profile.

“I was really active on LinkedIn before, but I haphazardly threw stuff out there, not understanding the impact it had on recruiters. I didn’t view it as a means to match me to a job. I had many different professional experiences, and my LinkedIn profile did a HORRIBLE job of matching me to marketing jobs. I was an author, I had my own business, and I had lots of different titles. No one would look at my profile and think that I wanted to be a VP of marketing.”

With Barbara’s help, Ray reworked everything to brand himself as a VP of marketing. That included interview practice.

“During one interview, I spoke in great detail about my experience because I wanted them to know how broad my background was. What I learned from Barbara is that I should tell them only about talents that relate to the job description – be very specific in my responses to what they need. I found that to be surprising, but it made all the difference. The next interview went much better!”

Before long, Ray was getting about two interviews per week. He ended up in the final stages of three leadership opportunities at small- to medium-sized digital marketing agencies. His preferred role, at an eye care agency, involved a rigorous hiring process with eight interviews for which Barbara prepped him well. His efforts paid off. Ray was offered the role of VP of marketing operations in a brand-new industry at the maximum compensation range. 

“The company is a leading, 40-person, marketing agency, and I’ll oversee both marketing and operations. I’m the first executive hire for this company. It is a great niche in a high growth company and it’s an excellent fit. I already love it!” 

Ray is especially delighted to have landed so quickly.

“I thought it would take me 12 months to find a job, but it took only three or four. Landing even a month earlier than 12 months would have made investing in TBG worth it, so landing this quickly was fantastic.”

Reflecting on his quick success, Ray credits TBG and his coaches for showing him how to navigate the employment market and how best to demonstrate the benefits he offers an employer.

“Looking for a job is scary. I’ve done well in my career and thought I was on a very clear path. Then, suddenly, I realized I was going to have to take a different path. Having executive coaches helped me do that.” 

Client:

Alisa Preston simultaneously juggled two careers: manager and engineer at a Canadian electric utility and COO and co-owner of a family-owned, adventure tourism diving business.

Industry:

Marine Services

Challenge:

As a result of family circumstances, Alisa felt compelled to resign from her salaried job and her family-owned diving business and start fresh elsewhere, but she wasn’t sure how to get started. 

Process:

Finding her dream job felt like finding a unicorn, so Alisa leveraged her network to set up dozens of informational interviews with various entities to explore her options.

Landing:

One company that offered guidance to Alisa grew enamored with her ideas and invited her to pitch, and ultimately to run, a new program for them as director of marine technology.

Study:

For several years Alisa Preston maintained two demanding, full-time jobs. Her “day job,” where she worked as a high-level engineer and manager at a Canadian utility company, provided her a paycheck. Her “fun job,” at which she was chief operating officer for a family-owned diving business, was an acclaimed, educational, diving expedition business that fulfilled her personal and professional passions. Alisa ended both jobs, however, when a family emergency arose that threatened the diving business. 

“I was burning myself out. My “day job” didn’t excite me and my entrepreneurial business, which could have been a success, was stymied by family circumstances,” said Alisa.

Still passionate about operating a diving business, Alisa partnered with a colleague to explore starting a brand new one. 

“The concept wasn’t just dive travel, it was integrated with education, science, conservation, environmentalism, and tourism,” said Alisa. “We planned trips to Fiji, Cuba, and Kenya…it had the potential to be amazing. Unfortunately, we could not have launched the business at a worse time. The pandemic hit and we had to postpone all our trips until it was safe. 

Alisa found herself at a crossroads. She wanted a fresh start and was focusing on opportunities in the United States but didn’t know where to start. She had a wealth of experience in so many unique fields and wanted to find a job that allowed her to combine all her expertise into one position that was also intellectually challenging, but she didn’t know what it would be. After her challenging year, she also wrestled with serious self-doubts about her ability to take a professional leap successfully.

“It seemed like a fantasy. I wanted to pursue a job in a different country that I didn’t think even existed,” said Alisa.

In late 2019, on the recommendation of a good friend, Alisa began working with The Barrett Group. It was exactly the catalyst she needed to start an exciting next chapter of her career. 

“Finding a position that aligned perfectly with me felt like a pipedream, but the people at The Barrett Group seemed to recognize the unique package of skills I have,” said Alisa. “I realized that sometimes you have to invest in something to move forward. That’s true in education, so why not in your professional life?”

With her Clarity coach, Stacy, Alisa considered her long-term vision, evaluated her value proposition, and explored her options. She learned that, in addition to using her engineering, diving, robotics, science, tech and research backgrounds, she wanted to be in the Pacific Northwest near the ocean.

Next, with Lori, her career consultant, Alisa learned to rework her LinkedIn profile, leverage her network and social media, and tailor her resume in different ways. 

“Applications were the hard part because of the complexity of my resume. I leaned heavily on Lori initially, but eventually I became more independent in my job search.” 

Alisa appreciated all that she learned from Lori. 

“Signing on with The Barrett Group didn’t mean letting someone else find me a job. It meant acquiring the tools to do the work myself,” said Alisa. “Sure, it’s nice to have someone else do the work, but I think we all know that the easy path is not usually the best path.” 

When Alisa launched her job search, she initially got a huge response from recruiters, but the pandemic soon hit its peak and things went quiet. Ironically, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“I was really nervous, and I probably would have jumped at the first job offer I got instead of waiting for the best job for me,” said Alisa. “Lori encouraged me to hold off and fine tune my search,” said Alisa.

Alisa narrowed her focus and resolved to find to a job that would marry all her talents. If not, she would pursue a PhD that would do the same and then start a company to realize her dream job. Using what she called “the TBG approach,” Alisa reached out to companies that seemed out of her league to get guidance on industry trends and how to design a practicable PhD program. 

It was the perfect strategy.

“I had over 30 informational interviews with a number of companies,” said Alisa. “What started as a request for guidance on an educational program at one of those companies, a commercial diving and salvage company based in Seattle, became the initial steps in creating the job that I now have.”

“They gave me a blank slate and asked me to make a proposal out of high-level ideas and needs they had that incorporated technology into diving. I was invited to present it to senior executives at the parent company and, ultimately, to design the job I’ve been hired into.”

