Success Studies

Client:

Erin was a field training consultant with an insurance company based in New England.

Industry:

Drug Manufacturing & Research

Challenge:

After several successful years working at her company, Erin felt that she had outgrown it and wanted help transitioning to a more senior role.

Process:

After first gaining clarity on her career goals, Erin revamped her resume and LinkedIn profile and worked hard to build her anemic network.

Landing:

Despite job hunting during the Covid downturn, Erin landed an “ideal” position as a senior manager in a challenging new field, in her first-choice city, and at a higher salary.

Study:

As a training manager for a national mutual life insurance company, Erin worked with agencies across the country setting up training plans and organizational structures. She had had spent most of her early career in academia and had only transitioned into the private sector four years earlier. She had saved the company millions of dollars, racked up achievements, and felt she’d accomplished her goal: to prove her business chops. She was ready to take the next step up the corporate ladder, however, her company offered few good opportunities.

“My goal in taking this job was to see if my education background would translate into business savvy. I proved it,” said Erin. “I was successful in my field. The problem is that there was no place to grow at my company – no next steps.”

Although naturally driven, Erin worried that she did not have the know-how to take her career to the next level. She perused job postings and submitted resumes, but she did not even find the positions she was applying for appealing.

“My resume was not good. I had a horrible network. I am a pretty good interviewer, but I clearly had a lot of work to do,” said Erin.

Erin was intrigued by the services offered by The Barrett Group. She was nervous about the financial commitment but the more she learned about the process, the more she saw the value in investing in herself.

“The Clarity coach and process impacted my life the most. I came away with a totally different perspective. Career management is not about looking for a job, it is knowing what you want from life and figuring out how your job can complement that vision.”

Although Erin was job hunting at the height of the pandemic, she worked hard with her Barrett Group team to pursue that vision. She collaborated with The Barrett Group to strengthen her LinkedIn profile, grow her network from 150 to 500 people, and revamp her resume and cover letter. Understanding how to align her value proposition with job postings and descriptions to successfully obtain interviews and the ultimate offer was a critical value add. Throughout Erin’s career transition, her Executive Career Consultant and Program Manager kept her motivated and buoyed her spirits when she saw job opportunities evaporate in the Covid downturn.

“Dan helped me keep realistic expectations. He also taught me how to talk about myself as a profit center to entice future employers. I could not have done that without him,” said Erin.

Erin transformed her network into a powerful social capital asset that ultimately determined the focus of her job search in Greenville, South Carolina, where she ultimately found an amazing opportunity in organizational development at a health and wellness firm. When she first heard back from the company, Erin and her coach both knew it was a good fit. Fully prepped, with research and interview preparation coaching she breezed through the interview and offer negotiations processes. Erin skillfully justified and obtained a signing bonus and a relocation package which when combined exceeded the total cost of her program.

“This position is exactly what I wanted. It’s a big role, a senior position, and it diversifies my resume,” said Erin.

For Erin, who swears she will never make another career move without a conversation with TBG, this job search experience has been priceless.

“If you want to substantially change your career, this is one of the best investments you will ever make in your life,” said Erin.

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

Client:

Erik was a regional sales manager of an international plywood production company.

Industry:

Medical Devices & Equipment

Challenge:

Furloughed during the Covid-19 downturn, Erik couldn’t wait for an economic bounce and needed help making himself more marketable in a tough job market.

Process:

Working through each step of TBG’s methodology, Erik boosted his market appeal and job search preparedness, while aggressively cultivating his network.

Landing:

In two months, Erik scored numerous interviews and three offers, ultimately landing a position in a field that is both growing and insulated against the pandemic.

Study:

Erik was the western regional sales manager for the world’s leading producer of birch plywood when the pandemic hit. Sales dropped 65% globally and the company was forced to cut costs.

“I was a Covid-19 casualty,” said Erik. “The company cut my salary, making my position commission-only with a base, and said they would re-evaluate the situation in 90 days. I just couldn’t afford to wait that long without any guarantees.”

Under normal circumstances, Erik would have conducted a job hunt on his own. But this time was different. After sending out some resumes and getting no responses at all, he knew he needed a new approach.

“Sending out resumes and waiting for responses wasn’t going to work this time. Not in this market,” said Erik. “I needed to do something different to make myself marketable in an unmarketable market.”

When The Barrett Group popped up in a Google search, Erik was intrigued. He felt that hiring a career management consultant was an investment in himself.

