EDITORIALS

What is a qualified member? With many members out of work these days, and search firms with assignments in short supply, I thought I would take the time tonight to restate our approach to leads posted in our newsletter.Those leads which include "please use my name in contacting" and genera...

For those of you who used to watch Sesame Street back in the 70’s, there was a great skit where one of the Muppets wanted a piece of pie and a glass of milk. Although there was no pie, the Muppet in need of that particular food item kept trying different variations such as a glass of water...

I need everyone’s help.No, The FENG isn’t for sale in the retailing sense. That said, it is vitally important that each of us every day and in every way, make the “outside world” aware of our unique organization.Earlier this month I did a promotion to the search community. We have approxim...

I don’t know about you, but I have always wished I were a few pounds lighter. That said, no one should suggest to me that this is the reason I can’t find a job. (As long as my clothes fit.)Gray hair shouldn’t be on their list. Nor should someone suggest surgery to look better. (This one is...

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...

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...

It has been my observation for many years that most of our members who are in their 40’s and 50’s move from large corporations to middle market ones. The reason, as I have often pointed out is that large corporations don’t hire senior executives except rarely. For good and valid reasons, t...

I have often wondered how actors polish their performances before the first show. With only the director and the producer in the audience it just can't be the same. Sure you are up there on stage and perhaps even in full costume, but there is no audience clapping or talking to each other t...

One of the core values of being a member of The FENG is that we share job leads.There are a lot of reasons why we do this, and it isn’t just because it is a nice thing to do. It is actually a very smart thing to do. The only problem is that it is apparently a counter-intuitive idea. So, fo...

As a season, summer is sure hard to beat.The days are warmer here in the Northeast. The days are also longer. No more getting up when it is pitch black and coming home when it is pitch black. (Winter is so depressing!) And, outdoor activities like sailing, tennis, and golf sure can’t be be...

I used to be very good at multi-tasking. Now that I have gotten older, I am not as good at it.I have a lot to do every day, so when someone writes or calls, I find it very helpful if they take a moment at the beginning of their communication to give me some hint how I might be most helpful...

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...

I’m sure all of you have been to weddings and other kinds of gatherings where the host for the event has the need to say a few words. Not being great public speakers, these opportunities can be very painful or at times very funny, even when the host doesn’t intend for them to be.One of my ...

Some of the notes that I get from our many learned members fill me with dismay. I often wonder, do they send notes with spelling and grammatical errors just to me, or do they provide this special service to everyone in the world?I do get a chuckle over some of them, but by and large I get ...

There was an article in The Wall Street Journal in 2013 titled: “Didn’t Get the Job? You’ll Never Know Why” by Lauren Weber.It was an interesting article and if nothing else, it proved that the more things change, the more they stay the same.I have often said that when the answer is no, th...

I have always had great interest in how others do their work, and more importantly how others utilized my work product. To deliver a report in person and actually observe it being used I always found to be a real learning experience.I think you will agree that most financial reports are ha...

A few counter-intuitive thoughtsSharing job leads is only one of many counter-intuitive ideas that those of us who have been involved in The FENG for a period of time simply accept as the truth.As I often say, some of the ideas we have developed in The FENG take a little living with before...

Looking back on my visualization of middle age when I was in my youth, I must confess the picture currently is a lot different.At the ripe old age of 78, I thought I would share a few thoughts tonight in the hopes that others would be willing to share theirs. Any editorial/notes from membe...

With the number of folks competing for every available job these days, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to “cheat” in some way to create a competitive advantage for yourself. The sad truth is that most of the approaches I see on a daily basis do exactly the opposite.The tradition...

As a breed, us financial types are such a precise group of individuals. It is at once our greatest strength from a work perspective, and in the context of job search, one of our greatest failings.The fear, as I understand it, is that we might be offered some opportunity that is somehow out...

More often than not, members of our networking group prefer to change industries when they change jobs.I have to agree that changing industries isn't such a bad idea. In fact, the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills we have learned to a totally new situation is an attractive conc...