The process of self-assessment is never easy. It is sort of like taking out your own appendix, but without anesthetic.As senior financial folks, it is often the case that we don’t have to engage ourselves in the game of “What is it we do? And, who are we?” until very late in our careers. U...

If I had to put my finger on the one issue that confuses senior financial professionals it is the subject above. Who is the customer for your services, and what is your product?When I have chatted with or had email exchanges with members who were going through outplacement, the bad advice ...

Over the years, I used to keep only a handful of CD’s in my car and I played them over and over again. I supposed I shouldn’t admit this to a wide audience, but one of my favorite music categories is sea shanties. (It goes along with my hobby of sailing). When I had cassette tapes, I actua...

There is no more powerful tool than a sharp pencil. (The only equally powerful tool is The FENG’s Member Directory Search feature.)I long ago declared war on unnecessary words. Why? Because they are unnecessary. Duh!The normal space allotment for a resume is two pages. Okay, if you have to...

Have you ever wondered who is that guy/gal in the mirror? I’m sure we all stare at that familiar face from time to time, but the real question is who are you and what do you do best?You would think that if you just took a few minutes and read your own resume, you could solve this one, but ...

I am frequently disappointed by the lack of attention to detail by the many members who write to me. There are so many things that are easy to do, that no one seems to do.Let me start with my primary concern – the lack of outgoing signatures. Incredibly, some emails I get aren’t even signe...

Almost all of the resumes I see are from members or new member applicants.What is surprising is how much trouble some folks go to disguising their seniority and great skills.It is my belief and I hope to make it yours as well, that the most important thing you have to sell is your wealth o...

Just as they should require finance and accounting courses for the members of the other professions in this world, they probably should require more marketing classes for the members of our profession.The question we are always trying to address, whether we are looking for work or currentl...

If I may paraphrase a line from the somewhat forgettable movie “My Cousin Vinny,” this is no time to blend. (With Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci)The essence of a job search is identifying and communicating that which is unique about you to the rest of the world.It is of course normal for human...

It sure is difficult to be focused. As each of us over the age of 40 looks at our career prospects for the rest of our working lives, it is all very easy to believe that we need to expand the market for our services to ensure that we can find another job. (After all, how many buggy whips a...

Yes, I am talking to you.The purpose of my evening editorial is to make all of you better at managing your careers, and in particular to educate you on what I believe are the key issues in appearing more professional and technology savvy in the digital world we all live in.Let me start as ...

Probably one of the hardest things to do in life is to define who you are. Are you really your resume?Because we tend to be at companies longer than the members of other discipline areas, the reality of what it is we REALLY do best is not always obvious to us.Some time ago when one of my f...

We have all heard the old saw: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” There is also this amendment: “Don’t make your first impression your last.”I only wish everyone would be so kind as to repeat these sayings to themselves in all the things they do with regard to...

Speaking with strangers is never fun. And, if these strangers are deciding whether or not to hire you, it can be a little stressful, especially if you want the job. There are so many ways to offend and so few ways to ingratiate yourself without appearing overly solicitous. In the cla...

At a glance There is a rumor out in the world that the attention span of your “average American” is getting shorter. Sad to say, but most likely very true. We see it all around us. So many things are screaming for our attention on a given day. Before the advent of computers, it was q...

I always try to tell people who ask that I am just a simple financial guy. But I guess the truth is that all of us financial types are complicated in one way or another. Unlike lawyers and doctors who (thanks to Hollywood) everyone THINKS they know what they do every day, our profession...

I suppose I could be wrong about all of this, but I find the use of “, MBA” as part of your name to be a bad idea. Yes, I know that not everyone has an MBA, but in my opinion unless you are a CPA or a Ph.D., you need to exercise a little caution in the initials you place after your nam...

Stop me if I am wrong, but I always thought that financial folks were known for their attention to detail. Aren’t we known as total compulsives, or did I miss something? Sad to say, but it apparently isn’t true. Most of my daily communication is from fellow financial executives and I...

The development of a resume can be a long and involved process. There are so many ideas that others have to share with you, and each person with whom you speak has their own perspective about what is right and what is wrong. Your resume is also in part an historical document charged wit...

One of the very lovely things we do in our family is spend several days each summer at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. And, if luck is on my side, we get to be there on the 4th of July when the excitement is palpable.What is unusual about this museum is that it is a livin...

It is always a good idea to read your own resume. Sadly, I find that many people don’t.The typographical errors are bad enough. For example, in a batch I once reviewed for one of our assignments for The FECG, one member even had an obvious error in how he spelled his own name. (Yes, you ca...