Alisa is thrilled with her new career. 

“The job I have now includes everything I wanted – every aspect! The diversity of what they do is top-notch, and their integrity aligns with mine. I found the unicorn!” said Alisa. 

For Alisa, the most valuable part of the TBG program was learning to believe in herself and seeing the value that she brought to the table. 

“The incredible support of Stacy, my Clarity coach, and Lori, my career consultant, really helped me. They made me realize that my dreams were possible,” said Alisa. “There wasn’t a single meeting that I didn’t walk away from feeling uplifted. This wasn’t just career coaching; it was so much more.”

Client:

Ross David Ray was manager of decision support at a large public healthcare organization in Ohio. 

Industry:

Healthcare, Hospitals

Function:

Strategic Decision-Making, Financial Management

Challenge:

A company reorganization resulted in Ross’s role being eliminated and he wanted help finding a new job.

Process:

Overhauling his resume and LinkedIn profile and learning how to utilize LinkedIn was enormously helpful in driving attention and attractive opportunities to Ross.

Landing:

Within about four weeks, Ross was offered a role as decision support finance manager for a major medical center on the East Coast with better overall compensation than he previously had.

Study:

Ross David Ray had spent four years as manager of decision support at a large public healthcare center in Ohio when his organization undertook, in response to growing market pressures, a major financial restructuring. In the process, it forced many people into early retirement, eliminated a host of positions, and reduced the salaries of those who stayed.

Ross was luckier than some. Although his position was eliminated, he was offered a junior role as a senior financial analyst, albeit with a $20,000 reduction in salary. Ross took the job, glad to stave off sudden unemployment, but he knew it was temporary. He immediately set about looking for a new job.

For two months, Ross job hunted on his own. He was able to line up interviews for a few opportunities, but none of them yielded a job offer. Then he saw an advertisement for The Barrett Group (TBG). 

“The program seemed expensive, but if working with The Barrett Group sped up the process of finding a job, I thought I should give it a try,” said Ross.

The first thing Ross did was to explore with his Clarity coach, Laura Leaton, what he wanted from his career.

“My Clarity coach, Laura, was very professional and very good. She asked a lot of probing questions to get me to think deeply about my career preferences,” said Ross. “The Clarity process is informative because it is a whole life snapshot where you look at the health, career, social, and financial aspects of your life altogether and then you decide what you want to prioritize. I also wrote a summary of what my ideal life looks like. That allowed me to identify what I did NOT want to do as much as what I wanted to do. I did not want to stay in that senior financial analyst role. It was lower compensation than I had been getting and it was not work-life balance friendly.” 

Ross decided that he wanted to work for about three to six more years, which meant finding a role at a hospital that was financially stable enough that he would not face layoffs again before retirement. He was also partial to working in Florida because it would be closer to family. 

After a few weeks, Ross was ready to begin Phase 1 of TBG’s career management program. 

“I worked with Barbara Limmer next. She had me do exercises to build social capital in which I was to contact people not to ask for a job, but to ask them how I could help them and provide value to them. Out of those discussions I was able to make more connections and broaden my LinkedIn network,” said Ross. “I hadn’t really understood the importance of social capital before then. The first place people go to hire someone is their social capital, so the more people you are connected to – even at the second or third level – the better your chances for job opportunities.”

Ross had never done this kind of activity before – and he did find he had to work at it. But he enjoyed developing this new skill because he found that trying to find ways to help others kept conversations going and produced richer interactions with people.

Ross also appreciated the overhaul of his resume and LinkedIn profile by the writing team, too.

“The TBG writing team changed the focus of my resume and had me quantify my achievements as opposed to just stating what I had done. They also gave me good recommendations on how to revise my LinkedIn employment and skills sections.” 

The biggest benefit to Ross in his job search was, he said, marrying efforts to build his social capital with using the new techniques he’d learned for utilizing LinkedIn. 

“Barbara was great about teaching me all that LinkedIn can do. She provided a lot of good documentation on LinkedIn Analytics, and she taught me how to create effective job alerts and use filters to search my connections second and third-level deep. That is what helped me the most. My job search started to gain traction after that.”

Within a few short weeks, Ross had interviews lined up at two different organizations. Prior to engaging TBG, Ross had prepared for interviews using a guide that he had created for himself. Barbara offered valuable feedback on that guide and coached him on how to interview even better. 

“Barbara advised me to dial back some of my statements in areas and we discussed effective interview strategies,” said Ross. 

The two positions Ross was pursuing were in Maryland and Florida. He interviewed at both places and, to his surprise, found that he preferred the opportunity in Maryland over the one in Florida, despite his desire to be close to family. 

“When I asked the CFO at the hospital in Florida what the greatest challenge to the company was, he said that they didn’t have enough resources to complete the work that need to get done. That was a red flag. I didn’t want to go into another unstable environment,” said Ross. “My research on the company in Maryland, however, showed it was in a stable financial position. I knew I ‘d have a better chance to work there for a full three to six years.” 

When the organization in Maryland offered him a role as decision support finance manager soon afterwards, Ross canceled his remaining interviews at the company in Florida. He and Barbara reviewed the offer line by line. The compensation structure was different from his previous job, but the overall value turned out to be even better than his previous job, so accepting it was easy. The company even gave him money to relocate.

After taking a month to move, Ross happily kicked off his new career, delighted that it took only four weeks to land.

“The people here are really nice, and they have a good work-life balance,” said Ross. “The TBG program is expensive, but the money is well worth it! Getting a full understanding of how to combine LinkedIn Analytics and your social capital, alone, is so helpful. If, for some reason, this job doesn’t work out, I will definitely call Barbara again.”

Client:

Lynn Duke was chief human resources officer for a major school district in Georgia.

Industry:

Education, Human Resources, Hospitals, Healthcare

Challenge:

After spending her entire career in the education sector, Lynn wanted a change, but she hadn’t looked for a new job in 30 years and didn’t know where to start.

Process:

After exploring her options and her goals, Lynn learned how to communicate her value proposition to prospective employers through her resume and during interviews.  

Landing:

Lynn accepted a position as human resources director for a regional nonprofit that advocates for the needs of senior citizens. 

Study:

As chief human resources officer for a major school district in Georgia, Lynn Duke oversaw the HR needs of 2,500 employees and provided strategic direction and support across operations. She fell into her career at age 19 when she began working for the school district, worked her way up, eventually becoming head of the HR department. After a 30-year career in education, and a particularly challenging final year during the pandemic, Lynn decided to seek a role in a different industry. 

In preparation for her departure, she hired a firm to write her resume and develop her LinkedIn profile. The firm didn’t offer coaching on any other aspects of job seeking, however, and Lynn still felt unprepared to enter the job market. So, when she gave notice to the school district in the fall of 2020, she hired The Barrett Group (TBG).

“I didn’t know how to approach a career change. I’d never actually looked for a job before and, while I’d conducted hundreds of interviews as the interviewer, I’d never been on the other side. I wanted to know what was important to communicate to a prospective employer,” said Lynn. 

Lynn began her TBG experience with the Clarity program. She was skeptical at first, but she wound up quite enjoying the work she did with her coach.

“You don’t understand what Clarity is until you’re in it. I thought it was enlightening. It wasn’t surprising so much as affirming. It helped me know better who I am, and it framed what is important to me. It made me see that the highlights of my career have not been promotions and raises, rather the times when I was helping people. So, I knew that I wanted to find a job where I could help people and feel good about the work I was doing.”

When Lynn began working with her career consultant, Lori Chevalier, she reworked her resume and LinkedIn profile again, improving on what she’d done months earlier. After that, Lori asked Lynn to develop her social network – a task that Lynn began with trepidation but ended up appreciating very much. 

“I hated the idea of reaching out to people. It’s so funny how the things you hate turn out to be the best parts. Life is busy, so I never made the time to do it before. But reconnecting with people I hadn’t talked to in a while and building our relationship was great. People were happy to give me their time. When I started with The Barrett Group I had only 50 connections on LinkedIn. Now I have about 250.”

Lynn spent a lot of time prepping for interviews, too.

“I wanted to know how to explain how I could go from 30 years in public education to a totally different industry. It was because of The Barrett Group that I was so well prepared for the interview process. Lori coached me on skills before every interview. We’d get job descriptions and come up with examples of what I could say. She asked me potential questions and provided feedback on my answers,” said Lynn.

Something that became clear to Lynn is that, in addition to always gravitating towards human resources work, she wanted to work for an organization whose mission was also to help people. That journey didn’t come without some frustration, however. 

“My area of Georgia is booming in manufacturing, and I thought working at a plant would be appealing. Manufacturing companies didn’t give me the time of day, though. I never got a single interview.”

Lynn suffered an even greater disappointment when an offer for an attractive job in events and hospitality that she felt certain to get did not come through. But Lori helped Lynn to keep things in perspective.

“In hindsight, Lori and I realized that the job was probably earmarked for someone internally,” said Lynn. 

It was discouraging when that door didn’t open either, but Lynn recognized in retrospect that in both cases the positions didn’t align with her new-found purpose: helping people. She restarted her search and within days she had a winner – a job for a human resources director of a regional nonprofit that advocates for the needs of senior citizens.

“I hadn’t been looking to work in this field, but when I saw the job post it hit home because we recently had to put my mother in a home and I had been thinking how important it is to take care of the needs of the elderly.”

Within 15 minutes of applying, Lynn was invited to interview. Soon afterwards, she was offered the position.

“I interviewed and it felt so right for all of us. Everyone there is someone who wants to help people.”

Lynn has thrown herself into her new job and is excited to put some much-needed new processes into place, including developing an employee handbook and implementing good leave policies. She has found her journey with The Barrett Group to be a fascinating and enjoyable experience.

“I went from having no confidence in conducting a job search to feeling very confident. I wish everyone could do The Barrett Group program. When you’re going through the process, you don’t realize how it will all come together for you. I found it to be worth every penny.”

Client:

Eric Smith was senior technology specialist of flow assurance for a Texas-based, engineering consultancy servicing the oil and gas industry. 

Industry:

Engineering, Oil & Gas, Information Technology, AI, Consulting

Function:

Engineering, Technology

Challenge:

When Eric’s employer was bought out by a company whose culture was a poor fit, Eric needed an exit strategy, but his skillset was so niche that he struggled to find – let alone land – an appealing job.

Process:

Eric found it valuable to rewrite his resume, engage in interview prep, and learn how to use LinkedIn better, but, more than anything, he credits his success with getting comfortable in picking up the phone to talk to people.

Landing:

Eric was offered a position as AI Solution Director for a large, enterprise AI software firm for which the responsibilities were surprisingly aligned with Eric’s unique range of skills – and at a compensation level that well exceeded his expectations. 

Study:

Eric Smith was a senior multiphase technology specialist of flow assurance at a small, Texas-based, boutique engineering consultancy servicing the oil and gas industry. He built custom software solutions for flow assurance engineers, who endeavor to get oil and gas out of the ground with as few problems as possible. After working there almost five years, Eric’s company was bought by a large, volume-oriented firm specializing in hydrocarbon measurement and analysis. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good culture fit. Employees began quitting in droves. 

Eric saw the handwriting on the wall. Six months after the acquisition, he began sending out resumes. 

“They were losing people left and right, especially from engineering. I needed an exit strategy,” said Eric. “I looked on LinkedIn, but most of the jobs I saw there in my field were entry-level positions. And convincing HR staff to consider me for higher-level jobs felt impossible. I have a PhD in multiphase fluid dynamics and few people know what to do with that.”

Eric landed a few interviews, but they all went nowhere. In one particularly frustrating situation, Eric was invited to interview seven times for a position over multiple weeks, then asked to produce a lengthy demo project, only to be told that the company was imposing a hiring freeze. 

After eight months of such disappointments, Eric, feeling helpless, decided on a different approach. He researched “recruiter help” and found The Barrett Group (TBG). His first task was to step back and evaluate his career in the Clarity Program.

“Clarity is where you do self-reflection and make sure that your search is aligned with your goals. It was very helpful,” said Eric. “Lisa Levesque was my Clarity coach, and it was really nice to work with her.”