“No one wants to spend money when they’re unemployed, but I took a long-term approach. My way of job seeking wasn’t working, and I had nothing to lose,” said Erik. “I would have been upset with myself if I hadn’t taken this step and 90 days later had no more opportunities than I did at the outset.”

Erik was nervous, but felt reassured knowing that if in six months he didn’t yet have a job, TBG would reevaluate its strategy for him.

“They don’t give up on you. They take you all the way to the end,” said Erik. “Knowing that made me feel more comfortable.”

After a week of assessing his career goals, Erik launched into his job search as if it was a full-time job. He developed a detailed road map for his job search, learned how to utilize LinkedIn in ways he never imagined doing, and learned the value of leveraging second and third connections, reaching out to people he knew and didn’t know. He was exhausted at the end of each week, but he developed a profound respect for the process.

“Initially, I expected them to do all the work for me. They didn’t. Instead of handing me a fish, they taught me how to fish,” said Erik. “Thanks to the career skills I learned, I feel much more knowledgeable and confident about any future job changes I might face.”

Thanks to the new tools he was given and his own tenacity, Erik had three offers within two short months. Ultimately, he accepted a position as a regional sales manager for a company that makes Personal Protective Equipment, which has seen 25% growth since last year. Moreover, he successfully convinced the hiring manager the value in paying him $20K more than they had budgeted. Erik couldn’t be happier with his experience with The Barrett Group.

“To be able to land a job in two months in this market with so many other qualified candidates – it was money well spent!”

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

Client:

Chris Burger was global director of sales and order fulfillment for a large company at which he had worked for 20 years.

Industry:

Software Development & Design

Challenge:

When new leadership proved to be a poor fit, Chris decided to pursue alternative opportunities. But after 20 years in the same job, he didn’t know where to start.

Process:

An overhauled LinkedIn profile quickly yielded multiple leads, and professional preparation for interviews and salary negotiations proved invaluable.

Landing:

Chris is excited that his “final gig” before retirement is at a diverse startup with intelligent, young people who value the experience he brings.

Study:

As a global executive, Chris Burger had enjoyed a long career of managing people from around the world and from different cultures. He was happy in his position until a change in leadership prompted him to wonder whether his company would remain a good fit for him.

“The company wasn’t going in the direction I thought it should,” said Chris. “When the initial support I was promised did not materialize for a key project I was leading, I knew it was time for me to move on. I’m not that young anymore and I want to control my own destiny.”

Chris wasn’t ready to retire – he figured he had one more gig left in him, and he wanted the last gig to be a good one. However, he recognized that a lot had changed in the 20 years since he had last looked for a job, especially at the executive level. He decided to work with an advisor.

Chris ultimately hired The Barrett Group because its methodology addressed the exact areas where he needed help. As a global executive he had always customized his management style to the culture and personalities of the individuals he managed, and he appreciated that The Barrett Group, likewise, customizes its services to each client.

“The Barrett Group’s process is very complete. They began by assessing my personality, my communication style, and my goals. Then they tailored their process to my needs,” said Chris.

Chris also recognized that The Barrett Group consultants are experts where he is not – job search.

“What you don’t do often, you don’t do well. For me, that was job seeking,” said Chris. “I’d made only three or four career changes in entire life, but The Barrett Group does this for a living. They know all the tricks in the book.”

Developing his LinkedIn profile alone turned out to be hugely valuable. It prompted calls from numerous recruiters who wanted to know what he had to offer. TBG helped him field these calls by readying full company reports before every conversation.

TBG coaches fully trained him to effectively respond to recruiter questions, including using results-oriented language and good examples of his experience, and how to handle questions about compensation most effectively. They even followed up on his references to ensure they were good enough.

“That in-depth preparation instilled confidence in me during my conversations and interviews,” said Chris. “That is crucial to a successful job search – being confident about who you are and what you can do.”

TBG’s expert coaching didn’t end when Chris was offered a position by his current employer, a San Francisco startup. “The initial offer was a little below what I was expecting, so I told them I’d think about it. Then I called my consultant to discuss. In the end, the company raised the offer to a number I was glad to accept.”

With the help of The Barrett Group, Chris has embarked on the final chapter of his career – and it’s a great gig!

Photo: 123rf.com

Client:

Diane had a distinguished corporate career when she decided to launch into a consulting role.

Industry:

IT

Challenge:

After two years in a consulting role, Diane realized that she preferred and wanted to return to a corporate environment.

Process:

Focusing on tools to leverage her social capital, Diane quickly saw successes but was holding out to find the right job – when an unexpected development demanded her attention.

Landing:

After an extensive assessment of an exciting opportunity, Diane found her path forward and negotiated a better salary, better perks, a better title and a sign-on bonus that more than covered her career management fees.

Study:

Long before engaging The Barrett Group, Diane had an exceptionally distinguished career, working with some of the most exclusive brands in the world. She had been a senior vice president for a designer and marketer of luxury tableware and then a luxury goods corporation, serving as a chief information officer for prestigious luxury brands. Eventually, a friend of Diane’s convinced her to make a change. “A good friend of mine owned a consulting firm and was preparing for a crucial launch. He was looking for someone to handle the operations side and to actually execute the launch. I thought it would be very interesting and was excited about it.” So, Diane made a leap.

And Diane landed. “We successfully launched the product.” But like with any leap in life, it’s not just about the jump and the landing, it’s also about where exactly you find yourself in the end. “After two years in the consulting world, well, it was something that just didn’t appeal to me. I realized I was more cutout for corporate positions.” And so, Diane determined that she needed to summon up the strength and courage, and time and energy, to make another leap.

From the beginning, Diane recognized that she needed certain skills—skills that she felt she lacked. “I was all over. I was in my late fifties, and for all of my career I had never had to network or seek employment. I was always sought out or retained by search agencies or whatever. So, I really didn’t have the skills or know-how to use products like LinkedIn and those kinds of things.”

Diane recognized the true value of such skills. She did not need to be convinced that better marketing, promotion, and use of technology can determine the success or failure of a brand. “So, I started to do some research, and I looked at a few different companies. The Barrett Group was one of them, and, basically, after speaking with two other companies, I chose Barrett. I liked what they had to say. I liked the process they described. And I thought they could be beneficial, helping me seek what I wanted to do.”

Diane quickly got to work together with her consultant. “So, I became very active. On a weekly basis. I did my homework with my consultant.” First, they focused on the tools needed to promote her brand, including her resume and her LinkedIn. “Learning how to use some of the more sort of hidden or secretive features of LinkedIn was extremely helpful.” They then used those tools to promote her brand through leveraging her social capital. “I re-established contact with a lot of my former coworkers and such, which was extremely helpful. I networked with people who were peers at the time I worked with them, but who were now in executive roles like CEO.”

Diane quickly got results. “I landed an interview with a sporting goods company in New York.” But the purpose of The Barret Group is not to find a job for their clients. It is to find the right job for their clients. Diane rejected the opportunity with the complete support of her career consultant. “I ultimately decided that it was not something I was interested in, based upon their structure and things of that nature.”

And then came a twist. “In the middle of all of this my friend sold his consulting company to a firm that specialized in SAP consulting.” The new management showed they appreciated Diane and offered her a new opportunity. “They asked me if I would stay on as the VP of operations.”

Diane and The Barrett Group pivoted immediately—together and in sync. “I spoke to my consultant about it, and we looked at the pros and cons of continuing my search or moving forward with the new management.” Diane was now at least tempted to stay. “In the end, I considered a variety of factors, like some of the things that were promised to me, some of the opportunities that I would have, and the fact that I would now be part of a much larger organization with more structure. So, I decided to stay.”

Although a decision had been made, neither Diane nor her consultant lost focus. “So, my consultant at Barrett and I switched gears and she helped me negotiate the package with the new ownership. She was extremely helpful, taking me through the steps to do that successfully.”

Diane’s consultant had proved her value to Diane during the decision-making process, and she proved herself again during the negotiations process, a necessary step to making her decision a reality. “I probably would not have negotiated the salary and everything else I ended up with, you know, the perks that came with it, the terms of the contract and all those other things. I can't thank The Barrett Group enough.”

“I had been a chief information officer. The operations officer role was something I had never really been in before. It was new and exciting, and I looked forward to it.” And, finally, like many Barrett clients, she of course had a better salary, better perks, and a better title, as well as one other outcome. “You know, I received a sign-on bonus that more than covered The Barrett Group’s fees.”

