A curious requirement

A curious requirement Cover Image

We don’t get as many members applying without sponsors as we used to, but we still get a few.For those who are qualified for membership, each Monday morning after I have finished my new member review for the weekend and sent out our new member announcement, Judith Rudikoff, one of our Admi...


May 25, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The beginning of the rainbow

The beginning of the rainbow Cover Image

I know there are still a few unbelievers out there. Yes, they walk among us. Believe it or not, networking is the ticket. If you are waiting to be called and invited to the dance, think again. It isn’t going to happen.Let me suggest to you that The FENG membership database is the pot of go...


Jun 22, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Do you have enough friends?

Do you have enough friends? Cover Image

If there is anything those of you who have ever been engaged in a job search have learned is that NO ONE ever has enough friends.Although I count all 35,000 of you as friends of mine, I still continue every day to try to make a few new friends.It is almost sad in a way that networking beca...


Aug 07, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The futility of planning

The futility of planning Cover Image

Over the past few months I have completed several projects on or for my sailboat.My father was a plumbing and general contractor. Having worked for him from the time I was 13 until I graduated from college, I am pretty handy with tools. I also had a lot of very old cars, and not being inde...


Jul 28, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The truth about jelly beans

The truth about jelly beans Cover Image

Many years ago, a college professor of mine related a story about one of his students who wrote a research paper about an experiment she conducted with an elderly stroke victim at a convalescent home near the campus.The basic premise of the experiment was that whenever the patient in quest...


Sep 18, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The fine art of commiseration

The fine art of commiseration Cover Image

It is, unfortunately, far too easy to fall into the trap of having a negative conversation with other members.While it is very important to have empathy for others, to get into extended discussions on the state of the world and how everything is hopeless benefits no one. The world is what ...


Sep 19, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Boo!

Boo! Cover Image

It has been said that everything you really need to know, you learned in kindergarten.Several years ago, I had the great pleasure of going trick or treating with my grandson. It is one of those things you obviously can’t do at my age unless you have grandchildren living nearby, and I am so...


Nov 06, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Presenting your credentials

Presenting your credentials Cover Image

Job search is a draining and discouraging process at times. (Or, is that most of the time?) Well, maybe not, unless you make it so.The truth is that most of us financial types stay in jobs a lot longer than those in other disciplines like marketing or sales. In addition, most of the work w...


Dec 05, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Building your inner circle of friends

Building your inner circle of friends Cover Image

If you are interested in getting your job search off to a flying start in 2023, may I suggest you try increasing your inner circle of friends?The most valuable feature on our website is Member Directory Search: https://www.thefeng.org/members/searchAll you have to do is follow the link abo...


Jan 04, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Building your inner circle of friends (part two)

Building your inner circle of friends (part two) Cover Image

The idea that you can wipe the slate clean is an enduring and endearing idea of mankind, and one I fully support. No matter how bad you have been at networking in the past year, this week you have the opportunity to get a strong start on building and strengthening your inner circle of frie...


Jan 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The suspension of disbelief

The suspension of disbelief Cover Image

Key to the success of most movies is the suspension of disbelief. There are so many improbable events that make of the fabric of what you are viewing, that without this critical element in full force, in most cases the pleasure you experience wouldn’t be there. (My favorite phrase is “base...


Jan 16, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Tinker Bell, fairy dust, happy thoughts and time

Tinker Bell, fairy dust, happy thoughts and time Cover Image

For those of you who are not familiar with the Tinker Bell story, all you need to know to understand tonight’s editorial is that the fairy dust Tinker Bell could sprinkle on you would only make you fly if were thinking happy thoughts.Let me add to this idea about thinking happy thoughts, o...


Jan 19, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Networking-A navigation problem

Networking-A navigation problem Cover Image

Acting as captain and primary navigator for a sailboat as I do is challenging at times. Back in the old days before I had a Loran or a GPS unit, life was much more difficult.Step one in navigation is to get out a chart of your local area that hopefully has both your starting point and your...


Feb 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Networking-The NFL approach

Networking-The NFL approach Cover Image

A lot has been written over the years and in this newsletter about the do’s and don’ts of networking. In his book, Rites of Passage, John Lucht talks about the NFL approach to networking where you block and tackle your networking contacts and hold them down until they come up with at least...


Feb 19, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Networking is easy

Networking is easy Cover Image

I am never surprised when a member tells me that he isn’t good at networking.As financial professionals, we tend to “come with the woodwork.” In any major corporation, the accounting department is usually where you will find most of the longest service employees.And, it is not only our sta...


Feb 23, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Paying back favors

Paying back favors Cover Image

One of the worst feelings you can have when you are networking is that you are drawing down favors from everyone you contact and you honestly have no way of repaying their many courtesies. Unfortunately, this is not your imagination.True networking is, of course, a give and take. Hopefully...


Mar 13, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A beautiful mind

A beautiful mind Cover Image

Many years ago in the movie “A beautiful mind” about John Nash, the mathematical genius, one of the things that made him brilliant was that he could see patterns in numbers and words that no one else could see.Detecting hidden patterns or reading between the lines is one of the skills that...


Apr 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The power of networking

The power of networking Cover Image

For those of you who have been spending any significant time surfing the job boards may I suggest you stop and turn that energy to networking?I had the great pleasure of speaking with an old friend of mine some time ago (yes, most of my friends are old, but this one is actually just a litt...


May 03, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Stress reduction in networking

Stress reduction in networking Cover Image

I suppose it is hard to believe, but those on the receiving of networking calls actually experience more stress than you do.Yes, I know that picking up that 400 pound phone isn’t easy, but neither is responding to phone calls from those who have been trained in the NFL approach to networki...


Apr 23, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Asking for specifics

Asking for specifics Cover Image

One of the worst things that anyone networking can do is to ask if you know of any jobs for them. I can assure you that the most likely answer will be something to the effect that two weeks ago they came across something that was right for you, but they can’t remember who it was they heard...


May 08, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Your inner circle of friends

Your inner circle of friends Cover Image

The FENG is a circle of friends, not a job listing service. The question I would have for each of you is, have you recently worked to expand your inner circle of friends within The FENG?Regardless of when you joined our august body, and even if you went through our membership directory at ...


Jun 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG