I am always mildly amused at this time of year by most of the holiday cards and holiday emails I receive.My personal favorite in the mass emailing category was one I received a few years ago that was addressed to me not by name but began instead “My Dearest Friend.” No, I am not kidding. I...
Dec 17, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
It is a well-known fact that men don’t like unsolicited advice. It is for this reason that we used to drive in circles from time to time, even though our spouse quietly suggested we stop at that gas station we kept passing and ask for directions. (GPS has at least solved that problem.) We ...
Dec 16, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
When you meet someone for the first time, the natural inclination and the appropriate one is to make small talk. In an interviewing situation, for example, it is normal to either talk about the weather or the traffic getting to your appointment. They are easy topics, and unlike politics wh...
Dec 15, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
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with whom you speak has their own perspective about what is right and what is wrong.Your resume is also in part an historical document charged with ch...
Dec 12, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
Many of the inventions of the modern world are either the best things or the worst things to ever happen to us.It is a true fact (as opposed to a false fact) that we are now able to do a lot more communicating with each other than ever before. Personally, I stand amazed that I send out our...
Dec 08, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
The FENG is a society of friends. In order to become a member of our august body you need to find a sponsor, someone who will hopefully watch over you. I suppose it is often only after a few days or weeks of membership that you can fully appreciate the value of this act of friendship.There...
Dec 05, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
Most of us in the financial community find talking on the telephone to be one of the more challenging things we do.I believe the primary reason is that most of our work is accomplished in written form. When we do present our work to the boss or to our peers, it is usually done face to face...
Dec 04, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
I have over the years had endless discussions with our many members on the topic of disguising your age or generalizing your background and despite my best arguments, I find people still doing it. Hopefully it is not the same people. (Why don’t they listen to me?)Actually, I am not whining...
Dec 03, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
Sailing can be a very simple or a very complicated activity. It depends on how you want to approach it.To get from here to there can be planned on a very simple basis or a very complicated basis. For example, if you are sailing across Long Island Sound from North to South to a particular d...
Dec 02, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
I know that all of us take great pride in being “out of the box” thinkers, but there are situations that taking an innovative approach is the same as shooting yourself in the foot.One of those situations is being innovative with the standard resume format.The traditional resume begins with...
Dec 01, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
As we begin “the holiday season,” I hope everyone will spend a few minutes counting their blessings.Although there are always clouds on the horizon, it is vitally important to keep a positive attitude about life and our career prospects in the days, weeks, months and years to come.In the b...
Nov 25, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
90-Second Announcements Interviewing Networking Resume Writing
Every once in a while, things get quiet. There is no email (except for our newsletter), and there are no phone calls or Zoom meetings to attend.If you are actively looking for work, it can be a maddening experience.Instead of sitting with your hands folded on your desk, this is a good time...
Nov 24, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
At some point during a long job search I often get an email from a member in which the primary message is about “the futility of it all.”Having been out of work myself for almost two full years in 1991 and 1992, I guess I can say I’ve been there and done that.Being out of work is never eas...
Nov 21, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
I know many of you will find it hard to believe, but we are now in a golden period for networking, networking and MORE networking. So, I hope you will please have at it.A lot of people believe that holiday times and especially the period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve are the worst ti...
Nov 20, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
As you may remember from the song of this same name, you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave. I know they thought of it first and popularized it, but it is very much like your membership in The FENG. The only difference is you can check out, but I hope you won’t.If you ...
Nov 19, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
It is always difficult to explain why you trust someone.In our daily encounters out in the world we come across all kinds of folks. Most of the individuals we do business with on a daily basis don’t have to be our friends, and the nature of the exchanges we have with them don’t even requir...
Nov 18, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
A long time ago I read a book by Dodge Morgan. Those non-sailors among us will probably not recognize his name, but in his 50’s, Dodge decided to sail solo around the world on a sloop especially designed for him. (I also bought the video of his voyage and heard him speak in person about hi...
Nov 17, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
Ever the wise sailor, I always (well, almost always) check the weather forecast before heading down to the boat to go out for the day.This may or may not be a valuable activity. My wife jokes that in her next life she wants to be a weather forecaster. They never have to be right and they s...
Nov 14, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
Being Out of Work Evolving Job Market Standing Out From the Crowd
Much as I hate using cliché phrases as the one above, I don’t really know if there is a better one to describe the process of self-examination that is required when faced with looking for another “work opportunity.”(I call them work opportunities instead of jobs, because they don’t general...
Nov 13, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
I know you will all find this hard to believe, but there was a time when The FENG only had 20 members.In May of 1995, I was invited by Ed Devlin, the then Chairman, to join what was at that time The Fairfield County Financial Executives Networking Group. (Ed had recently taken over from Do...
Nov 12, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG
People who know that my wife and I are into sailing often ask us what we most enjoy making for dinner when we are on the boat. My standard response is reservations.The hard part is, of course, picking the restaurant. Are we in the mood for Mexican food, Pizza, French, Italian, or Chinese? ...
Nov 11, 2024
By Matt Bud, The FENG