EDITORIALS

Enabling technology

Evolving Job Market

Enabling technology Cover Image

When I became Chairman of The FENG in 1996, there was at the time an emerging technology called the Internet. (Rumored to have been invented by Al Gore.) I was working for The Thomson Corporation at the time and had learned how to use email. Some days I got as many as 10 emails! (This was ...


Nov 08, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Things to do this week

Networking

Things to do this week Cover Image

Top of the list is, of course, to vote if you have not already done so. My second suggestion is to NOT call anyone until at least Thursday. Everyone is “deer in the headlights” over the election. Hopefully it will be decided by end of day Wednesday so we can all get back to doing whatever ...


Nov 01, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Silver bullets and the tooth fairy

Outplacement

Silver bullets and the tooth fairy Cover Image

From time to time I get inquiries about the services of career consulting firms. (Please understand I am not talking about recognized and well respected outplacement firms such as Right Management and Lee Hecht Harrison, nor am I talking about a few individual Career Coaches who are known ...


Sep 13, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Lights are out in Connecticut

Editorials

Lights are out in Connecticut Cover Image

It’s always best to try to make the best of a bad situation. What was forecast as a tropical storm, apparently was a lot more severe by the time it hit Connecticut. At about 2PM yesterday I was on the phone with an old friend when the lights went off, not to return. Sadly, it looks like th...


Aug 05, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Human interaction Cover Image

Sailors are a naturally friendly lot. (Yes, another sailing analogy!) As one of the other couples my wife and I met at a marina pointed out, it would be considered more than a little strange to go to a motel or hotel and start introducing yourself to other people and ask them if they wante...


Jul 26, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

No right answers

Resume Writing

No right answers Cover Image

As a part of my frequent “joys of sailing” ideas, I thought I would talk about docks around Long Island Sound. Although one can drag anchor, one rarely drags dock. (A little sailing joke for you.) Sure, it is a rather arcane topic, but hopefully it is one that you can use to amaze and asto...


Jul 23, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Your hidden assets Cover Image

Almost all of the resumes I see are from members or new member applicants. In any given week, I go through a batch of 40-50 resumes. What is surprising is how much trouble some folks go to disguising their seniority and great skills. It is my belief and I hope to make it yours as well, tha...


Jul 21, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Extending the hand of friendship

Networking

Extending the hand of friendship Cover Image

The name of Rodney Eaton may or may not be familiar to you. Or, you may be saying to yourself that you recall seeing that name, but you don’t know where. Rodney has been a member of The FENG since 2013. And, during that time he has sponsored 184 new members. The reason you know the name is...


Jul 19, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Doing what you CAN do

Evolving Job Market

Doing what you CAN do Cover Image

There isn’t much I personally can do about the job market. I caught a few minutes of the evening news tonight, and as many as 20% of the work force in the USA is now unemployed. These are staggering numbers. Equally staggering is that almost 64,000 Americans have died from Covid-19. With h...


Apr 30, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Chat with Matt

Evolving Job Market

Chat with Matt Cover Image

As all of you know, The FENG is going “all in” on Zoom. To prove my commitment to all of you and to our mission of educating members about the job search process, I will be hosting a daily 30 minute Zoom meeting. Details about tomorrow’s meeting appear below. I hope you will join us. The d...


Apr 26, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Learning new things

Evolving Job Market

Learning new things Cover Image

I spent almost the entire day today learning how to host meetings on Zoom. In addition to my desk station, I had two laptops set up in my office so I could see what you will be seeing. I also roped my wife and son (who is also The FENG’s webmaster) into helping educate me on the ins and ou...


Apr 22, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Just keep going

Evolving Job Market

Just keep going Cover Image

As we head into yet another week of lockdown, I hope that tonight’s editorial finds you and yours in good health and good spirits. If you and yours are at least in good health, I would be happy with that alone. I will admit that with each passing day it is getting harder and harder to reme...


Apr 16, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Necessity-the mother of invention

Evolving Job Market

Necessity-the mother of invention Cover Image

With each passing day, it has become clearer that face to face meetings of The FENG are not going to be happening any time soon. At the beginning of time itself, when The FENG consisted of only the Westport Chapter and was only about 50 members, some folks in Philadelphia got wind of the f...


Apr 14, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Humpty Dumpty and other matters

Evolving Job Market

Humpty Dumpty and other matters Cover Image

As we begin another week with a significant percentage of the US economy shut down, I hope tonight’s newsletter finds you and yours in good health. In terms of everyone’s priorities, I would politely suggest that this be your primary focus. With respect to the economy, at this point in tim...


Apr 12, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Capitalizing on opportunities

Evolving Job Market

Capitalizing on opportunities Cover Image

During this period of time when all there is going to be over the next few weeks is bad news, it is hard to think about a path forward. I’m sure there is one, but I don’t see it yet. Earlier today I got a call from a Demetria Clark. As we began our conversation, I think she picked up on th...


Apr 07, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Doing useful things Cover Image

I hope tonight’s newsletter finds all of you in good health and good spirits. It is vitally important during this national crisis to not be “deer in the headlights.” There are things that all of us can do. Some for ourselves and some for others. As you all know, I spend several hours every...


Apr 06, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Fool’s gold, job leads & networking

Job Leads & Job Boards

Fool’s gold, job leads & networking Cover Image

A long time ago I received an email from one of our members comparing and contrasting the job leads he was getting from various sources. The quick story is that he was a subscriber to two paid services in addition to our newsletter. What I found disappointing was his closing comment which ...


Mar 29, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Reach out and touch someone

Standing Out From the Crowd

Reach out and touch someone Cover Image

It’s very easy in these difficult and unusual times to feel that there is nothing you can do. With the constant barrage of the 24/7 news cycle, it is also very easy to believe that what is going on is never going to end. Well, it may never end. Be that as it may, while we are waiting for i...


Mar 26, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Kutsher’s convalescent home

Being Out of Work

Kutsher’s convalescent home Cover Image

When my wife and I were first married, we had occasion to go to book a several day vacation at Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club. I’m not even sure we had children at the time, it was that long ago. For those of you not familiar with the Borscht Belt of grand resorts in the Catskill Mountai...


Mar 15, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Is the phone ancient technology?

Editorials

Is the phone ancient technology? Cover Image

The long history of telephone use in this country is pretty obvious. And, unlike all the bad jokes I have seen over the years about “young folks” today never having known a time when ….. (you fill in the blank), I have to say that I am amazed and astounded most days by the lack of knowledg...


Mar 08, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The FENG’s Resume Review Committee

Resume Writing

The FENG’s Resume Review Committee Cover Image

My dear friend Norm Weinstock passed away a little over 10 years ago. Norm agreed to Co-Chair of The FENG when I began my Chairmanship back in 1996 and he also acted as our Treasurer and raised money for us to buy our first computers and to hire our first Administrative Assistant, Ann Mari...


Jan 19, 2020

By Matt Bud, The FENG