Quotes:

“I have talked to many people who have been considering The Barret Group and have successfully joined the company. I would say that if you really feel you don't have those skills, don't try learning them on your own, because time is of the essence, because most especially because the people I do reference calls with are sort of in my same situation, a seasoned professional with a lot of younger competition.”

“I would say that it was so worth the expenditure of fees versus the return. So there's a great return on investment.”

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

Client:

Bibi was chief administrative officer for a large university, where she worked for 24 years.

Industry:

Non-Profit Environmental

Challenge:

Bibi wanted a change, but she didn’t know how to navigate the modern job market.

Process:

After learning her professional value and best practices for a successful job search, Bibi had the confidence to try for her dream job.

Landing:

Leveraging the unpublished market, Bibi’s dream employer offered her a position and invited her to write the job description herself.

Study:

Bibi had spent 24 years working as an administrator of a large state university. In addition to leading a team of staff members across several divisions and streamlining administrative processes, she had significant financial and budgetary responsibilities. Bibi enjoyed her work for many years, but over time, she came to be became disillusioned. The higher she rose in the organization, the less her values fit with the mission of the university. She decided to take a leap of faith and try to find a more fulfilling career.

“My job was so much red tape and yucky politics,” said Bibi. “When I realized that I could retire and get benefits, I decided to see what else was out there.”

After so long at the same organization, Bibi had no idea what opportunities there might be and little idea of how to pursue them. She enlisted help to write a resume and create a LinkedIn profile, then she began applying to job postings. A few months later she started using recruiters.

“I wasn’t getting any response. It was depressing and scary,” she said. “I realized then that I needed help navigating this new world of the job market.”

Bibi’s job search was clouded by the stress of having left her previous position without a clear Plan B. “I felt demoralized and needed someone to help me recognize my own value,” she said. “Recruiters weren’t the right answer for me. They are paid if you’re hired, which is a different financial motivation than for someone who is hired to help you find fulfilling employment. I wanted someone to help me process the circumstances of how I had left my last job, give me confidence, and guide me in the process of finding another career. I wanted someone who cared about helping me to succeed and who could tell me ‘This is what we think you can do.’”

That is when Bibi discovered The Barrett Group. After only one week, Bibi knew what she really wanted to do – and that her dream was within reach.

“I was eager to do something I really care about, which is working with trees. But I never, in a million years, thought I’d be able to do it.”

Bibi was paired up with a consultant that she found to be a great fit. He counseled her on what the job market is like and what her job search approach should be – namely, tapping the unpublished market. He and his team gathered information about environmental groups, specifically one organization of which Bibi was a huge fan.

“Waffles was so supportive in ways that went beyond pep talks. I appreciated that he didn’t just tell me things that he thought I wanted to hear. He was reality-based.”

Bibi felt nervous about contacting CEOs directly, but she did it. “Waffles told me that I will hear back from only about 5-10% of people, but when I do, I will experience magic.”

By Bibi’s account, Waffles was right. She got few responses to her emails, but one that she did get was from the CEO of the very organization that she was most eager to connect with. He invited her to meet and promptly told Bibi that he wanted her to work for him. As he had no specific position for her to fill, he essentially invited Bibi to write a job description for herself. Soon thereafter, he offered her a job – and a salary that exceeded the salaries of similar non-profit positions.

“What I learned about the unpublished market changed my whole approach to job seeking and led to a very successful ending,” said Bibi. “To say it’s a dream come true is an understatement. I’m still in shock! I would never have gotten this job without The Barrett Group.”

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

Client:

Barry worked 10 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a senior credit analyst.

Industry:

Banking

Challenge:

After an involuntary departure from the organization, Barry struggled to find another position that met his needs.

Process:

Barry revamped his resume and significantly improved his interviewing skills and confidence through numerous coaching sessions.

Landing:

Despite the Covid-19 related downturn, Barry successfully landed a position at a global financial services company as a senior associate of credit risk.

Study:

For ten years, Barry worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a credit analyst and credit risk manager. He oversaw transactions at numerous American and foreign banking organizations and liaised with the regulators of various entities. He enjoyed his career there until the confluence of a bad professional decision and unfortunate timing aroused the disapproval of his managers. Not long afterwards, Barry was squeezed out.

With seven children to care for, Barry didn’t have the luxury of time to undergo a lengthy job search. When his position at the Fed was eliminated, he accepted a new position within two months that turned out to be disastrous.

“It was the worst experience in my career,” said Barry. I took the job out of fear. I should have passed on it, but I got desperate. So much was bad about the job. I hoped things would change, but they didn’t.”