Eric found no surprises regarding his career goals, but the exercises he did with Lisa were very useful in informing other aspects of his job search. Eric came to see, for example, that having a job that gave him the flexibility to attend to his family when the need arose was very important to him. He also discovered room for improvement in his communication style.

“I’m very direct in conversations. I have a hard time with small chat. But in the business world it’s sometimes important to have conversations simply to build relationships. It was a good lesson for me to remember I must take time to ask people about their kids, or whatever, when I’m talking to them.”

After Clarity, Eric began meeting regularly with Executive Career Consultant George Schulz. As Eric had neglected his network for years, their first task was to rebuild his social capital. 

“George was exactly what I was looking for. He was a good coach and wonderful to work with,” said Eric. “We started with the phone calls, which scared me to death. I’m at the upper range of the Millennial generation. We don’t call people on the phone!”

Eric shuddered to think he would be asked to call people that he hadn’t been in touch with for five years and tell them he was looking for a job. But he was relieved to hear from George that connecting is the name of the game. 

“George said to call, catch up, and offer to help people in whatever way I can. If they reciprocate, then great. But I should not push anything. It was tough, but it was a really good experience. It gave me confidence and I found that people were happy to try to help me in return.”

Eric quickly saw how building social capital is tied to savvy LinkedIn usage. 

“LinkedIn is an excellent networking tool that I was not utilizing. Being in the Oil & Gas industry, I should have contacts throughout Houston. It was neat to see how I could make connections and find potential new contacts in my field. I learned a lot about LinkedIn from George and have a much better idea of how to use it now.”

In addition to social capital building, Eric and George discussed interview skills. Eric was given 15 sample interview questions to answer, which George then compared to TBG’s suggested responses. 

“George explained the optimal ways to answer each question. On salary, for example, he told me how I should speak to the topic during the first interview and then again after I’d received an offer, when I have more leverage. It was a good approach and very informative.” 

Eric was happy to have his resume professionally reviewed, too. “George and the writing team told me the formula for a good resume: ‘What did I do?’ and ‘What impact did I have?’ That was very useful even if it was tough to measure my impact. George also impressed on me the importance of considering the mindset of employers, who are trying to make a business successful, and hiring managers, who must justify the expense of hiring someone to their bosses. The more I can illustrate my value on my resume, the better.”

Eric appreciated the coaching of all the elements of the TBG program. But the job he ultimately landed had unanticipated roots – his previous job search efforts. Four months after engaging TBG, Eric saw that the company at which he had interviewed seven times, only to be told of a sudden hiring freeze, had posted a new job. The company was a large, enterprise AI software firm and the position was the same position he had interviewed for but with a new title. 

Eric called up the hiring manager. 

“The hiring manager told me that I had submitted an excellent demo project and that it was clear I had a command of the project details. His reservation, however, was that it wasn’t clear that I had experience working at a high level.”

Eric seized the opportunity to explain how he had abundant experience in high-level work. Those qualifications had just never come up during Eric’s previous interviews with this individual. The hiring manager was soon convinced that Eric was the perfect person for the job and offered him the position of AI solution director. Even better, the compensation proposal far exceeded his expectations. 

“I showed George the offer and he agreed it was great. There is a lot of value in getting a career professional’s opinion about compensation!”

Although the bulk of Eric’s efforts in pursuing this job were prior to engaging The Barrett Group, he credits TBG, nonetheless, for his success in landing it. 

“The hiring manager had a hang-up with my candidacy that I was able to quickly resolve when I called him. But I would never have called him if I hadn’t gone through The Barrett Group Program. George coached me on how to call people in a way that made me feel comfortable and how to follow up appropriately on interviews. It was because of George that I called that guy and asked him what was up.”

In his new role, Eric, who is familiar with both data science and oil and gas, will bridge the gap between the company’s engineers and data scientists. He will also be involved with pre-sales, helping potential customers understand use cases for his company’s AI software – a role for which his newfound comfort in calling people will come in handy.

“This position is ideal for me. Flow assurance is a volatile field, and this job will help me broaden my exposure to new industries. And I am oddly perfect for the role. This position requires my specific set of skills. There is a huge range of stuff the company does that you need to have familiarity with and, somehow, I have exposure to all of it!” 

Eric is very glad that he invested in TBG because, he feels, the tools he learned were crucial in his getting his new job, and they will continue to help him manage his career well into the future.

“Even though I’d found this job on my own, I would never have landed it without The Barrett Group! I think TBG’s Program was money well spent.” 

Client:

Elfreda was a distinguished faculty member and national facilitator for a non-profit that researches the world’s best educational systems and shares its findings with America’s education leaders.

Industry:

Education, Non-profit, EdTech, Software

Challenge:

Elfreda had risen as high as she could go in her organization and wanted new challenges, however, she wanted to be thoughtful and intentional before making her next career move.

Process:

Quantifying her accomplishments, using social media to leverage her rich network, and artfully messaging her job search were key to Elfreda’s success.

Landing:

Elfreda connected with a former colleague who wanted her expertise in building out his EdTech startup and offered her an exciting executive role with a very attractive compensation package.

Study:

Elfreda was a national facilitator at a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that studies the world’s best educational systems and provides coaching for school superintendents, principals, and other U.S. education leaders on educational system designs and best practices. Her tenure at this organization capped a long career in education, education administration, and professional development, but after six years of piloting and driving various leadership development, performance, and system change initiatives, and earning the highest possible honor of “distinguished faculty member,” Elfreda felt that she’d maxed out her professional opportunities there. She wanted greater challenges.

The challenge Elfreda had was that she had always been recruited organically for new career opportunities and had little experience launching a job search. She also wanted to step back and carefully consider the direction of her career. 

“I was so busy working that I never spent time getting clarity on what to do next in my career or reflecting on what I brought to a position. There came a point in my sixth year when I felt strongly that there was more that I wanted to do,” said Elfreda.

She also wanted a compensation package that was commensurate with her background and experience.

“I knew I had more value. I’m known in the education space and I’ve not had trouble supplementing my income with consulting work,” said Elfreda. “But I wanted to work with an organization where I would feel like a partner on a team and be excited about the work I was doing.”

A leadership coach, herself, Elfreda was a big advocate of coaching in career development, but she’d never hired one before. She knew the time had come to do so.

