EDITORIALS

One of the trends I have noticed in the past few years is that the people you would like to contact disappear earlier and stay away longer around holidays.I sent out a mailing this morning to our many friends in the search community and was floored by how many “out of office” notes I got i...

I don’t know about you, but I am always misplacing things. I work pretty hard at keeping my papers organized, but like anything else, papers can get lost. When they do, it makes me absolutely crazy. Even when I have another copy on my computer, I am obsessed to find the copy that is on my ...

I hope that all of you have plans for the Labor Day weekend. Please know that every gathering is a networking event.Although I don’t recommend bringing resumes to the various barbeques you may be attending, do bring business cards and that winning smile of yours.People know people. And, if...

The number of qualified candidates in major metropolitan areas is always strong. The problem faced by our members in “one horse towns” is dealing with the issue of relocation when they apply for opportunities.Most of the folks I talk to who are not from major metropolitan areas feel they a...

As all of you are out and about networking, I hope you are aware that one of your most important member responsibilities is to invite your new and old friends who are Senior Financial Officers to join The FENG.While it is certainly true that The FENG dominates our space. And, it may even b...

There are, unfortunately, all kinds of events and holidays during the calendar year that can cause us to delay addressing our job search, and I thought I would use the “idea” of these dates as a prime example of the inaction it can cause in all of us, myself included.I think the fear that ...

It isn’t often that I get a great resume, but I got one recently.I guess I wasn’t surprised given who sent it to me. Although it was three pages, it was still crisp and concise. Perhaps it could have been shaved down to two pages, but it really didn’t bother me that it was a little longer ...

I don’t know what you consider to be junk mail. I view anything I don’t want to get in the mail (including bills) to be unwanted. (Can’t they send my bills to YOU for payment? Okay, you probably wouldn’t pay them and then my credit would be ruined. I guess I’ll have to come up with another...

I don’t know about you, but I find it hard not to have my eyes glass over while reading job descriptions. It seems to me that they often put the most important information last, buried somewhere or disguised.I am, of course, referring to the EXACT city location of the job in question. Hey,...

There is a great deal of fuss made out in “the world” about the difference between retained and contingency recruiters. If you want a full discussion about their differences and differing motivations, a very good source is “Rites of Passage” by John Lucht.All recruiters handle jobs in whic...

I have often noted to my friends who aren’t into boating that the difference between a power boater and a sail boater is that power boaters usually use their boats to go somewhere, whereas sail boaters are already there once they step onto their boat.In our goal driven, management by objec...

With all of the flap these days about integrity, I am concerned that members of The FENG, being honest financial types, will again fall into their natural propensity to tell too much about things that are no one’s business.I hope that I can trust you to blather on about all of your technic...

One of the little recognized facts about interviewing is that the most important part of what you are trying to accomplish in an interview is to make a personal connection with the interviewer.With all of the executive talent floating around these days, starting with the 34,000+ members of...

My Grandmother emigrated to the United States around 1914. She grew up near Kiev in what is now the Ukraine (but we were always told was Russia). A Yiddish proverb she used frequently was: To a worm in horseradish, the whole world is horseradish. (My Grandmother had a thick Russian accent,...

Back in 1991-1992 I was unemployed. Yes, two full years.Honestly, cash was starting to get a little tight. But more importantly, although I had a lot of free time, it was hard to enjoy it.Money, and the prospect of more, tends to focus the “let’s have some fun” part of our brains, whereas ...

If there is one thing that is certain about us financial types it is that we always know the answer.Ask us a question and it isn’t long before we are well into the “primarily due to’s and partially offset by’s.” Yet, this major strength of ours and important skill set is an impediment to s...

Whenever I sit and review candidates for assignments being handled through The FECG, I can’t help but be disappointed by many of the cover letters we get.I know that those who are applying feel they are qualified for the job in question, and being a financial guy myself, I know you could d...

Being successful at getting meetings with potential decision makers who don’t have a job right now, but who might make one for you after they meet you, is why networking is the most successful approach to finding a job. Frankly, this is how most business is really done at our level.If you ...

Although I must admit that I no longer use #2 pencils, I am still greatly addicted to using that ancient device called a phone. (Although I do lean more and more towards Zoom these days.)If you’re not sure what that is, it has a keyboard that looks a lot like a 10 key pad, but the number 1...

I can never understand why people hesitate in contacting old friends.It has been one of the blessings in my life that over the 20+ years that I have been Chairing this august body, I have been able to reconnect with almost all of the people I worked with since the 1970’s. (Yes, I am that o...

I am sure I don’t need to tell all of you that The FENG is a remarkable organization. It is also unusual in its tone.If I had to come up with two reasons why things are different in The FENG than in the rest of the world, I would start with the fact that EVERYONE in The FENG was sponsored ...