Back in the job market again after only two and a half months, Barry struggled to find a position in an industry where positions are increasingly scarce, especially in New York City where his family lives. It didn’t help that he is over 50.

“Many of the banks in New York City are moving operations to lower cost centers, like Dallas, Tampa, or India. Banking is a horrible industry for labor. And there is definitely an over-50 discrimination in my field,” said Barry.

After yet another failed employment venture, Barry decided to hire The Barrett Group (TBG).

“I hired The Barrett Group because I really needed help framing better answers during interviews about why I had left my former job,” said Barry.

Barry succeeded in that and more. Two components of the process proved especially valuable. The first was a professional resume makeover.

“The Barrett Group helped me revamp my resume. It is now a much better resume than the one I came in with,” said Barry. “That alone is worth thousands of dollars.”

The second, and even more valuable, benefit Barry received from his TBG experience was personal interview coaching, which he credits for doubling the number of good interviews he had.

“I did not interview well when I started,” Barry admits. “But after coaching, I went into interviews more confident and better prepared. I probably improved my interview skills by 30-40%. That makes a big difference in a competitive job market,” said Barry.

These newfound skills shone during the interview for a position in Dallas that he knew was a long shot.

“I lacked some important qualifications for the job, so chances were not high that I would get it. Still, they considered me! That’s thanks to the Barrett Group interview skills,” said Barry.

While Barry did not get that job, he was invited to apply for another position at the company – this time in New York City where his family lived – and got it.

Beset by the Covid-19 downturn, Barry’s job search took 11 months – longer than he anticipated. But, he figures, without The Barrett Group the job hunt might have taken another six months. He is thrilled to have landed – not least, because he won’t have to relocate. That’s worth celebrating for both Barry and his seven children.

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

Client:

Manan was an unemployed Director of Systems Quality Engineering seeking a similar role.

Industry:

IT

Challenge:

Manan’s job search was stymied by an underdeveloped network in a field where most jobs are filled through networking.

Process:

Rekindling old relationships and cultivating a sphere of influence generated new job opportunities, while expert preparations fine-tuned Manan’s interview skills.

Landing:

Within four months Manan both landed a job that was a good fit and successfully negotiated a higher compensation package for it.

Study:

When Manan found himself unemployed he didn’t initially consider himself an ideal candidate for executive coaching services because he had a track record of successful job searches during his career. He launched a job search on his own for a role similar to his previous position as senior director of systems quality engineering at a computer systems design company in Texas. Manan soon came to realize, however, that the number of jobs available at his level in his field were low, and competition was high. Worse, most open jobs were filled through networking.

“In my field, 80% of jobs are filled through networking. I didn’t have a large network of contacts and I’m not a very outgoing person. I knew that approaching people, especially for help in getting a job, was going to be difficult for me,” said Manan.

After job searching for some time with no leads, Manan decided to enlist expert help. He had never sought professional job search services, and wanted a firm that excelled at helping people find great job opportunities, especially in senior positions. He chose The Barrett Group.

“The track record of The Barrett Group stands out. Over 90% of the people they work with get jobs in three to six months,” said Manan. “And from the very beginning, it was clear to me that people at The Barrett Group know a lot more than I do about job seeking. I soon realized that I hadn’t been using all the avenues available to me to make my job search as successful as it could be.”

Manan appreciated that The Barrett Group views networking as critical in the job search. They soon introduced Manan to some proven strategies that he could employ without having to transform his personality.

“They advised me on how to reach out to people and let them know that I was job hunting. They also coached me on the importance of being an active participant in my network and sphere of influence.”

Manan found the help to be invaluable.

“After I took those first steps and reached out to people, a surprising number were happy to talk to me and connect me to people in their own network – even people I had not been in touch with for five or ten years.”

Manan insists that the best part of his experience, however, was his interactions with his executive career consultant, Vivek Agarwal. “Vivek was a valuable ally from beginning to end. He gave me an understanding of the overall roadmap, helped me prepare for interviews, break them down afterwards, and provided great pointers and feedback on how to fine-tune my job search. And he was always available,” said Manan.

Vivek also helped Manan focus on the positive when he failed to get one job that he had very much wanted, showing him how he could learn from the experience.