"I needed an executive coach to help me be really clear about what I wanted. I am near the end of my career and wanted to be very intentional about my career change,” said Elfreda. “Mentors have helped me throughout my career, but I knew a professional coach would help me develop a formal strategy. Coaches also bring a greater level of accountability, so the likelihood was greater that I would follow through on my strategy. I saw this as an investment in me – a gift to myself.”

Elfreda started with TBG’s Clarity Program, finding it to be a great way to reassess her goals and priorities. 

“With my Clarity coach, Stuart Bailey, I realized that I had goals that I wasn’t prioritizing, like spending more time with family and exercising on a regular basis. I learned that salary is not the most important thing in my job search, rather, trust, respect, flexibility in my schedule, and working with open-minded people. Stuart also helped to reinforce some of my positive traits that I wasn’t highlighting,” said Elfreda.

“That first phase of the program was really helpful to me. I didn’t expect it to be as helpful as it was,” said Elfreda.

Elfreda got even greater benefit from the relationship she built next with her career consultant.

“Julie Mathern really pushed me. She taught me to do stuff on social media that I didn’t know how to do. That was a priority for me. I like systems to track things and she brought them to me. Julie really encouraged me. I felt we had a really good connection,” said Elfreda.

Although she had a great personal network already, Elfreda welcomed Julie’s coaching on how to leverage it and how to communicate to people that she was job hunting. She also felt that the work she did on quantifying her accomplishments added a lot to her resume and interviewing skills.

Elfreda’s job search had barely gotten started when the pandemic went into full swing. At first, she lamented her poor timing, but she came to see a silver lining.

“I was still working at my former job and, because of the pandemic, I wasn’t traveling as much. My work went online, and that shift meant less time in airports and more time at home to focus on my job priorities,” said Elfreda.

Her job search moved more slowly, but Elfreda trusted the process. She credits her consultant with keeping her on target. In the coming months, three or four opportunities arose, proving to her that her new strategies were beginning to work.  

“Julie reminded me that I didn’t have to accept the first offer. She encouraged me to stay true to my priorities and wait for the right opportunity to come along,” said Elfreda. “I really valued that relationship. I didn’t want to let her down!”

Her consultant predicted that Elfreda’s network is what would bear fruit – not job postings, and she was right. Nearly a year after beginning her TBG program, Elfreda saw on LinkedIn that a former colleague was building out an EdTech startup. She initiated a conversation and, not long afterwards, the colleague said he needed her as a thought partner and would love to have her on his team.  

Elfreda’s career consultant coached her through the hiring negotiations, including title, compensation package, and reporting channels. In the end, Elfreda got a job offer that delighted her and she is now thoroughly enjoying her new job helping to build learning tools for virtual education.

“I’m contributing a great deal and helping to grow the company,” said Elfreda. “I’m energized by my new job.” 

Elfreda is grateful to The Barrett Group for helping her navigate this career transition. 

“Having a consistent coach was really helpful,” said Elfreda. “And it was clear to me that all the people at The Barrett Group really wanted me to succeed.” 

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

Client:

Philip was deputy commissioner and chief operating officer of a 2,300-person agency within the government of Washington State.

Industry:

State Government, Consulting

Function:

Administration, Operations, Executive Leadership, Change Management, Organizational Development

Challenge:

Philip was asked to assume a critically important government role during the pandemic that was vacant but, as the crisis subsided, he found the position to be an unappealing long-term prospect and wanted help transitioning his career.

Process:

Philip benefited considerably from a major resume overhaul, interview coaching, efforts to build his social capital, and a reevaluation of what it means to him to be successful.  

Landing:

Philip had the unique experience of landing successfully twice – once in a management consulting role tailor-made for him, and later as director of an agency reporting directly to the governor of Oregon. 

Study:

Philip was director of product, planning, and performance for a division of the Employment Security Department of Washington State, and he loved it. Highly valued in that role for his success in building up what was a new division, Philip was tapped to assume the Number Two spot in the agency, deputy commissioner and chief operation officer, after the pandemic hit and the position became suddenly vacated.  

A long-time and passionate public servant, Philip understood the critical importance of filling this new position during a time when thousands of people were losing their jobs. So, he willingly accepted the promotion – along with the stress and long hours – and knuckled down to help Washingtonians in need. As the pandemic subsided and Philip began to breathe again, however, he found that the role was not what he wanted for the long-term. 

“I wasn’t doing the things that fulfill me. I wanted to get back to my priorities, so I decided to step down from that position,” said Philip. 

Philip’s boss was supportive of his desire to change jobs, but what Philip hadn’t initially realized is that stepping down meant leaving state government. 

“The deputy commissioner role is close to the last stop. In fact, if you don’t plan to become an agency head, it is the last stop. That became clear to me in talking to people about possibly moving backwards. It alarmed them. Going backwards isn’t an option in state government. It just isn’t done,” said Philip. “My only option, therefore, was to leave government completely. That’s a comfort blanket I would have to take off.”

A long-time civil servant, Philip had little experience looking or applying for jobs. Typically, he was just appointed or asked to take roles. He knew even less about job transitioning outside government. Consequently, his job search was rather aimless.

“Within a week of beginning my job search, I knew I would need help. I didn’t even know how to use LinkedIn. And when I called recruiters they said, ‘We don’t talk to people like you,’” said Philip. 

Philip found The Barrett Group (TBG) online. He was skeptical at first but decided to give it a shot. Immediately, he began seeing tremendous benefits – starting with the Clarity Program.

“I didn’t understand Clarity at first. I thought, ‘Really? Do we have to spend time learning about our preferences? Can’t we just get to the ‘finding the job’ part? But Clarity was unique. I’ve done similar training and I’m certified in evaluative tools for organizational development, but I’ve never experienced what I did this time,” said Philip. “Clarity was absolutely the MOST valuable part for me because I had trapped myself into thinking that I have to be in the C-suite. That I must continue doing what I have been doing. My coach, Lisa Levesque, really helped put things into perspective. The exercises I did made me deeply examine what is important in my life.”

Philip continued exploring this line of thinking with his career consultant, Barbara Limmer. 

