EditorialsBy Matt Bud, Chairman, The FENG

A sharp pencil

From our daily member newsletter on June 28, 2018

There is no more powerful tool than a sharp pencil. (The only equally powerful tool is The FENG’s Member Directory Search feature.) I long ago declared war on unnecessary words. Why? Because they are unnecessary. Duh! The normal space allotment for a resume is two pages. Okay, if you have to go to three I might be able to live with it, but generally two is the limit. It is not much space to describe the accomplishments of a lifetime, but you are making a mistake if you think it is necessary to describe each and every thing you have ever done. If you are as old as the hills (or dirt itself) like most of us, there are adventure [ Read more… ]

If you met yourself

From our daily member newsletter on June 27, 2018

Have you ever wondered who is that guy/gal in the mirror? I’m sure we all stare at that familiar face from time to time, but the real question is who are you and what do you do best? You would think that if you just took a few minutes and read your own resume, you could solve this one, but you would be wrong. Although it is possible you know yourself well enough to come up with an appropriate answer, for most people it would be a good idea to ask those who know you best what they think it is you do. The answers might surprise you. Early in my career when I worked for “the big corporation” I [ Read more… ]

Taking a step back

From our daily member newsletter on June 26, 2018

Let’s be honest, even though the unemployment figures suggest a strong job market, things are still challenging for members of our “well experienced” membership. This always being the case, many of our members consider opportunities that are well below their previous levels of responsibility and compensation. I would welcome the thoughts of others on this topic, so please do send in your ideas. Anything you would like published should be sent to [email protected]. Be sure to be clear if you want your name used. There are many issues that go along with what is happening. However, I would ask that we not delve into the issues of age discrimination. It has always been there and will always be there. I [ Read more… ]

Why bother saying thank you?

From our daily member newsletter on June 25, 2018

For those of you who are sailing fans and/or history buffs and saw the movie Master & Commander: The Far Side of The World, there was a scene where Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany were having a heated argument about the merits of flogging. The comment made by the captain was that the good doctor didn’t understand what held their little wooden world together. Please understand that I am not recommending we flog members of The FENG who fail to say thank you, but the analogy is that those who don’t say thank you apparently don’t understand what holds our little electronic world together. NO ONE ever hears thank you enough. All of you are very kind to me and [ Read more… ]

The luxury of discouragement

From our daily member newsletter on June 24, 2018

I suppose that feeling sorry for yourself feels pretty good. The problem is that it doesn’t do you any good and doesn’t benefit you in any way, shape or form. In this era of long job searches, it is easy to fall into this pattern of self abuse. Frankly, I don’t encourage it. While the light at the end of the tunnel may in fact be a speeding locomotive, when it hits us, we won’t know it anyway! So, why not put on a happy face and struggle as best you can? The truth is that every minute you spend focused on bemoaning that which you cannot change, is a minute you could be doing something productive. Yes, I know [ Read more… ]

Attention to detail

From our daily member newsletter on June 21, 2018

I am frequently disappointed by the lack of attention to detail by the many members who write to me. There are so many things that are easy to do, that no one seems to do. Let me start with my primary concern – the lack of outgoing signatures. Incredibly, some emails I get aren’t even signed. A proper outgoing signature contains your name, address, phone numbers and email address. Adding one is so simple that it doesn’t bear explaining. If you aren’t using one, just click “Help” and search for “signature.” If you are wondering why no one is writing back, this may be why. Is your name Pat, or Leslie? You might want to let folks know somehow if [ Read more… ]

Fewer close friends?

From our daily member newsletter on June 20, 2018

There was mention of an article several years ago in The Wall Street Journal that Americans have fewer close friends. Intrigued at the time, I “Googled” and found a few press reports about the article. According to an article in American Sociological Review, in 1985, the average American had three people in whom to confide matters that were important to them. In 2004, that number dropped to two, and one in four had no close confidants at all. As far as close friends go, I hope that all of you know that you have over 40,000 people to choose from. Any member of The FENG who doesn’t yet have at least 20 people in whom they could confide important matters [ Read more… ]

Reading, an important skill

From our daily member newsletter on June 19, 2018

I think that anyone conducting a job search would agree that to be really effective and have any chance, one must know how to read. Like anything else, reading skills exist at many levels. The purpose of tonight’s editorial is to clarify the nature of the job leads in our evening newsletter for those of you who are new to our organization, and also for those of you who think you know. It is also to ask you to read them carefully! All job leads in our newsletter are personal. They don’t appear by magic. They appear because SOMEONE in our membership took the time to send it in, and in many cases took the time to BUILD A RELATIONSHIP. [ Read more… ]

Just showing up

From our daily member newsletter on June 18, 2018

There are several folks who claim credit for it, but one of the things I have been heard to say from time to time that I didn’t make up is that “90% of life is just showing up.” (Okay, perhaps it is only 89%. Whatever!) As we begin the months of the well respected summer doldrums, I would ask all of you who are around when meetings are taking place of our various chapters and special interest groups to make a special effort to show up, especially if you RSVP for a meeting. I have to tell you that setting up a meeting requires a lot of hours on behalf of our many hard working chapter and SIG chairs, and [ Read more… ]

