EDITORIALS

When the answer is no

Interviewing

When the answer is no Cover Image

Over the course of our careers, as financial people, we become hard wired to never take no for an answer. When a customer claims they won’t pay an invoice, we can come up with “offers they can’t refuse.” When engaged in a debate at work about the appropriate accounting treatment of some ex...


May 24, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A fine line

Networking

A fine line Cover Image

The difference between being viewed as possessing dogged persistence and being an outright pest is hard to define. Like beauty or obscenity, I guess we know it when we see it.I have had many jobs over the course of my career, some paid, some volunteer that have involved collection work.Whe...


May 23, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Reads and follows directions

Job Leads & Job Boards

Reads and follows directions Cover Image

One of the most important skills you bring to the party as a financial person is your ability to read and follow directions. If you accept this as being true, I can only wonder why so many members fail to carefully read the information so clearly presented in the postings that appear in ou...


May 20, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Rain or shine – you can’t do much about it

Being Out of Work

Rain or shine – you can’t do much about it Cover Image

I don’t know what the weather has been by you lately, but here in Connecticut we have had a very cold and windy spring.One thing you learn if you are a sailor is that there really isn’t much you can do about the weather. The wind is from whatever direction it is coming from and at whatever...


May 19, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Networking is easy

Networking

Networking is easy Cover Image

Perhaps this is a bit of an overstatement, but I am primarily talking about networking within The FENG.As you all know, we have a Member Directory Search feature out on our website for your information and use. If you become aware of a job at a specific company, the odds of someone in The ...


May 18, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Networking-A lifetime activity

Networking

Networking-A lifetime activity Cover Image

I was fortunate to speak with two of our more experienced chapter chairs a while ago who each in their own way in our wide ranging conversations reminded me of the importance of networking as a lifetime activity.I suppose to a degree, networking doesn’t come naturally to us financial types...


May 17, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Proper uses of boilerplate

Correspondence

Proper uses of boilerplate Cover Image

One from column A and one from column B. Sure makes it easy, doesn’t it?Much as our electronic world makes life simple, it also makes it more complicated in certain ways due to the opportunity to be lazy or inattentive to details.Just as there are only a few themes for good writing (man ag...


May 16, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A short play

Interviewing

A short play Cover Image

I don't know how many of you participated in school plays during your early years, but there is a lot to be said about thinking about the interviewing process as a series of scenes in a play. Of course, the only problem with this visualization is the degree to which the audience is in char...


May 12, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

All things to all people Cover Image

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...


May 11, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Is anyone holding out?

Job Leads & Job Boards

Is anyone holding out? Cover Image

I hate to ask if anyone is holding out, but is anyone holding out?One of the core values of The FENG is that we try very hard to share our job leads. Trust me, individual job leads aren’t as valuable as you think they are. And, if you share them, not only will you be viewed as a Fanatic FE...


May 10, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Being nice to everyone

Human Interactions

Being nice to everyone Cover Image

Whether you are active in your job search or just trying to get your job done for “the great corporation,” it pays to be nice to everyone.One of my best friends is a real charmer and I always enjoy going out to dinner with him because we always get great service. He just has a way of engag...


May 09, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Making introductions Cover Image

Everyone knows a few important people who they believe will at some point be helpful to us in our search for that perfect job. The problem how to keep your name in front of them so when that perfect job comes to their attention you will be top of mind.You certainly don’t want to waste thei...


May 06, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The cup is at 50%

Being Out of Work

The cup is at 50% Cover Image

There is nothing more important to an effective job search than a positive attitude.Sure, building an effective resume, a pithy 90-second announcement and a library of cover letters is always a good idea, the fact remains that positively focused dogged determination tends to win the day mo...


May 05, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The elephant sitting in the room

Interviewing

The elephant sitting in the room Cover Image

If you went to an interview with a broken arm, I’m pretty sure you would feel the need to explain.Honestly, sitting there with your arm in a cast, it is hard to imagine a productive discussion taking place until you tell your interviewer how it happened. Was it a skiing accident? Did you t...


May 04, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Running around recruiters

Job Leads & Job Boards Recruiters

Running around recruiters Cover Image

Several years ago I received a phone call from a long standing Friend of The FENG.This particular search firm posted with us on a regular basis. In this case, the posting included the name of their client. You see, they felt that the relationship they had with The FENG was so strong and th...


May 03, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Your most recent 10 years

Resume Writing

Your most recent 10 years Cover Image

While from time to time I silently wish to myself that many of our members would take the time to read a good book about how to write a resume, I find that other members have read a book or an article, but they have either read the wrong book or have misunderstood what the author was tryin...


May 02, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Keeping hope alive Cover Image

Whether you are currently working and hate your job or are currently in active search mode, the most important job you have every day is maintaining an optimistic view of the future.The stresses and strains of a job that is winding down may at times seem beyond bearable. Back in 1991 durin...


Apr 29, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Fixing a bad attitude

Human Interactions

Fixing a bad attitude Cover Image

w often have you heard it said “He has a bad attitude?”We spend a lot of time addressing the bad attitudes of others. For example, discussions about age discrimination fall into this category. The world has a “bad attitude” toward those of us who are well experienced. (Over qualified.)Whet...


Apr 28, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Bashfulness is not my strong suit

Networking

Bashfulness is not my strong suit Cover Image

Hard to believe, but bashfulness is apparently a quite prevalent condition among our membership.Yes, these same individuals who in prior lives as bankers were cutting off lines of credit or foreclosing on hapless widows have a near terminal fear of picking up the phone and calling other me...


Apr 27, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Having the wind taken out of your sails

Being Out of Work

Having the wind taken out of your sails Cover Image

Conducting a job search, whether working or not currently employed, can be a difficult time. You tend to go through phases. (I don’t know if I like the phrase “in transition,” but it seems to continue to be well accepted.)At first it can be kind of exciting to be away from the daily grind ...


Apr 26, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Everyone wants to help

Networking

Everyone wants to help Cover Image

I know that some of you who have been at job search for a period of time may find this hard to believe, but everyone wants to help, it is just that they don’t always know how.I see it all the time at chapter meetings. Each person does their 90-second elevator speech, but rarely do they mak...


Apr 25, 2021

By Matt Bud, The FENG