EDITORIALS

Just as they should require finance and accounting courses for the members of the other professions in this world, they probably should require more marketing classes for the members of our profession.The question we are always trying to address, whether we are looking for work or currentl...

If I may paraphrase a line from the somewhat forgettable movie “My Cousin Vinny,” this is no time to blend. (With Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci)The essence of a job search is identifying and communicating that which is unique about you to the rest of the world.It is of course normal for human...

I spoke to one of our members of long standing several years ago who joined when we only had 100 members. Yes, I know it is hard to believe that The FENG only had 100 members back in 1997, but it’s true. We have indeed come a long way!I guess I had one of my many flashbacks while I was tal...

I often wonder if people really want to be found.It ranges from the lack of an outgoing signature with your FULL contact information on the emails I receive to voice mail that repeats your phone number when I call, but doesn’t indicate whose phone it is. The latest wrinkle in the past few ...

Although this problem was more common many years ago when there were more corporate layoffs, I still from time to time see members waste the first 6 months of their job search. It’s not that they “goof off,” it’s more that they feel they have the luxury of time.As a sailor, I can assure yo...

If only those you interviewed with were legally able to tell you the truth about why you aren’t being considered for a particular job. Unfortunately, the things they are allowed to say to you are very limited. Lawyers do really run the world.If we lived in a Jerry Seinfeld world, they woul...

I know this will come as a shock to those of you who skip ahead to the leads, but The FENG is a social networking group, NOT a job listing service.Yes, I know this counter intuitive information is coming from someone sending you job leads 5 days a week, but pleased don’t be fooled. Only a ...

As it has been said, never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today. Of all the things one can buy with money, time is not one of them.For those who “walk among us” who are thinking that the time is not far off when they might have to look for another job, I would suggest that th...

The resume has a long and established history in our country, and while from time to time I see “variations on the theme,” the standard resume format is the one I always recommend.I would hope that all of us have lamented as Chief Financial Officers about our crazy vendors. Why can’t every...

I have often been heard to say that it’s always better to be working.Being overqualified for most of the jobs published out in the world can be a little unsettling. But, I think you just have to accept it as a fact of life that once you have 20-30 years of work experience, you have probabl...

Like the classic fable of the 6 blind men standing around the elephant, The FENG means a lot of different things to individual members.In part it is dependent on where they are in their career, whether they are active in a search, or if they are currently employed. It can also vary on any ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

One of the great challenges we face as financial folks is explaining to non-financial types what we do for a living. And, some of us financial types do things that are so esoteric that we need to work hard to even explain what we do to fellow financial types.At one time, I was Chief Financ...

Okay sports fans, the new year has begun. It is now January 19th and time is slipping away. At the moment this year promises to be filled with as many challenges as last year, but don’t allow that stop you. (Sadly, the light at the end of the tunnel may indeed be a speeding locomotive.) ...

For those of you who don’t know my entire background, please know I served in the United States Army for two years, 1969 and 1970. I can’t say it was a happy time, but I was fortunate to perform my entire service at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. For those of you who have attended my meeting...