EDITORIALS

Who is your customer, what is your product?

Standing Out From the Crowd

Who is your customer, what is your product? Cover Image

If I had to put my finger on the one issue that confuses senior financial professionals it is the subject above. Who is the customer for your services, and what is your product? When I have chatted with or had email exchanges with members who were going through outplacement, the bad advice...


Aug 05, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Lying is so hard

Interviewing

Lying is so hard Cover Image

Despite all the financial scandals that we have seen in the past few years, most of us financial types by our nature have a hard time lying. For the most part, it just isn’t part of our DNA. While we may be burdened with many secrets of the organization such as payroll, we get around the q...


Aug 02, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A rhinoceros and a piece of paper

Job Leads & Job Boards Networking

A rhinoceros and a piece of paper Cover Image

Many years ago, my son and I were rowing out to our mooring to go sailing with my father-in-law. My son, who was probably 8 or 9 at the time, asked my father-in-law if he knew the EXACT difference between a rhinoceros and a piece of paper. After several totally wrong guesses, my son gave h...


Jul 29, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Any excuse will suffice

90-Second Announcements

Any excuse will suffice Cover Image

I am sure you have heard it too, the at length explanations others give as to why they are looking for another job. Sometimes I forget to mention at the beginning of our meeting in Connecticut that I really don’t need to know and you don’t really need to tell anyone. No explanation is actu...


Jul 26, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The art of friendship

Human Interactions

The art of friendship Cover Image

Perhaps because we fill in so many forms during the course of our careers, it seems that as financial types we are always looking for a fill in the blank approach to just about everything. Is there a formula for 90-second announcements, I am frequently asked? Well, there are some basic gui...


Jul 25, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The truth (as retold) Cover Image

I know that many of our members are faced with the unpleasant truth that they have been out of work for a significant period of time. Having been out of work myself for almost two years, I know that this unpleasant question of “Why have you been out so long?” gets asked. Like anything else...


Jul 24, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Wooden ships and iron men

Evolving Job Market

Wooden ships and iron men Cover Image

Ah, the great age of sail! For many hundreds of years, men built great numbers of wooden sailing vessels for commercial purposes and for the making of war. The truth, as hinted at by the saying above is that there was very little that was actually romantic or desirable about a life at sea....


Jul 19, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Curb your enthusiasm-NOT

Human Interactions

Curb your enthusiasm-NOT Cover Image

There is a memorable scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in which Paul Newman is challenged for control of the Hole in the Wall Gang. They agree that the best way to settle their disagreement is with a knife fight. Paul suggests that before they get started that they should decide ...


Jul 17, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

What is your theme song?

Standing Out From the Crowd

What is your theme song? Cover Image

Over the years, I have found that I keep certain CD’s in my car and I play them over and over again. I supposed I shouldn’t admit this to a wide audience, but one of my favorite music categories is sea shanties. (It goes along with my hobby of sailing). When I had cassette tapes, I actuall...


Jul 16, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

When the going gets tough, the tough get silly

Correspondence

When the going gets tough, the tough get silly Cover Image

Tomorrow I will begin processing a rather large batch of new members. It is actually a two week batch as I was on vacation the past two weeks. I realize that new members are not totally indicative of how everyone is doing their resume, but I have to tell you that their resumes aren’t all t...


Jul 12, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Do all new jobs disappoint?

Evolving Job Market

Do all new jobs disappoint? Cover Image

One of the comments I have heard from time to time is that the new job that someone just found isn’t as exciting as the one they lost. It seems at times that most of our members find themselves in a downward spiral as they change jobs. The companies are smaller and often the pay packages a...


Jul 11, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

All I know about you is in front of me

Correspondence

All I know about you is in front of me Cover Image

To quote George Bernard Shaw: “The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” With respect to our power to communicate, we live in a remarkable period of time. I normally respond to 50-100 unique emails every day. I have been doing this for many years and ye...


Jul 09, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Fewer close friends?

Human Interactions

Fewer close friends? Cover Image

There was mention of an article several years ago in The Wall Street Journal that Americans have fewer close friends. Intrigued at the time, I “Googled” and found a few press reports about the article. According to an article in American Sociological Review, in 1985, the average American h...


Jun 20, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Just checking in with you

Old Friends

Just checking in with you Cover Image

I spoke to one of our members of long standing a few 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 as recently as 1997, but it’s true. We have indeed come a long way! I guess I had one of my many flashbacks while I w...


Jun 07, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The truth would probably hurt more

Interviewing

The truth would probably hurt more Cover Image

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 wou...


Jun 03, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Is procrastination beneficial?

Evolving Job Market

Is procrastination beneficial? Cover Image

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 t...


May 30, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A standard communication device

Resume Writing

A standard communication device Cover Image

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 ever...


May 29, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Moving down market

Evolving Job Market

Moving down market Cover Image

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 probab...


May 23, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

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 21, 2018

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. W...


May 20, 2018

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 recently 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 14, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG