EDITORIALS

It can be very frustrating to be told that you were number two. It gives you the feeling that if you had only done something different, presented something in a different way, (worn matching socks) the job might have been yours. If it happens to you more than once, it kind of makes you fee...

I have observed over my life that most of the people identified as experts are wrong a very high percentage of the time. In much the same way that a clock that has stopped is right twice a day, some acknowledged experts are identified by the media as genius only because they inadvertently ...

Sad to say, a lie is a lie is a lie. Some would also argue that the withholding of important information is also a lie. I believe this to be the truth and you probably do too.One would have to wonder then why those of us of the accounting profession who pride ourselves on “no surprises” an...

I just don’t think that I will ever see in my lifetime a job specification that calls for a minimum of 30 years of work experience. If you ever see one, I do hope you will send it my way so I can frame it.For those of us who are “well experienced,” it can be a difficult decision applying f...

When they stopped paying me, that was bad enough. But, when they had the security guard escort me from the building and dumped my few personal belongings on the sidewalk, I decided enough was enough. I just wasn’t going back to work at THAT place anymore.If you have a sense of humor and th...

I’m sure some of you have been seriously considered for jobs that paid less than you were previously earning. As an experienced sailor would tell you; any port in a storm.Unfortunately, there is always a bit of disbelief coming from across the table that ANYONE would work for less than the...

As the length of time grows since your last “assignment,” the battle cry that is heard more frequently is the need to reinvent yourself.I’m not exactly sure how one can REALLY do that. As my Grandmother used to say: “I am who I am.” The question I would pose to you is, are you sure you hav...

While many things in this electronic world we live in are a lot easier, keeping your job search a secret isn’t one of them.My wife reminded me recently of the hours I used to spend at my typewriter during the 1980’s responding to job ads. Yes, there was a time after candles were replaced w...

You have to kind of feel sorry for folks who have never been unemployed.I know it may sound strange to say this, but if you have never been knocked down, you may not know that not only will you get up again, but that you may be a better person in many ways when you do. I hope that members ...

Since about 90% of our membership is male, I hope no one will be offended if I let you all in on a little secret – most men don’t have a lot of friends. I am not altogether certain why that is, but it really doesn’t matter because making new friends is actually a lot easier than most peopl...

I have often said that a member’s visualization of his new job is his last job on his last day. In a sense, how could it be any different?As accountants, we value our history more than anything else. This “rear view mirror” approach to life is one of the many things that can cause us to li...

I am fast coming to the conclusion that most people don’t understand the purpose of a cover letter. Either that or I am greatly confused.My little window on the world is The FECG, the consulting practice that I share with Bruce Lynn. With any luck, a few times a month, alumni members of Th...

For those of you not familiar with the story of stone soup, I would encourage you to go to: http://www.extremelinux.info/stonesoup/stonesoup.html (Is the Internet great, or what?)It’s not a long story, but it explains in easy to understand terms how you can turn nothing into something, and...

In today’s job market, everyone is trying to create a little edge for themselves so they can beat the competition. I know that none of you are actually the source of these ideas. However, there are a lot of “so called” career counselors out there who try to create perceived value by introd...

I often refer to The FENG as a circle of friends. In a very real sense, the power of The FENG is our interconnectedness, and if that isn’t friendship, I don’t know what is. Were it not a true fact that we have reduced 6 degrees of separation down to less than 3, networking within our littl...

Between reviewing new member applications and going over candidates for assignments with The FECG, I spend a lot of time reviewing resumes.What continues to amaze and astound me is how difficult most folks make determining the key elements of their background. Basic stuff, like where they ...

As everyone I hope knows, a white elephant is something that appears to be useful, but actually has no real value. It takes up a lot of space and basically eats you out of house and home.Anyone with a garage or attic knows the kinds of things folks tend to hang onto, because all human bein...

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...

Since much of what we do in The FENG is about job search, I thought it might be appropriate to make a few suggestions to everyone about what to do when you do actually find a new job.I’ll be blunt. Job search is primarily filled with uncertainty, highs and lows and activities like making n...