EDITORIALS

If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me

Human Interactions Networking Old Friends

If the phone doesn’t ring, it’s me Cover Image

Several years ago, a very old friend of mine called my attention to this song by Jimmy Buffet.I’m not sure why it is, but many people never call anyone. In the enigma within a puzzle that is life, they are also always wondering why no one calls them.When I was in college, my grandmother on...


Dec 19, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Asking for and accepting help Cover Image

One of the biggest challenges I face on a daily basis is getting our members to ask for and accept help when they need it.I suppose it is a guy thing and roughly 90% of our members are guys. As everyone knows, guys don’t ask for directions at the gas station. (Have you ever wondered why? T...


Dec 18, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Our open door policy

Human Interactions

Our open door policy Cover Image

II’m sure all of you have heard the joke about the executive who was addressing the entire staff and when he came to the part about having an open door policy, he asked that whoever took his door would give it back.Well, the open door policy in The FENG is of a similar nature. None of us s...


Dec 15, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

To Whom It May Concern

Correspondence

To Whom It May Concern Cover Image

One of the more amusing aspects of this time of year is the effort some people make to reach out to those in their address book with holiday greetings of some kind.In years past, this took the form of Hallmark cards, all very colorful, that I opened and put on the fireplace mantel and/or a...


Dec 14, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Tilting at windmills Cover Image

From time to time, I have been accused of tilting at windmills. Actually, I am never offended when I hear this because in large part everything we do in The FENG has elements of it, and I’m proud of it.It has indeed been a long road developing The FENG. Most importantly, I haven’t had to d...


Dec 13, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

It’s always about you

90-Second Announcements

It’s always about you Cover Image

For those of you who are movie fans, there was a memorable scene in a totally forgettable movie called “The Mexican” with Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Julia is throwing Brad’s clothes down on him from a balcony while having an argument with him and screaming: “It’s always about you!”Well, ...


Dec 12, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The too hard pile

Life Lessons

The too hard pile Cover Image

Everyone has a “too hard pile.” (Even I have one!) It’s all that work that sits in a pile by your desk and you never seem to get to it.I suppose there ought to be a law or something that would prevent us from leaving things in the “too hard” pile for very long. Of course, many of us (mysel...


Dec 11, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Local candidates only

Correspondence

Local candidates only Cover Image

I know how disheartening it can be to get to the bottom of a job posting and see those deathless words: “Local candidates only.”Still, the facts are that there are always lots of qualified folks applying for any great job, and at least in major metropolitan areas there is no need for a com...


Dec 08, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Hi, it’s me the pest!

Networking

Hi, it’s me the pest! Cover Image

The amount of follow up to do with recruiters and networking contacts is always a tough call.It is hard not to feel like a pest when you call. (After all, you ARE being a pest.)However, if you aren’t persistent and keep in touch with those who might be in a position to help you on the day ...


Dec 07, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Rules of engagement

Correspondence

Rules of engagement Cover Image

I hope you don’t mind if I take a few minutes tonight to explain the best approach to contacting other members of our now vast organization.The best approach to contacting just about anyone, including other members, is to first send a letter of introduction with a copy of your resume. I kn...


Dec 06, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Presenting your credentials

Networking Communicating your value

Presenting your credentials Cover Image

Job search is a draining and discouraging process at times. (Or, is that most of the time?) Well, maybe not, unless you make it so.The truth is that most of us financial types stay in jobs a lot longer than those in other disciplines like marketing or sales. In addition, most of the work w...


Dec 05, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Don’t be lazy Cover Image

In a sense, a sailboat isn’t a complicated machine. Compared with other means of transportation such as cars or planes, there really isn’t much to a sailboat. Sails are pretty simple, and if you are like me, you don’t use the motor if you can avoid it. (We only burned 50 gallons of diesel ...


Dec 04, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The failure to communicate

Correspondence Resume Writing

The failure to communicate Cover Image

The story I hear more often than not is how perfect someone was for a particular posting and their amazement that they didn’t get a call.Of course, there are a lot of possible reasons why someone doesn’t get a response. It could be they applied too late. It could be that there were require...


Dec 01, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Stopping the aging process

Evolving Job Market

Stopping the aging process Cover Image

Several years ago The Wall Street Journal had an article about the many steps people take when applying for jobs to conceal their age.I understand where this comes from. Ageism, as with all forms of prejudice, comes from ignorance.If you think about all of the ways of earning a living, it ...


Nov 30, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Abbreviations

Correspondence

Abbreviations Cover Image

I guess the desire to shorten just about everything is part of human nature. I once worked with a guy named Harry and the boss insisted on calling him Har. I suppose he could have called him H, but maybe that was TOO short.When I was in college, everyone was talking about the ATGSB. For th...


Nov 29, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

An advertising over promise Cover Image

For almost a decade I was Chief Financial Officer of an Advertising Agency.In addition to learning how to deal with a wild and crazy bunch of folks, I learned a lot not only about the advertising business, but also about advertising in general.One of the facts that I learned was that a goo...


Nov 28, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The holiday networking season

Networking

The holiday networking season Cover Image

I try to take a few minutes of your time every year at this holiday season to remind you what a gold mine this time of year is to your networking efforts.Whether you are working or not working. Whether you are looking for a job or very happy where you are, this is the time of year when you...


Nov 27, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Move to where?

Being Out of Work

Move to where? Cover Image

In 1991 when I was last out of work I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to move.Although born in Chicago and raised in northern Indiana, I had lived in Connecticut for almost 20 years and I liked it here. My wife’s parents lived nearby and I had a daughter and son in high schoo...


Nov 21, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Creating actionable messages

Correspondence

Creating actionable messages Cover Image

I’m a pretty organized guy. If I weren’t, it would be impossible to get all the things done in a day that I try to accomplish. (Sometimes I have even gotten all my email up to date!)Still, a few times a day I get an email from someone with incomplete information.A few years ago I wrote to ...


Nov 20, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The original 2 for 1 sale Cover Image

Every once in a while, The Wall Street Journal publishes a cartoon worthy of discussion.Many years ago, the “Pepper … And Salt” cartoon showed a job seeker, obviously older, explaining his credentials to the interviewer with the following words: “Don’t think of me as a 54-year-old job appl...


Nov 17, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Common courtesy

Human Interactions

Common courtesy Cover Image

There are some who would argue that in this day and age of email, texting and Tweeting, the world has become a more impersonal place than in those halcyon days of yesteryear.Please say it isn’t so. In this electronic age, it has become SO easy to be personal, that I can’t for the life of m...


Nov 16, 2022

By Matt Bud, The FENG