EDITORIALS

Walter Mitty was an interesting guy. Although he did one thing in his real life, he had the opportunity to do lots of exciting things in his imaginary life.As we advance in our careers, I think all of us want the opportunity to do new and different things. It is only normal to want to chan...

The idea that you can wipe the slate clean is an enduring and endearing idea of mankind, and one I fully support. No matter how bad you have been at networking in the past year, this week you have the opportunity to get a strong start on building and strengthening your inner circle of frie...

If you are interested in getting your job search off to a flying start in 2026, may I suggest you try increasing your inner circle of friends?The most valuable feature on our website is Member Directory Search: https://www.thefeng.org/members/searchAll you have to do is follow the link abo...

From time to time I have gotten messages from members who either had multiple offers outstanding or wanted me to discuss what to do when you are so blessed. Or, is it cursed? (I don’t know about you, but I hate having too many choices.)Of course, when faced with the possibility of multiple...

One of my observations is that everyone seems to be shutting down earlier and earlier around holiday periods and returning later and later. The last two weeks of 2025 were especially quiet.Well, you’re probably planning to be off to a flying start tomorrow. However, my advice is wait until...

hings that cost money:Donate to The FENG. https://www.thefeng.org/donate-nowAssuming you have paid your annual dues, this suggestion is for those who might want to provide additional support.Things that don’t cost money:1.    Link with me on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin...

As everyone heads off to welcome 2026, I would suggest that those of you who are actively seeking a new position keep in mind the “warning” I give to those I coach on 90-second announcements: NO SAD STORIES.Whether you are with family or friends, keep in mind what I tell anyone who will li...

I know there are some members who have been “in the hunt” a long time and may feel that they are getting “a little long in the tooth.”I can understand the problem since I was out of work for almost two full years - 1991-1992.Tradition has it that if you are still at work, your most recent ...

Although there is no truth to the rumor that I have a pair of wing tip tennis shoes, I do try to dress well for all meetings here in Connecticut as well when I go to New York City. I have never been a big fan of business casual or even "smart" business casual. (Whatever that is.)I suppose ...

I’m not sure why it is, but most financial folks think they are terrible networkers.The truth is that scattered throughout our newsletter every night are ideas you can harness in your daily life to earn the title “Master Networker.”All of us are amateurs, I suppose, at most things we do in...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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, ...

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...

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...

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 ...

Presenting your credentialsJob 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 a...

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 typically burned about 50 gallons...