“Once I started working with Barbara – who is amazing, just amazing! – she really helped me unpack what it is that I want to do. She was a great coach. I could tell her what I was thinking and she would get me thinking in a different way by asking questions. She never pushed me to do anything I didn’t want to do, and if I had second thoughts about something, she would just say, ‘Okay, let’s work through this.’ Working with her was very rewarding. It was with Barbara that I realized that there are other places you can be successful besides the C-suite.”

As he continued considering his career path, Philip worked on the fundamentals of his career campaign. 

“Overhauling my resume was difficult. Mine was old school. The writing team and Barbara pushed me hard to produce quantitative results for everything on my resume. On the draft was written, ‘What was the result? What did you achieve?’ It was really challenging and took a long time, but it was so valuable.” 

Philip rebuilt his LinkedIn profile and learned how to leverage LinkedIn in ways he never knew were possible. He learned how to reach out to 3rd party recruiters. And he learned how to interview better.

“I have interviewed so many people and thought I knew everything about it, but I didn’t know how to BE interviewed. It’s very different! I also found out that interviewing in government is drastically different from interviewing in the corporate sector. In government they focus on your values and personal traits, whereas in the private sector they focus on your business results.”

Philip also began building social capital and made a connection with a consulting firm shortly after engaging TBG. 

“Social capital is a big thing at The Barrett Group. They want you to develop your relationships and build new ones. It worked! A friend of mine suggested I speak to his wife, who is president and owner of a management consulting firm looking to expand her practice. She needed someone with an organizational development background, like mine. She was very interested in my experience and skills and enticed me to come aboard.”

At first, Philip was terrified of taking a consulting position because of the inconsistent income. That was a significant mental hurdle for someone who had spent most of his career earning a stable, government income. In the end, though, Philip was won over and accepted the job.

“She took me to dinner and walked me through a compensation package. She admitted there is risk, but she insisted there is plenty of work. She wasn’t kidding! And it’s super rewarding! What really appealed to me is that I had one problem to solve – not 100 – and I got to strategize, plan, and coach people on how to resolve that problem. It’s very satisfying. As an executive, you sit in back-to-back meetings and you don’t get time to do that.”

Eight months after Philip had settled into his new career, a surprising thing happened. He got another job offer.

“I had applied to a cabinet position reporting directly to the governor of Oregon immediately after deciding to leave my last job. It wasn’t until after I had connected with the management consulting firm that I was invited to interview. My new boss was supportive of my exploring this new opportunity. It turned out to be a complicated, time-consuming recruitment process because Oregon was changing governors, and both were involved. I had multiple interviews and after each one I wouldn’t hear anything for months. But when the new governor finally took office, she called to offer me the job.” 

Accepting wasn’t an easy decision for Philip because a lot had happened since he had first applied for the government role. He was happily landed at a great firm with great people. Meanwhile, the new job would require moving to another state and away from his family. But the role fit right into his wheelhouse and promised to be fun, challenging, and exceedingly rewarding. Moreover, Philip found the governor to be an inspiring person for whom he was excited to work. In short, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. 

When Philip left the consulting firm, he did so with the full support of his boss – and the knowledge that he would be welcome back in the future. Today he couldn’t be happier. 

“My experience with The Barrett Group was great! The program helped me identify my priorities and taught me a tremendous amount about the job market. Overall, I found the whole program to be valuable.”

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

Client:

Arturo Núñez performed two roles, senior manager of asset monitoring and substation reliability Center of Excellence manager, at a large provider of solutions for protecting the integrity of critical industrial and civil infrastructure. 

Industry:

Engineering, Energy, Nondestructive testing, Infrastructure, OEM

Function:

Project Management, Technical and Strategic Leadership, Operations, SM

Challenge:

Arturo became frustrated after corporate management assigned him a new division – in addition to his current role – without modifying the existing company culture in which people focused on working only within their silos. He decided to change jobs, but his job search yielded no viable opportunities.

Process:

Narrowing the focus of his job search, highlighting his personal brand and accomplishments, and leveraging social capital helped Arturo garner attention from hiring managers. 

Landing:

After several slow months of job hunting, Arturo got two attractive job offers and a potential third offer – all in the same week. He landed as Domain Expert Director – Convergence of Data and Power for a leading manufacturer of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of electricity.

Study:

Arturo Núñez was a field test engineer at the beginning of his 22-year long stint at a large, East Coast provider of solutions that protect the integrity of critical industrial and civil infrastructure. By the end of it, he was coordinating two divisions and wearing two hats: senior manager of asset monitoring and substation reliability Center of Excellence manager. 

It was a unique, important role because Arturo was tasked with creating a model of collaboration between the products and services teams. It was to be an example for the rest of the company on how divisions might target the good of the company, rather than the good of the division, in their operational goals. As it turned out, it was also a frustrating role because Arturo felt that he never got the management support required to be successful. 

“I got tired of trying to make changes for which I was given no authority,” said Arturo. “I was asked to be patient. I waited two years, but still nothing happened. So, I decided to leave.”

Arturo launched a covert job search. Immediately, he got two offers, which made him think that finding a new job would be easy. As both opportunities required a relocation, however, which, for family reasons, was a nonstarter, he turned them down. To his dismay, things got very quiet after that.

“I applied daily to lots of jobs, but I got few responses and no follow ups. Feelings of doubt starting creeping in. I started to think I was too old to look for a new job.” said Arturo. 

After six months of futile searching, Arturo began researching professional career management firms and decided to give The Barrett Group (TBG) a try. 

“I read the testimonials and success stories and I identified with many of the struggles people said they had,” said Arturo. “I thought, ‘If those people went through what I am going through and found jobs, then maybe this is the right step for me.’”

As Arturo had spent a lot of time reflecting on his circumstances, he was happy to find that working with Marsha Foster, his Clarity coach, jibed well with his own efforts to figure out what he was doing wrong.

“I enjoyed the Clarity Program, and I liked Marsha’s approach. It clarified a lot of things for me – what I wanted to do, what I didn’t want to do, as well as my long-term objectives. It gave me the structure I needed to get a complete picture of what I wanted from life personally and professionally.”

Most important, Clarity helped Arturo realize that what he wanted most from a job was to feel appreciated.

“I achieved a lot at my company, but I didn’t feel recognized for my work. I wanted to find an organization that showed appreciation for its employees.”

