Will You Catch The Next Wave Or Get Caught In The Undertow?

On the North California coast (and probably elsewhere in the world) you will see wave signs sometimes saying, “Never turn your back on the ocean.” This is because freak waves occasionally visit these areas. These waves can take you by surprise if you do not keep your eyes open.

The same is unfortunately true of our economy at the moment as the wave of economic reinvention is forcing their way through the sea of sad news.

Storied names such as Coca-Cola, Ford, Marriott, and Walgreens have all recently announced workforce reductions in response to the current economic contraction. And we can expect more as federal subsidies and support programs seem destined to expire in the fall.

So far it has been mainly the unfortunate ranks of the front-line employee who have borne the brunt of the wave, but now the management seems also likely to suffer. Yahoo.Finance reports from various sources that although nearly 40% of low-income workers lost their jobs since early April, only about 14% of those earning $100,000 or more were impacted according to the Federal Reserve. In total some 58 million Americans have filed for unemployment so far in 2020. No wonder the Fed has now shifted its targeting to restoring employment from guarding against inflation!

In the past weeks, though the pressure is building still further as the recovery slows and decelerates. Business Insider lists a depressingly long tally of companies announcing furloughs, lay-offs, voluntary separations, packages… in short, many, many people are going to be looking for jobs this fall.

This sad parade is lead by the airlines with some 50,000 or more including some 6,000 pilots affected. Hotels and resorts are also significantly impacted. In retail (Victoria’s Secret, Bed Bath & Beyond, Men’s Wearhouse, Walgreen’s, JC Penney), banking (Wells Fargo, HSBC), even tech (Salesforce, LinkedIn, Uber), oil and gas (Schlumberger)… the carnage is widespread. Restaurants and hospitality… Where will it end?

Do you realize that this is not a good time for business as usual? We have a proposition for you.

Take advantage of the situation. Proactively pursue those dreams you have long held about a better job, improved work-life balance, higher pay, more free time… whatever it is that you want, it is likely possible if you take the right steps to acquire it—even now.

How can we say that?

Easy, because we have now helped 86 executive clients find the positions of their choice in the US and Europe since the Covid-19 crisis became serious in April. Our process worked for them and it will work for you.

Here is where our clients are landing from an industry point of view (see graphic). The top ten (listed) industries cover about 73% of the jobs we have helped clients find.

And by the way, very few of these jobs were listed on a job board or offered by a recruiter. Executive jobs are not usually filled that way. They are instead filled through people who know people—what we call the unpublished market. This is where fully 75% of our clients routinely land and have done so now for more than 30 years.

We specialize in helping clients reinvent themselves and demonstrate the transferability of their skills and experience to new industries, companies, roles, and geographies.

A six-person client team is provided to you. This team uses our tried-and-true five-step career change process. It features our key, initial targeting step that we call the Clarity Program©. Clarity© helps a client re-imagine his or her future and helps them to think out of the box.

One recent client had to say about this unique program:

“The Clarity Program© provided an invaluable experience helping me solidify both my professional and personal goals. The output of our work included new realizations along with old but relevant needs and professional desires I had long since moved on from. All were translated and codified into a Strategic Plan which will be shared with the Barrett Group to inform their efforts.”

David Wight, August 2020

“The Clarity Program© is our tried-and-true program and will help you rebrand and present yourself to the market in an optimally effective manner. You will also access decision makers, perfect your interviewing skills, and negotiate an even sweeter job offer. The final step smooths your on-boarding to help you be even more successful in your new job.

So, consider, should you catch the next wave or stay where you are and potentially get caught in the undertow? Give us a call. It’s our job to help you find yours.

Peter Irish
CEO
The Barrett Group