Call me Mr. Know-it-all

Call me Mr. Know-it-all Cover Image

I know we don’t mean to do it, but as financial types who come to our decisions the hard way (usually the long scenic route), we often react to information being presented to us by others in a dismissive, “oh, I knew that” manner.I suppose there was a time in my life when I actually though...


Nov 30, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Geese and golden eggs

Geese and golden eggs Cover Image

One of our very most important audiences are members of the search community who are registered as Friends of The FENG. When you communicate with these folks, briefly, you are expected to behave yourself. Members of The FENG are expected to only respond when reasonably qualified. What does...


Jan 11, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me

If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me Cover Image

Several years ago, a very old friend of mine called my attention to this song by Jimmy Buffet.I’m not sure why it is, but many people never call anyone. In the enigma within a puzzle that is life, they are also always wondering why no one calls them.When I was in college, my grandmother on...


Dec 19, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Time stands still

Time stands still Cover Image

I can never understand why people hesitate in contacting old friends.It has been one of the blessings in my life that over the 20+ years that I have been Chairing this august body, I have been able to reconnect with almost all of the people I worked with since the 1970’s. (Yes, I am that o...


Aug 07, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Meeting the RIGHT folks

Meeting the RIGHT folks Cover Image

Being successful at getting meetings with potential decision makers who don’t have a job right now, but who might make one for you after they meet you, is why networking is the most successful approach to finding a job. Frankly, this is how most business is really done at our level.If you ...


Aug 09, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

An inner circle of friends

An inner circle of friends Cover Image

If there is any topic I discuss more than any other in phone conversations and in face to face meetings with new members and old members alike, it is the process of creating your very own inner circle of friends. All you have to do is talk to friends of yours who have found jobs to see how...


Mar 12, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Building friendships-a lot of hard work

Building friendships-a lot of hard work Cover Image

The definition of networking I use is: Networking is a process by which you can create meaningful business contacts and relationships to further your career and enhance your professional life.On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most difficult, networking is a 5. Building friendships is a...


Dec 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The ultimate scam

The ultimate scam Cover Image

I was recently reminded of one of my favored approaches to networking that I discovered in the early 90’s. (Sometime in the late-90’s I stopped calling some of the things I was doing “scams” and started calling them “approaches,” which for some reason those in polite society found more acc...


Sep 04, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Working your contacts

Working your contacts Cover Image

I would be the first one to agree that finding ways to keep in touch with your business contacts during a job search is more art than science. That said the old saw “out of sight, out of mind” applies here.At the end of my two year job search which began in 1991, I had about 1,400 index ca...


Oct 05, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Creating an inner circle of friends

Creating an inner circle of friends Cover Image

It is a sad fact of life that no one ever has enough friends. Men in particular (and our membership is 90% men) seem to have a difficult time making friends.The whole “guy thing” sort of works against us, I suppose. Men are supposed to be strong and never need help from anyone. Remember wh...


Oct 10, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The gift of friendship

The gift of friendship Cover Image

As all of you know, The FENG is a circle of friends, not a fee for service. In order to join, someone needs to sponsor you. That act of friendship is how everyone gets started. It is one of those dumb things I came up with at the beginning of time itself that I believe has made our network...


May 15, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Taking in each other’s laundry

Taking in each other’s laundry Cover Image

Networking is what The FENG is all about. And, it has a lot of not so obvious twists and turns, one of which I am going to go over tonight.I hope all of you are becoming pros at using our Member Directory Search feature and calling up other members. I hope that those members you are contac...


Jul 26, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Human interaction

Human interaction Cover Image

Sailors are a naturally friendly lot. (Yes, another sailing analogy!) As one of the other couples my wife and I met at a marina pointed out, it would be considered more than a little strange to go to a motel or hotel and start introducing yourself to other people and ask them if they wante...


Jul 26, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Asking for and accepting help

Asking for and accepting help Cover Image

In our male dominated society called The FENG, one of the biggest challenges I face on a daily basis is getting members to ask for and accept help.I am sure we all know that traditionally guys don’t ask for directions at the gas station. It is much better to drive around and around totally...


May 18, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Some dumb ideas actually work

Some dumb ideas actually work Cover Image

Back at the beginning of time itself when my good friend Ed Devlin was running what was to become The FENG, he invited me to join. (I don’t know what he was thinking.)Seeing the networking opportunity for my own job search, I immediately offered to act as social chairman for our small gath...


Oct 05, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Time is of the essence

Time is of the essence Cover Image

For those of you who have had the honor of dealing with legal matters, you know that the phrase “Time is of the essence” is frequently used in contracts. The idea is that if you want to get the deal done, you better move quickly. (In other words, you will need to get off your duff.) The wo...


Mar 22, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A rhinoceros and a piece of paper

A rhinoceros and a piece of paper Cover Image

Many years ago, my son and I were rowing out to our mooring to go sailing with my father-in-law. My son, who was probably 8 or 9 at the time, asked my father-in-law if he knew the EXACT difference between a rhinoceros and a piece of paper. After several totally wrong guesses, my son gave h...


Jul 29, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Passive job searching

Passive job searching Cover Image

I know it may sound strange coming from someone publishing hundreds of pages of job leads a month, but job leads are overrated.If you are over the age of 40 and all you are doing is answering job leads in our newsletter or from any of the well respected jobs sites, you may as well be writi...


Aug 04, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

It must make sense (to them)

It must make sense (to them) Cover Image

When I was in my mid 30’s, I had the great honor of being treasurer of my congregation, a job I held for 4 full years.It is probably true that I lean towards all-consuming jobs. Or, perhaps I just try to do a good job even when I am not getting paid. Nonetheless, I discovered a lot about h...


May 30, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Phones don’t bite

Phones don’t bite Cover Image

One of our chapter chairs called me some time ago, and as usual when he calls, we had a wide ranging conversation about members of The FENG, friends (sometimes these two overlap), and family matters. There generally aren’t many moments of silence since we always have so much to talk about....


Jun 11, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A fair fight

A fair fight Cover Image

One of the most over-rated things in this world is a fair fight.I suppose the belief in a fair fight is to a very large degree all part of the American Western heritage of the gunfighter. Two men armed with six-shooters (the great equalizer) standing 20 paces apart face each other in the s...


Apr 20, 2023

By Matt Bud, The FENG