With that fresh understanding, Arturo began working through elements of the TBG Program with career consultant, Larry DiBoni. Arturo was surprised to find that one of the most fundamental aspects of the program turned out to be one of the most valuable in his career transition.

“Reworking my resume produced the biggest change in my job search,” said Arturo. “I hadn’t changed my resume much in the past 22 years and the TBG resume writers did a great job on it. They had me add a lot of metrics and home in on my accomplishments and results. I noticed an immediate difference in the response I got from hiring managers after I started using my new resume.”

Arturo also benefited from learning how to leverage LinkedIn better.

“I have always been very active on LinkedIn, but I definitely learned a lot about LinkedIn analytics and how to customize a job search,” said Arturo. 

It was at this point that Arturo realized a major mistake he’d made in his job search prior to joining The Barrett Group: His search had been too broad.

“I was very selective in the beginning on where I applied,” said Arturo. “But as time went on, out of desperation, I started applying everywhere – even to positions that didn’t come close to what I was looking for. Finally, it all made sense to me. The reason I didn’t get responses to those applications is that I didn’t fit the profile of the jobs.” 

From that point on, Arturo was careful to apply only to jobs that truly aligned with his interests and his talents. Even then, it was slow-going for several months, but the seeds he planted eventually began to bear fruit – and all at once.

“Between July and November, I applied to fewer roles, based on the criteria I’d formulated with Larry. I was not getting a lot of responses, but in November I started interviewing with three interesting companies. And in January, to my surprise, I ended up with two job offers and a budding third offer in the same week!”

The offer he accepted is an exciting Domain Expert Director – Convergence of Data and Power position of a leading manufacturer of wire and cable used in the transmission and distribution of electricity, where he is charged with developing a new division focused on innovation, new business opportunities, and new technologies. It promises not only attractive growth potential, but also a significant boost in compensation.

Arturo credits a combination of leveraging social capital and re-branding for his successful landing. 

“The recruiter for the position had seen my profile on LinkedIn and called me. What she didn’t know is that I had already applied! After that, I reached out to an ex-boss who knew the company well and gave me good background information on the company’s culture and leadership. He was also one of my references and provided very positive feedback about me to the executive team during the hiring process.” 

Arturo is happily settling into his new role and says that his career transition has inspired a new perspective on career management.

“I like to stay in touch with people, but I realized during this process that, often, we reach out to people only when we need something. I have since made a conscious change of mindset to reach out to people in my network regularly. It’s a good practice for personal as well as professional life!”

Client:

Lindsay was senior territory sales manager for south Florida for a global manufacturer of dental and orthodontic solutions.

Industry:

Health Care, Medical Devices, Hospitals, Pharmaceuticals, Sales

Challenge:

After 13 years in the industry, Lindsay aspired to new challenges that were unreachable without making major career changes and enlisting professional help.

Process:

The interconnection of various job search activities, plus a strong coach keeping the process moving forward, was the perfect recipe for Lindsay’s success.

Landing:

Lindsay is director of business development for a startup dental management company, an opportunity that marries the career advancement she sought with her dental industry experience.

Study:

As the south Florida senior territory manager for a global manufacturer of dental and orthodontic solutions, Lindsay was responsible for sales and strategic planning for a $2.9 million, top North American territory. She worked with existing customers, sought new business, and streamlined workflow efficiencies – in short, she was the “CEO of the territory.” After 13 years in the industry, she was ready to take her career to the next level. The problem was that her company offered no opportunities for career advancement to people in her position, even top performers like her. Lindsay had little hope that other companies in the industry would offer her them, either. 

“Two years ago, I asked about internal programs to cross-train for other job opportunities, but they had nothing in place and weren’t willing to help me grow. It was clear there were few options for advancement there and, frankly, it would have been the same situation at another company. To move out of sales and make a big career change I knew I would need to advance my skills,” said Lindsay. 

That’s when Lindsay decided to get an MBA. Continuing at her job full time, she spent 18 months taking classes. Driven with ambition to kickstart her new career, Lindsay enlisted The Barrett Group to start job hunting even before she’d completed her MBA program. 

“Going back to school for my MBA is the best decision I ever made. You learn so many different aspects of business, how to think like an executive, and how everything connects together,” said Lindsay. “It’s also how I found The Barrett Group. One of the guys in my cohort recommended them to me.” 

Lindsay’s MBA program contracted the services of a well-known recruitment firm, but after six months she realized that they were too narrow in scope for her needs. She hoped The Barrett Group (TBG) would provide her more support and help her create a solid career strategy. 

“I needed help with all aspects of a job search, including rebuilding my resume, using LinkedIn, interview prep, as well as sorting out what it is I wanted to do,” said Lindsay. 

Lindsay knew she wanted change, more challenges and better compensation, but she didn’t have a clear idea of what her ideal job looked like. She considered leaving the healthcare industry entirely but saw the difficulty of shifting job type and industry simultaneously. 

Lindsay spent the first few weeks of the TBG Program working with Scott Henderson, her Clarity coach.

“He was very, very good! We had great conversations. We really clicked and he really helped me work through a lot when I was reeling from Covid stuff,” said Lindsay. “Scott gave me confidence in knowing what my strengths are, the management style and culture of the company I’m looking for, and that I need opportunities for leadership and stretch projects. He brought it all together.” 

When Lindsay, who was the first client to use TBG’s new service delivery system, Asana, started working with her career consultant, Julie Mathern, she found it a seamless shifting of gears from the internal work of figuring out what she wants to finding a job. 

“Reworking my resume was the first thing to tackle. Julie had me start by putting numbers to my achievements. Working with her and TBG’s resume writers took my resume to a whole new level. The way they word or position something I did in my job was really thoughtful and creative,” said Lindsay. 

The next task was to redo Lindsay’s LinkedIn profile. 

“We worked on reaching out to people and building up my social capital. I’m pretty good at networking already, but Julie challenged me to do more and get out of my comfort zone. You never know what will lead to a job opportunity. If nothing else, it’s great practice!” said Lindsay. 

Lindsay already felt confident with interviewing, but the work she did on her resume improved her interviewing skills, too. 

