EDITORIALS

There was an article I read a long time ago about the value of experience versus the energy of youth. The premise and conclusion were no surprise to me. Experience has a tendency to win out.While I would gladly concede that Americans have always worshiped youth and that there is inherent p...

I don’t know about you, but the people who write to me and the people I call (when they’re not there) frequently drive me crazy.Let me start you off with the idea that I am a big fan of FULL outgoing signatures. A full outgoing signature includes your “greeting to use,” your physical addre...

When we review candidates for assignments being handled by The FECG, we try to do our dead level best to “push the envelope” on your behalf and try to find some way to visualize your credentials as fitting the assignment currently in hand. After all, you responded. It could be you are righ...

Have you ever wondered why so many things are structured in threes?In addition to the three Musketeers mentioned above, we eat 3 meals a day. Why not 2 or 4? We use threes in art to define structures like primary, secondary and tertiary colors on a color wheel. Nature is filled with threes...

If looking for a job the first time wasn’t hard enough, going at it a second time after only a short break can be in some respects even harder.Sure, bringing your resume up to date isn’t all that difficult. There is the issue of how to deal with a short period of employment, but once you h...

Anyone who has been working as long as most of us in The FENG must have their favorite personal war stories. The question is really how best to use those stories in interviewing and resume writing.I often hear these stories from members and marvel that they frequently don’t appear at all o...

Tonight’s editorial will be somewhat of a repeat for our more senior members as it is on resumes. Yes, those terribly difficult to construct documents that make the critical difference between being pulled from a pile of 500 resumes, or not.You should all accept the fact that writing your ...

Networking is a process by which you can create meaningful business contacts and relationships to further your career and enhance your professional life.It is unfortunate that many of us only become aware of the importance of networking when we first become unemployed. And then, many of us...

So much for the “little engine that could!”Give me an opportunity to obsess about some problem and I can guarantee you that not much will get done. First, I won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep, and then in my grogginess the following day, it will be suitably difficult to focus on any...

You would think that at this point in our lives our BS detectors would be well tuned. Unfortunately, when it comes to being rejected for a “work opportunity,” the “reasons why” we are given are more often than not taken as some kind of absolute truth.I am often asked by candidates for assi...

There are so many urban legends associated with job search that I generally don’t know where to start when I talk to new members.Since I get calls every week from members of the search community, I thought I would take a few minutes tonight and discuss the reality of your resume being on f...

Deciding whether or not to stick with a job you have just taken is a difficult choice indeed.Whether your job search has been long or short, the realization that you have made a mistake is enough to cause you sleepless nights. I know because it happened to me.After 9 years as CFO of an adv...

For those members out of the buggy whip industry, changing industries is exactly what you have to do. It is for all of you that I dedicate tonight’s editorial. (You may substitute your industry if you prefer. It can also be true that you just don’t see much local opportunity in your indust...

I’m not sure why people tend to lose their common sense when it comes to job search, but they do. Were it not for this tendency, the organizations that feed on the unemployed wouldn’t exist. And, try as we might to put them out of business, new miscreants arise out their ashes.I fully unde...

Since 1997 when I began as Chairman of The FENG, I have been listening to 90-second announcements at our meetings here in Westport. My best guess is that I have heard at least 10,000 of them over the years. I guess you could say I can speak with some authority on this subject. (And no, my ...

I often get the feeling from talking with members about their job search, that many of you are reluctant to use our Member Directory Search feature to full advantage as part of your job search. I only wish I understood why.The FENG membership directory is honestly the pot of gold at the en...

During the interviewing process we frequently get asked questions for which there is no good answer. I have my favorites of course, but having been out of work myself for almost 2 years back in 1991, the one I will address tonight is “Why have you been out of work so long?” (What a silly q...

Job leads can be a tremendous resource for you, even if you aren’t interested in them.I know it sounds silly, but although most job leads aren’t going to interest you for one reason or another, it can still pay to read them. The most obvious problem with specific job leads is that they are...

When jobs are winding down, it can be very difficult to “keep it all together.”I’m sure we have all been there. During that final period of time, whether it is 3 weeks, 3 months, or even longer, as “the forces of evil” overwhelm the organization you have worked so hard to make profitable, ...

Several years ago, I got a note from one of our members of long standing complaining about the value of the leads in our newsletter. It was a well written message that cited chapter and verse about his experiences, and I read it with great interest.Consistent with the experience of most of...

A few times each month I get a good news announcement from one of our members that begins with: “Please stop the newsletter, I am starting a new job on Monday.”It is at these times I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Starting a new job on Monday and already this individual is ready to di...