I have to tell you that I come away from most conversations with members of The FENG considerably impressed with the wealth of talent in our organization. Perhaps it is just me, but the experience that most of our members bring to the party is truly amazing.The only problem that our member...

Let’s face it, sooner or later you are bound to have a bad day. The odds of having 365 perfect days in a row just aren’t high. It’s sort of a reverse thing to the odds of your winning the lottery. Sure, someone wins it every day, but it never seems to be me. (I guess it would help if I bou...

The second Wednesday in November we will be having another meeting of The FENG’s Westport chapter. I tell you this not so that you will attend. Goodness knows, it is probably a little far for most of you. (But if your travels bring you to Westport on the evening of one of our meetings, ple...

For those of you who have been there, I’m sure you recognize the Disney way of concluding a conversation. It is kind of cute, don’t you think? And, in the context of Disney, it sets you up for what you should be experiencing.The more common phrase in the United States, of course, is “Have ...

In 1991 when I was last out of work I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to move.Although born in Chicago and raised in northern Indiana, I had lived in Connecticut for almost 20 years and I liked it here. My wife’s parents lived nearby and I had a daughter and son in high schoo...

Up until the age of 46 I didn’t spend a single day unemployed. From the time I got out of the Army in 1971 until 1991 I only changed jobs twice. It doesn’t give you a lot of time to think about your career or to consider that you might be doing other things.During the two years I was out o...

I know there are some members who have been “in the hunt” a long time and may feel that they are getting “a little long in the tooth.”I can understand the problem since I was out of work for almost two full years – 1991-1992.Tradition has it that if you are still at work, your most recent ...

From time to time I have gotten messages from members who either had multiple offers outstanding or wanted me to discuss what to do when you are so blessed. Or, is it cursed? (I don’t know about you, but I hate having too many choices.)Of course, when faced with the possibility of multiple...

I often receive messages in which members comment about how job search puts you on an emotional roller coaster and I thought I would address this issue in tonight’s editorial.I am not a professional psychologist, but having been out of work myself for two very long years back in 1991 and 1...

Walter Mitty was an interesting guy. Although he did one thing in his real life, he had the opportunity to do lots of exciting things in his imaginary life.As we advance in our careers, I think all of us want the opportunity to do new and different things. It is only normal to want to chan...

We are probably all aware and have been known to ponder the enigma of: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”As good accountants, we have also probably pondered whether the glass was half full or half empty. If only “they” had a good accounting procedure, I am sure we would know. We w...

Have you ever had the feeling that the world was against you? How can I tell you this? It is.To be a member of our august body you need to have at least 20 years of work experience. You also need to have held a senior level title and earned at least $120k per year. Most of our members have...

One of the things you learn pretty quickly in sailing is that “Mighty Mouse” is not going to come to your rescue if you get into trouble. Sure, there is an “AAA” type of service for boats, but the risks out on the water and the timelines for help getting to you are always significant.In th...

Having a positive attitude at ALL times is the most important thing you can do in life. And, not just when you are job searching.But is it really possible to maintain a positive attitude ALL the time? Well, I suppose not, but it never hurts to try.If you are having trouble from time to tim...

Staples, the office supply company, had an “Easy Button” that they sold in their stores many years ago. (Not sure they still carry it.) I worked on an assignment for Staples a few years ago and although we didn’t place anyone with them, their Human Resources contact sent me an Easy Button ...

When my wife and I were first married, we had occasion to go to book a several day vacation at Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club. I’m not even sure we had children at the time, it was that long ago. For those of you not familiar with the Borscht Belt of grand resorts in the Catskill Mountai...

Since 1991 (when I was out of work for the first time in my career), I can’t begin to even estimate how many 90-second announcements I have heard. I also can’t tell you how many I have given. It is an interesting process to be sure.When I was in the Army back in 1969, the “Who am I” questi...

I am often asked how one should budget one’s time when conducting a job search. The easy answer is that it depends.I would suggest to you that the primary element of your search is, of course, networking, networking and more networking. The reason I say this is, it works best.That said, ju...

As many of you know, in 1991 and 1992, I was unemployed. (Yes, two long years!)Hard to say exactly why it took so long to find another job, but suffice to say that it was a recession and after 9 years in the Advertising business (which was in the dumper) and no recent experience in Publish...

If there is any complaint I hear more than any other, it is that those we send messages to about jobs opportunities are not responsive. Sometimes even when a company or recruiter has taken the time to interview one of our members, weeks and weeks later all that is heard is silence.If this ...

One of the many concepts I learned when I worked for a large corporation (that will go nameless) was “just in time budgeting.” When I worked for this firm I thought it was a bad idea, but as life has gone by, I have come to appreciate some of its finer qualities and applicability.You see, ...