EDITORIALS

I still remember with fondness the cell phone commercial where the technician is in the middle of a swamp somewhere and he is testing his cell coverage. I don’t know where he might be, but he wasn’t here in Weston, Connecticut where we have limited cell coverage. (Thank goodness we can now...

The fun never stops here at world headquarters of The FENG. I get more amusing emails probably than anyone else on the face of the earth.Let’s start with the use of “Matt’s secret decoder ring.” Thank goodness it is made out of a durable electronic material. Each day about 75% of the email...

In one of the jobs I had early in my career I was Business Manager for the College Publishing division of CBS.It was an interesting job. All of the folks around me were well educated and always testing my knowledge and experience. They were also great teachers.One of our most popular books...

Although everyone thinks that spring is a time of renewal, actually (just like networking) any point in time and any excuse will do, as will any season.For those who are in their 40’s and 50’s, periods of unemployment early in our career have probably been non-existent. The experience of b...

Although I would never willingly admit it, over the nearly 40 years I have been sailing I have had occasion to go aground. (It is always an embarrassing situation.)One time I dragged anchor in a storm (that I can assure you was not in the forecast) and the other times I managed to wander t...

So, you have actually done it. A company has put you through the wringer and forced you to interview with just about everyone at the firm. You have beaten the competition to a pulp. You are standing all alone in your victory.Now comes the moment of truth. They ask you for references. Like ...

I hope we all spend a lot of time networking. (To paraphrase René Descartes, the famous French philosopher: I network, therefore I am.)So you have been hard at it. The FENG Member Directory Search feature is causing smoke to rise from your computer from over use, but incredible as it may s...

In 2002, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks starred in a movie about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. The basic story is that over the course of several years, Carl Hanrat...

One of our chapter chairs called me some time ago, and as usual when he calls, we had a wide ranging conversation about members of The FENG, friends (sometimes these two overlap), and family matters. There generally aren’t many moments of silence since we always have so much to talk about....

I have never actually read any of the books that begin with the title I selected for this editorial, but I think I know what they were all about.Okay, maybe I don’t. Still, the thought comes to mind upon reading one of the responses I received recently that there is one aspect of your requ...

The world of job search is filled with a lot of cruel jokes.I have often argued that when the answer is no with respect to your candidacy, the best thing you can probably do is stop listening. The reason is that just about everything that follows will either not be entirely true or will be...

It is a true fact (as opposed to a false fact) that most people over value job leads. Perhaps I have said this before, but the real deal is networking, networking and more networking.That said I thought it might be of interest to all of you for me to share my own personal theories as to wh...

The FENG is a circle of friends, not a job listing service. The question I would have for each of you is, have you recently worked to expand your inner circle of friends within The FENG?Regardless of when you joined our august body, and even if you went through our membership directory at ...

One of the common complaints I hear from people about their current or prior jobs is how political the situation is or was. To me, this is like complaining about the weather.There is always going to be weather. It is my belief that you can’t really appreciate a sunny day unless you have ex...

I hope no one will be offended by the thought that corporations are reptilian. All I mean to imply by this statement is that although corporations appear to have human elements, they actually have no feelings.We have all met and in fact we may individually have been dedicated employees, bu...

More often than not, members of our networking group prefer to change industries when they change jobs.I have to agree that changing industries isn’t such a bad idea. In fact, the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills we have learned to a totally new situation is an attractive conc...

When I was in my mid 30’s, I had the great honor of being treasurer of my congregation, a job I held for 4 full years.It is probably true that I lean towards all-consuming jobs. Or, perhaps I just try to do a good job even when I am not getting paid. Nonetheless, I discovered a lot about h...

During the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend, a great opportunity will be presenting itself to you in the form of gatherings of those who know you (and presumably love you).In order to enjoy the greatest benefit, you need to paint on a smile. I don’t care if you have been out of work 3...

There is an extended joke I heard a while back about a man who experienced a flight cancellation. As a matter of fact, he was not alone. The line was long and as the minutes turned to an hour, he was getting angrier and angrier.When he finally got to the head of the line he demanded to be ...

There is no greater challenge in this world than summing yourself up in 90 seconds or writing a proper summary for your resume.As many of you know, I was CFO of an advertising agency in the 1980’s. Initially, I used to wonder why the creative folks got paid so well. As I got more and more ...

I always find it interesting what people say about themselves.Those who deal in hiring decisions have so many hidden tools in their arsenal. I suppose the obvious manifestations of who you are come across in the body of your resume and, of course, in your 90-second announcement. What those...