EDITORIALS

The fun never stops here at world headquarters of The FENG. I get more amusing emails probably than anyone else on the face of the earth.Let’s start with the use of “Matt’s secret decoder ring.” Thank goodness it is made out of a durable electronic material. Each day about 75% of the email...

In one of the jobs I had early in my career I was Business Manager for the College Publishing division of CBS.It was an interesting job. All of the folks around me were well educated and always testing my knowledge and experience. They were also great teachers.One of our most popular books...

Although I would never willingly admit it, over the nearly 40 years I have been sailing I have had occasion to go aground. (It is always an embarrassing situation.)One time I dragged anchor in a storm (that I can assure you was not in the forecast) and the other times I managed to wander t...

So, you have actually done it. A company has put you through the wringer and forced you to interview with just about everyone at the firm. You have beaten the competition to a pulp. You are standing all alone in your victory.Now comes the moment of truth. They ask you for references. Like ...

I hope we all spend a lot of time networking. (To paraphrase René Descartes, the famous French philosopher: I network, therefore I am.)So you have been hard at it. The FENG Member Directory Search feature is causing smoke to rise from your computer from over use, but incredible as it may s...

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....

I have never actually read any of the books that begin with the title I selected for this editorial, but I think I know what they were all about.Okay, maybe I don’t. Still, the thought comes to mind upon reading one of the responses I received recently that there is one aspect of your requ...

The world of job search is filled with a lot of cruel jokes.I have often argued that when the answer is no with respect to your candidacy, the best thing you can probably do is stop listening. The reason is that just about everything that follows will either not be entirely true or will be...

It is a true fact (as opposed to a false fact) that most people over value job leads. Perhaps I have said this before, but the real deal is networking, networking and more networking.That said I thought it might be of interest to all of you for me to share my own personal theories as to wh...

The FENG is a circle of friends, not a job listing service. The question I would have for each of you is, have you recently worked to expand your inner circle of friends within The FENG?Regardless of when you joined our august body, and even if you went through our membership directory at ...

One of the common complaints I hear from people about their current or prior jobs is how political the situation is or was. To me, this is like complaining about the weather.There is always going to be weather. It is my belief that you can’t really appreciate a sunny day unless you have ex...

I hope no one will be offended by the thought that corporations are reptilian. All I mean to imply by this statement is that although corporations appear to have human elements, they actually have no feelings.We have all met and in fact we may individually have been dedicated employees, bu...

There is an extended joke I heard a while back about a man who experienced a flight cancellation. As a matter of fact, he was not alone. The line was long and as the minutes turned to an hour, he was getting angrier and angrier.When he finally got to the head of the line he demanded to be ...

There is no greater challenge in this world than summing yourself up in 90 seconds or writing a proper summary for your resume.As many of you know, I was CFO of an advertising agency in the 1980’s. Initially, I used to wonder why the creative folks got paid so well. As I got more and more ...

I always find it interesting what people say about themselves.Those who deal in hiring decisions have so many hidden tools in their arsenal. I suppose the obvious manifestations of who you are come across in the body of your resume and, of course, in your 90-second announcement. What those...

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...

One of the pearls of wisdom I heard from a friend of mine in 1991 was that no one is out of work forever, it just seems that way.When you are employed in a W-2 job, weekends and evenings are hopefully your time to relax. Snow days, holidays are also to be anticipated and enjoyed. After all...

We do live in a wonderful time. We have Google, LinkedIn, and every firm that is actually in business has a website.I am always a little disappointed when someone reaches out to me and I realize they haven’t actually looked me up. Just exactly how much time would it take? If you type Matt ...

Of course it would be an understatement to tell you that I believe in the value of a FULL outgoing signature. In much the same way that I am a Fanatic FENG’er, I am also a fanatic when it comes to the substance and format of outgoing signatures. (Persnickety is another word.)I try not to b...

Part of the lecture I deliver to new members who call me is that The FENG is a networking group, not a job listing service. I then add that they shouldn’t allow the fact that we are publishing lots of job leads each month confuse them about our true purpose.In the beginning (when God creat...

One of the many things I am always surprised about is the degree to which most members of The FENG generalize their very specific talents.I assume that this approach is their attempt to broaden their background and make it appear more appealing to a larger audience. While it is always requ...