“I had to get very specific about the metrics I wrote on my resume, which I then used in my interviews,” said Lindsay. “Julie also helped me prepare for the types of questions I might get.” 

The pandemic created some challenges in Lindsay’s job search – she was hard pressed to find companies that were hiring – but an unanticipated benefit was that it gave Lindsay time to finish her MBA and work on her career strategy. 

“Covid was actually the best thing to happen to me because I focused,” said Lindsay. “I never lost my job, but all my clients shut down for two months. I spent that time working with The Barrett Group. No one was hiring between October and December, but people were willing to talk. I had great exploratory conversations. Julie helped me with that.”

When companies started hiring in January, Lindsay knew it was just a matter of time before opportunities would emerge for her. And they did.

In quick succession, Lindsay found herself interviewing with four different companies, all in the dental/healthcare space. 

“People told me all along to stick within dental, but, at first, I didn’t want to hear that. Julie never told me that. She just kept guiding me so I could realize my own path,” said Lindsay. “Had the hiring manager of the job I took approached me last summer, I probably wouldn’t have responded. Since then, however, my thinking has evolved, and I am very glad it did!” 

Lindsay’s great opportunity found her thanks to her revamped LinkedIn profile – and a bit of good timing.  

“My new company is a dental management startup that provides nonclinical support to dental practices and wants to expand into Florida. I’ll be the director of business development handling the M&A new market development work in Florida, and leveraging the relationships I’ve built with dental owners to help them make their businesses more efficient. It is a brand-new business role for me in an industry where I have 13 years of experience. This is a perfect fit for me! The stars have aligned!”

Lindsay has no doubt that she will be successful in her new position and credits The Barrett Group a lot for her successful landing. 

“The services The Barrett Group provided were so thorough, and Julie helped keep it all together and moving forward,” said Lindsay. “I’m a very motivated person, but it was the interconnection of all these services that helped me get the job. I realize how important it is to work with experts sometimes!”  

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

Client:

André was CFO and COO for a Washington DC-based trade association. 

Industry:

Non-Profit Finance

Challenge:

André’s position was eliminated after a major reorganization, but after 15 years in his position, his job seeking efforts were unsuccessful and he needed help. 

Process:

André learned how to discern what employers are looking for, tailor each application, assertively follow up on every prospect, and say as much as – and no more than – was necessary.

Landing:

After just two months working with The Barrett Group, André was quickly recruited as CFO and COO of a nonprofit organization with an “amazing” mission. 

Study:

As chief financial officer and chief operating officer for a $15 million international nonprofit, André strategized and directed operations of the finance and administration departments. He concurrently served as the CFO and COO of an affiliate nonprofit in the last two years of his 15-year employment there. Due to a reorganization, André’s position was eliminated in early 2020. 

André was stunned but undaunted. He wasted no time pounding the pavement. He reached out to contacts, connected with recruiters, updated his resume and sent applications. He was unsuccessful in landing a job, however, for two main reasons. First, he had little job seeking practice – he’d been 15 years at the same organization, and before that he had always relied on a recruiter friend to facilitate his career transitions. Second, two weeks after losing his job, the Covid pandemic befell the country. 

“After six months I’d sent out 150 resumes and got only eight interviews. I thought I was the perfect fit for some of those opportunities and managed to get into the final round of interviews, but I was never offered a job. At first, I thought I knew what I was doing, but I was clearly doing something wrong,” said André. 

Because he had little luck on his own, André decided to go with Plan B – engaging with an outplacement service. He reached out to The Barrett Group (TBG). He was convinced that TBG could help him market himself better, but before committing to the program he waited to see how things would pan out with three organizations at which he was actively interviewing.

“Those interview processes stretched out over three months! I thought I was getting somewhere but, ultimately, they all fell through. That’s when I signed on with The Barrett Group,” said André.

André started by launching into TBG’s Clarity Program. 

“I started by doing an assessment of who I am and what I’m looking for,” said André. “It was very valuable. It reinforced that my career path makes sense for me, but it also identified other industry options for me that I’d never considered, like art or the entertainment industry. It was eye-opening.”

After about two weeks André was ready to work with his career consultant, Jerry. 

“The first thing we did was deconstruct and then reconstruct my resume. It looked completely different from how it looked before, and it presented me so much better,” said André. “For example, I’ve been in the workforce for 30 years, so I stripped out all the stuff that might put me at risk of ageism. Also, whatever the title of the position I was applying for is what I put at the top of my resume. I had six or seven versions of my resume.” 

Next, Jerry helped André with mock interviews. 

“Jerry broke down what I needed to work on and how to be more concise,” said André. “I had developed an interview script for myself when I was job seeking on my own, but Jerry helped me tighten it up. I had thought I should provide detailed responses, but he told me to limit my comments to 30 seconds because after that interviewers aren’t listening. My working mantra was ‘More than a soundbite, less than a narrative.’”

André really valued how Jerry taught him to understand what hiring managers are looking for and to market himself specifically to the position he was applying for. 

“You need to treat each potential employer as a unique entity. That was very educational!” said André. 

And though he thought he was already assertive, Jerry made André even more so, urging André to carefully craft cover letters, send follow-up letters strategically, and anticipate job vacancies and apply for them before the jobs go public – the better to get his foot in the door at one stage or another.

“Things went quickly once I signed on with The Barrett Group,” said Andre.

André learned from Jerry that there was a lot more to do on the job seeking front than he had been doing on his own. 

In the end, André didn’t need to do a lot. Within a few short weeks after signing on with TBG, André spotted a job posting that appealed to him – a position for chief financial and operations office at a 40-year old charitable foundation. He sent an application.

“I heard back from the recruiter 40 minutes after sending the application!” said André. “We set up a call to discuss the position and then she forwarded my credentials to the executive director. She wanted to talk to me even though she was on vacation.”

André went through several rounds of interviews and was offered a job within five weeks over the year-end holiday season. He’s excited by the amazing mission of his new employer and is thrilled to start the next chapter of his career.

“The Barrett Group got me over the hump. Jerry, in particular, was a wealth of information. I would recommend him and The Barrett Group to anyone. I’m one for one after working with The Barrett Group. I’m sure that isn’t a coincidence!”

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