About four months after engaging The Barrett Group, Manan was offered a job that he was delighted to accept – but not before using some new negotiation tips to beef up the compensation package to include stock, an expense account, and even relocation assistance to facilitate a move from Texas to California. And now, going forward, he feels empowered to better undertake future job searches with new skills and, most importantly, a robust, new network.

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

Client:

Kwasi Asare was director of corporate safety at a firm that provides construction, maintenance and engineering support to the energy industry. 

Industry:

Energy & Utilities

Challenge:

Kwasi’s job was eliminated when Covid forced his company to restructure, but after 20 years at the company, he needed help navigating today’s employment market. 

Process:

After reaffirming his personal and professional goals, Kwasi built his network of contacts and leveraged them to ensure his resume was seen by hiring managers. 

Landing:

Kwasi accepted a position as a business unit manager of a large company with good upward potential, and he managed to sweeten the compensation through negotiation.

Study:

As director of corporate safety at a large holding company that constructs and maintains equipment for the energy industry, Kwasi Asare led safety management for several business units, and he was the point man for standardizing processes and implementing best practices. A 20-year veteran of the company, Kwasi was unprepared for unemployment when the Covid crisis forced corporate restructuring upon the company, eliminating his position. 

“I’d never been terminated or laid off. The next day I figured I should get moving to find a new job,” said Kwasi. “I threw together my resume and sent it to people I had worked with in the past. I started applying to places and I signed up for help from a bunch of executive search firms. I just jumped into it, ignorant of the process. It was not a coordinated or focused approach.” 

It was in this way that Kwasi stumbled across The Barrett Group (TBG). His initial interest in TBG’s program was tepid at first because he “just wanted someone to find a job” for him. The more he learned about the model, however – TBG doesn’t find you a job, they teach you a proven methodology to find a job yourself – he decided to give it a try.

“It seemed weird to plunk down a lot of money after just losing my job,” said Kwasi. “But after I reflected more on it, it became clear that this would be an investment in myself. I wanted to advance higher than the director level and possibly transition out of my industry, and this seemed to provide me the option to explore new opportunities and think outside the box.” 

Kwasi started by doing a deep dive into his personal values through TBG’s Clarity Program and assessing what he wanted from his career. 

“The goal is to explore things that are related not only to work, but also to family, life balance, and geography,” said Kwasi. “If you don’t have that focus on what you’re looking for personally and career wise, it sets you back during your job search.” 

While there were no “aha” moments, the Clarity process did illuminate one thing for Kwasi: A career transition is an ideal time to move closer to family, so geography became an important factor in his job search.

The next phase of the program was an exceedingly beneficial lesson for Kwasi about career management.  

“I knew about LinkedIn, but I didn’t know how to utilize second- and third-degree connections. I didn’t understand the importance of cultivating relationships and leveraging them to get internal support when applying for a position,” said Kwasi. “Without some kind of internal advocacy, it’s hard to get past the automatic resume screening process.”

Kwasi spent a lot of time developing his LinkedIn network by reaching out to people he hadn’t talked to in years and rebuilding those relationships.

“I realized how poor form it was at first for me to send out my resume to people before I bothered to catch up with them,” said Kwasi. “I learned that from the Barrett Group. Once you genuinely build a connection with people, they often help you with a job search without your asking.” 

It wasn’t long before Kwasi mastered how to circumvent traditional job-hunting practices.

“If there is a place you want to work, you first go to LinkedIn and research your connections to find people who work there. Once you figure out the six-degrees of separation, you can ping-pong your way to the top of the list and, possibly, into an interview,” said Kwasi. “You may not get the job, but at least your resume isn’t getting dumped into the trash.”

Leveraging his social capital in this way is exactly how Kwasi ultimately landed his next job. A few weeks after reconnecting with a business acquaintance that he hadn’t talked to in 10 years, the colleague called Kwasi to tell him about an opportunity as a safety manager of a business unit at a large firm on the east coast that might be a good fit. He even offered Kwasi a glowing referral. 

The position wasn’t the promotion Kwasi wanted, but it is close to family, which was one of his main goals, and it’s a good job at a bigger company with opportunity for growth, which he didn’t have before. During the hiring process, Kwasi managed to negotiate a higher base salary, a better relocation reimbursement, and a signing bonus.

For Kwasi, even better than his new job is the education he got from the TBG program. In hindsight, he says, his TBG experience made him realize that, previously, he had not been maximizing his potential.

