EDITORIALS

The title of this editorial is actually: “The consummate professional in an electronic world,” but I thought that was a little long.As senior financial professionals, we tend to stay in our jobs a long time. Up until I was 46, I only had 3 jobs. Who you are and what you are tends to be kno...

In the things that we do to communicate our background to others, we are at all times challenged by the need to generalize while at the same time being very specific. It is in all honesty, no easy task. And, it is easier said than done.If for example, you are trying to change industries, y...

The sale of big ticket items through personal selling is never easy.When you buy a tube of toothpaste, a pack of chewing gum, or a box of #2 pencils, hopefully you don’t spend a lot of time either thinking about it, or fussing over the details. But, when it comes to buying something like a...

I often receive messages in which members comment about how job search puts you on an emotional roller coaster and I thought I would address this issue in tonight’s editorial.I am not a professional psychologist, but having been out of work myself for two very long years back in 1991 and 1...

Back in 1991 after I had been out of work for only a few weeks I sent out a mailing and somehow managed to get an interview with a guy who looked and talked like Frank Perdue (Perdue Farms).After we shook hands, he offered me his business card and asked for mine. I told him I didn’t have o...

Ever the wise sailor, I always check the weather forecast before going sailing for the day. When out on vacation, the weather forecasts I listen to and study frequently cover a much broader area than I am planning to need for a particular day. I like knowing what the weather is going to be...

I have been known to get seriously silly at times. (I know this will come as a great shock to all of you.)Back in the old days when I was able to stay up late, Saturday Night Live had an ongoing skit about an individual named Pat. Over the course of the seasons or season it was on (as I in...

One of my observations is that everyone seems to be shutting down earlier and earlier around holiday periods and returning later and later. Compared with prior years, the last two weeks were especially quiet. Today was deadly quiet as well. I expect tomorrow will also be quiet.Well, we’re ...

As accountants we know only too well that the time periods into which we divide a year are a little arbitrary. They only mark the passage of time in a logical manner (which is very important to all of us financial types).We also know intuitively that the concept of getting a fresh start wi...

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...

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...

If your phones and email get a little quiet over the next 2 weeks and you are looking for something to do, may I suggest you expand your Inner Circle of Friends?The place to get started is by using our “Member Directory Search” feature. It is the last item under the “Membership” pull down ...

Over the next two weeks, 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 or more years or if you ...

As an avid sailor these many years, I have found a certain comfort in the predictability of the tide. For example, at one time we had our sailboat in a harbor that prevented us from leaving or entering at dead low tide. An inconvenience to be sure, but one that was manageable given publish...

I am always mildly amused at this time of year by most of the holiday cards and holiday emails I receive.My personal favorite in the mass emailing category was one I received a few years ago that was addressed to me not by name but began instead “My Dearest Friend.” No, I am not kidding. I...

It is a well-known fact that men don’t like unsolicited advice. It is for this reason that we used to drive in circles from time to time, even though our spouse quietly suggested we stop at that gas station we kept passing and ask for directions. (GPS has at least solved that problem.) We ...

When you meet someone for the first time, the natural inclination and the appropriate one is to make small talk. In an interviewing situation, for example, it is normal to either talk about the weather or the traffic getting to your appointment. They are easy topics, and unlike politics wh...

The development of a resume can be a long and involved process. There are so many ideas that others have to share with you, and each person with whom you speak has their own perspective about what is right and what is wrong.Your resume is also in part an historical document charged with ch...

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...

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 ...

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 we...