We have had speakers at over the years at our meetings here in Connecticut and each in their own way has brought up the subject of having an explanation as to why you are looking for another job.I have always felt that it was a waste of your valuable time to provide an explanation in your ...

I am sure you have heard it too, the at length explanations others give as to why they are looking for another job. Sometimes I forget to mention at the beginning of our meeting in Connecticut that I really don’t need to know and you don’t really need to tell anyone. No explanation is actu...

It is a truth in this world that we get paid the most for doing something that is at the high end of our skill set.For example, you would be willing to pay big bucks to a skilled surgeon to take out your appendix, but you would probably not be willing to let me take out your appendix at an...

For those of us who read the newspaper from time to time, one can’t help but notice that just about everyone who is mentioned in any story is given a label.The label selected is usually something very simple such as “a 46 year old truck driver from Illinois.” In this case it is someone’s c...

Personally, I am not a big fan of art museums. Sure, there are particular “objects of art” that I find to be of interest, but I guess I find the walking around part a little tiring.For amusement during these art museum tours I try to overhear what the tour guides are saying. The at length ...

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...

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 where...

In the accounting mindset, there is only one answer. The books either balance or they don’t balance. I guess this is what I have always found so satisfying about our craft. Ah, the symmetry of it all!Artists as well as other creative types on the other hand seem to have a problem with this...

Since 1997 when I began as Chairman of The FENG, I have been listening to 90-second announcements at our meetings here in Westport. My best guess is that I have heard at least 10,000 of them over the years. I guess you could say I can speak with some authority on this subject. (And no, my ...

Have you ever wondered why so many things are structured in threes?In addition to the three Musketeers mentioned above, we eat 3 meals a day. Why not 2 or 4? We use threes in art to define structures like primary, secondary and tertiary colors on a color wheel. Nature is filled with threes...

Many, many years ago when I was in college, I had an economics professor who was a bit of a character. For a dry subject area, he had a way of making it all come alive. One of the things he said has lived with me these many years. It was:That’s all very well in practice, but how does it wo...

As a breed, us financial types are such a precise group of individuals. It is at once our greatest strength from a work prospective, and in the context of job search, one of our greatest failings.The fear, as I understand it, is that we might be offered some opportunity that is somehow out...

I have often wondered how actors polish their performances before the first show. With only the director and the producer in the audience it just can't be the same. Sure you are up there on stage and perhaps even in full costume, but there is no audience clapping or talking to each other t...

I have often been heard to say that your 90-second announcement is a STORY about you. It isn’t a history book. And, it doesn’t have to be detailed.In much the same way, your resume is a story about you. However, being in print, you need to keep in mind that you aren’t there to present it w...

If there is anything that typically jumps out at me when we I meet our members in person or on Zoom, is the need for us financial folks to be completely honest, even in our assessments of ourselves.However, interviews, 90 second announcements, networking calls or meetings are no time for a...

One of the most challenging aspects of looking for a new “work opportunity” is having enough introspection to know what your special value is to a potential employer. I’m afraid that in most cases, we’re the last ones to know.When we do our 90-second announcements at our chapter meeting in...

There was a very silly movie that came out many years ago with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts called “The Mexican.” The most memorable scene if you recall the advertising for the movie has Julia Roberts standing on a balcony throwing Brad’s clothes at him and screaming “It’s always about you!...

As everyone heads off to welcome 2023, 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...

Those of you who know me (and in particular our Administrative Assistants) know that I hate almost all abbreviations. It’s not that I don’t typically know what they mean. It is primarily that the longer version honestly doesn’t take up that much more space and looks a lot more important. I...

One of the most annoying things about us financial types (at least to non-financial types) is the long-winded and seemingly endless explanations we provide when discussing complicated situations.Although we are mistakenly thought to always “cut to the chase” or go right to “the bottom line...

One of the more difficult conventions to master of our many traditions is the 90 second announcement. Still, once you have mastered it, it can pay big dividends because it is the perfect answer to “so, tell me about yourself.”Let’s start out with my favorite mantra: Speech is the slowest f...