“Looking back, I should have left my former job a while ago. This whole experience really helped me take inventory of things in my career,” said Kwasi. “For 20 years I never thought about leaving the company. I never tested the landscape. That’s horrible! If I had known years ago what I learned from TBG, it might have set my career path in a very different direction.”

Kwasi plans to make the most of the investment he’s made in his career. 

“This education was invaluable,” Kwasi said. “Going forward, I’m going to utilize the skills I’ve learned and leverage my social capital – not necessarily to find a job, but because that’s how opportunities come about.”

Client:

Kathleen was senior director of quality assurance at a company that manufactures synthetic DNA.

Industry:

Biotechnology

Challenge:

When Kathleen didn’t get a promotion she felt she merited, she left the company and sought an executive coach to help her self-reflect and understand how to market herself better.

Process:

Kathleen made her resume shine, fleshed out her LinkedIn profile, and honed her interview and compensation negotiation skills. 

Landing:

Kathleen landed as head of quality assurance at a start-up using cutting-edge technology in the fight against Covid, a job she finds both professionally rewarding and personally meaningful.

Study:

As senior director of quality assurance at a San Francisco biotech company, Kathleen directed 50 people in developing, and then supporting, a brand-new, quality management system and successfully achieving ISO compliance in record time. With this and other impressive accomplishments under her belt, and after four years on the job, she was looking forward to what she felt was a well-earned promotion to vice president. It never came. Instead, it became apparent that she and her supervisor had developed different values about how Kathleen’s program should be supported. 

Kathleen ended up leaving the company, frustrated that she had not seen this outcome coming. Her first step was to hire an executive coach to help her process and understand what had happened.

“I thought that, because I didn’t get the promotion, perhaps I wasn’t doing something right,” said Kathleen. 

She did an online search and found The Barrett Group (TBG). She had never used an executive coach before, but she wanted a professional to give her some perspective about her situation, help her handle uncomfortable questions that might arise about her sudden departure from her previous position, and offer her some guidance on how best to market herself for future opportunities. She started with what felt like a “soul-searching” experience in TBG’s Clarity Program.

“My Clarity coach had me address some really difficult questions, like how I might improve my work-life balance, assess what is truly important to me, and determine what I am really looking for in my career,” said Kathleen. “I found it useful. It helped me realize that I wasn’t very balanced – I’m a workaholic.”

In the next phase, Kathleen learned from her career consultant how to bolster her social capital.

“Greg helped me beef up my LinkedIn profile. I wasn’t active on it at all before. I had a profile, but I only dealt with it when I needed a job,” said Kathleen. “Now I’m much better about keeping in touch with people and helping them when I can. Keeping your network active and alive is really important because you never know if, tomorrow, you might not have a job.”

Kathleen also learned how to craft her resume for an executive position and began applying for VP roles, which she had set her heart on. 

That is when Covid hit. Kathleen responded by boosting her resume-sending campaign and continuing to connect with people over Zoom. Months went by with few results from her job search, but there was an upside. 

“It was good to take time off and decompress from working a lifetime,” said Kathleen. “It was an important mental break.”

Kathleen found the time to learn Spanish, take music lessons, and do gardening – and she reflected a lot on the terrible Covid crisis. 

Then something extraordinary happened. One day at the end of July Kathleen received an email from a start-up biotech company expressing great interest in the CV she had sent them three months earlier. 

“That was the first time I’d ever just sent my resume to a company cold and got a response,” said Kathleen.

The position was a bit of downgrade in terms of salary and title, but the opportunity offered a unique appeal – the young company was using cutting edge technology to battle Covid, and Kathleen would be lending her talents and skills towards that effort. 

“When I began my job search, I really wanted a VP position – anywhere. Then Covid happened. And when this opportunity arose, I realized that I’m now totally fine with not being a VP. What is important to me today is helping the world get through this,” said Kathleen. 

Kathleen turned to her career consultant to help her manage the hiring process. 

“We did a practice interview and Greg helped me go over a presentation I had to give. Greg also helped me prepare for some tough questions – the hardest being, ‘Why did you leave your previous position?’” said Kathleen. 

She also received help when it came to salary negotiations. 

“Greg taught me how to ask for things in a way that didn’t sound demanding – and I got exactly what I asked for. I asked for a signing bonus and more stock and they didn’t hesitate. I never would have done that before,” said Kathleen. 

Kathleen even received some great coaching about how to handle the issue of her title.

“They didn’t have a senior director position, so I made an agreement with them that, externally, they would call me “head of quality,” and in six months they would review my position,” said Kathleen. 

Kathleen is thrilled in her new position.

“This is probably the best job I could have gotten because it’s so meaningful. I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines, I wanted to be part of the solution,” said Kathleen.

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

Client:

Russell was director of engineering at an international traffic safety solutions company.

Industry:

Manufacturing

Challenge:

Major corporate strategy shifts at his company compelled Russell to leave and seek new employment, but his job search efforts were going nowhere.

Process:

After first focusing on aligning his job search with personal priorities, Russell steadily revamped everything from his resume to his interview techniques.

Landing:

Russell landed a position as a plant manager through a recruiter, and leveraged newly acquired skills to negotiate a better compensation package.

Study:

As director of engineering for an international traffic safety solutions company, Russell lead a team of seven in overseeing operations, R&D, and supply chain. He managed national accounts for various aspects of the company, and achieved many successes, including growing revenue, eliminating expenses, and increasing product margins. His team developed new processes and patents that were cutting edge for the industry.

When a private equity firm bought the company and began preparing to sell the organization, however, Russell saw the handwriting on the wall – it was time to go. He took a few months off to reconnect with family and soul-search on how best to move his career forward, and then launched his job search. 

His efforts went nowhere. 

“I sent resumes to recruiters and got some interviews, but nothing panned out. I was pretty surprised,” said Russell. “Based on my work history and experience, I thought I’d get picked up quickly.”

Russell knew how successful job hunts work – you have to get your resume into the hands of the right person. In the past he’d used headhunters and recruiters to do this, but this time it wasn’t working. 

“Applying directly to companies and sending my resume to recruiters wasn’t getting me a second look. I applied to jobs whose job descriptions I matched perfectly, and I received zero response from 90% of them,” said Russell. “I was dead-on in experience, and I wasn’t getting picked.”

That’s when Russell contacted The Barrett Group (TBG). Time was of the essence. The last thing Russell wanted was to be forced to take a job out of desperation. At the same time, the further he got from his last job, the more questions it would raise among prospective employers. 

“I wanted to move my career forward, but my money supply isn’t endless. It was worth getting professional help because it would speed up my job search and increase the probability of it advancing my career,” said Russell. “I went with The Barrett Group because of its extensive program. They don’t just update your resume, and throw you out there. They have multiple steps, including a personal analysis, and helping you produce a professional business plan. Other companies don’t offer the same level of detail.” 

Russell found the Clarity component of the TBG program to be extremely helpful because it forced him to reflect on things that are important to him that he had neglected during his career.

“When you get wrapped up with a job, you lose focus on things. Had I gone through this process a few years ago, I would never have taken my last job,” said Russell. “The Clarity program made me see the importance of having a job that revolves around my priorities: family, personal time, professional growth, and financial security.”  

With his career consultant, Lori Chevalier, Russell steadily worked on honing his resume, references, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile. He beefed up his networking, sharpened his interview skills, and fine-tuned his target markets. Within about one month, Russell began sending out resumes.

Then Covid hit.

“My timing was impeccable. I got really good responses and several interviews from my resumes early on,” said Russell, “but when Covid hit, hiring in manufacturing froze. I was panicked big time! If it weren’t for unemployment and the federal stimulus package, I would have been in serious financial trouble.”

Covid, notwithstanding, Russell continued his job search. He doggedly worked his network. Finally, Russell had a breakthrough when a recruiter reached out to him about an opportunity right up his alley – to be a plant manager. 

After a series of virtual interviews, Russell was invited for a tour of the facility and to meet the team. The process went great and Russell was soon offered the job with the same base pay as his previous position plus several attractive perks. 

He immediately turned to The Barrett Group for help in negotiating the offer.

“I was concerned about moving to a place with a higher cost of living. I wanted to make sure I could sustain my current lifestyle,” said Russell.

The TBG team did a cost of living analysis and reviewed the offer. They coached Russell to request a signing bonus, a moving settlement, and a raise in base salary, which sweetened the final package by $9,000. He is thrilled to be back doing a job where his passions lie.

“In so many ways The Barrett Group helped me. If I had not hired them, I might still be looking for a job today – or I’d have settled for something at much lower pay,” said Russell. “It was money well spent – and, in the end, I recovered my investment.”

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