Unsolicited advice

From our daily member newsletter on June 17, 2018

It is a sad fact that most men don’t appreciate getting unsolicited advice. That said, there are even those among us who reject advice they have asked for out of hand and in a dismissive way. The giving and receiving of advice is always a delicate balance. Even though probably 75% of my mail comes in without an outgoing signature and I could pull my hair out over it at times, I still write “May I suggest….”, when I should say “Haven’t you heard me mention this before?” (I try to keep my suggestion about providing a FULL outgoing signature from being mentioned in my editorials to only once or twice a WEEK. Perhaps I need to pick up the [ Read more… ]

Your hidden assets

From our daily member newsletter on June 14, 2018

Almost all of the resumes I see are from members or new member applicants. What is surprising is how much trouble some folks go to disguising their seniority and great skills. It is my belief and I hope to make it yours as well, that the most important thing you have to sell is your wealth of experience. There are so many things in this world that only happen once or twice a year, and most of our members have seen them anywhere from 20-40 times. Like a song you keep hearing on the radio, even if you don’t sing well, you are bound to know the words and can easily hum a few bars. Hiding this important asset of [ Read more… ]

Playing to an empty house

From our daily member newsletter on June 13, 2018

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 to let you know how your delivery is going. Once you have a full audience, tuning up your performance has got to be a lot easier. Changes in gestures at key moments, raising your voice, lowering your voice, all seem to get a reaction. When I am speaking to chapter meetings I sort of experience the same thing. I may have thought through what I am going [ Read more… ]

Free advice

From our daily member newsletter on June 12, 2018

I guess the old saw is that free advice is worth what you pay for it. The other popular expression I use from time to time is “consider the source.” There is a whole “guy thing” about the giving of unsolicited advice. In much the same logic as the old saw about guys not asking for directions at the gas station, it is often difficult to find the right words to offer up advice to members when it isn’t requested. I, of course, see a lot of resumes. With such an obvious huge overview of the “resume landscape,” you would think that anything I said about a member’s resume would be gratefully received, but alas, it isn’t so. Unlike most [ Read more… ]

A career in marketing

From our daily member newsletter on June 11, 2018

Just as they should require finance and accounting courses for the members of the other professions in this world, they probably should require more marketing classes for the members of our profession. The question we are always trying to address, whether we are looking for work or currently employed is: Who are our real customers and what is it we are selling them? This isn’t a question that is as easy to answer as it might appear. Not being marketing professionals we often mistake cause and effect. What is it we do for the rest of the organization? Unless you are always thinking in marketing terms your “product offering” is not going to be well received because you haven’t defined [ Read more… ]

Points of difference

From our daily member newsletter on June 10, 2018

If I may paraphrase a line from the somewhat forgettable movie “My Cousin Vinny,” this is no time to blend. (With Marisa Tomei and Joe Pesci) The essence of a job search is identifying and communicating that which is unique about you to the rest of the world. It is of course normal for human beings to want to communicate “I am just like you and therefore we should be friends.” It is a reflex action to try to find areas of common interest with those you meet. (Oh, you’re from Chicago? I stopped there once.) Just about anything and everything that will provide a “warm fuzzy” should be tried. That said, the time when this is inappropriate is our [ Read more… ]

Just checking in with you

From our daily member newsletter on June 7, 2018

I spoke to one of our members of long standing a few years ago who joined when we only had 100 members. Yes, I know it is hard to believe that The FENG only had 100 members as recently as 1997, but it’s true. We have indeed come a long way! I guess I had one of my many flashbacks while I was talking to him and I began thinking about the “early days” of The FENG and what ideas caused me to adopt our 5 day a week schedule. Having been unemployed for almost 2 full years back in 1991-1992, I personally knew the pain of being unemployed. Being as efficient as I am, I had my job search [ Read more… ]

Staying hidden from view

From our daily member newsletter on June 6, 2018

I often wonder if people really want to be found. It ranges from the lack of an outgoing signature with your FULL contact information on the emails I receive to answering machines that repeat your phone number when I call, but don’t indicate whose phone it is. The latest wrinkle is not putting a physical address on your resume. I’m not sure what to make of all of these obstacles people put in front of others trying to reach them. There apparently is a major outplacement firm recommending the deletion of home addresses. The fear is identity theft. While I would never recommend you put your date of birth and/or your Social Security number on your resume, I feel very [ Read more… ]

I’ve got you covered

From our daily member newsletter on June 5, 2018

We can all get a lot of help writing resumes. There are even lots and lots of very good books and articles on this topic. Still, the first thing most recipients read or at least glance at is your cover letter. As bad as most of the resumes I see are, the cover letters are often worse. We are all kind of stuck with the fact that in this electronic world, the email message you send with your resume IS your cover letter. Please don’t attach two files. No one has time to open and print two files. But, don’t include your cover letter as the first page of your resume because it will typically mess up all the pages [ Read more… ]

The illusion of time

From our daily member newsletter on June 4, 2018

Although this problem was more common several years ago when there were more corporate layoffs, I still from time to time see members waste the first 6 months of their job search. It’s not that they “goof off,” it’s more that they feel they have the luxury of time. As a sailor, I can assure you that time and tide wait for no man. Neither does the job market and more importantly the marketability of your career. Among the many things I hope are communicated in our newsletter are all the things you shouldn’t waste your time doing. Things such as mass mailings to recruiters or contacting accounting firms and lawyers you may know are generally not a good use [ Read more… ]

The truth would probably hurt more

From our daily member newsletter on June 3, 2018

If only those you interviewed with were legally able to tell you the truth about why you aren’t being considered for a particular job. Unfortunately, the things they are allowed to say to you are very limited. Lawyers do really run the world. If we lived in a Jerry Seinfeld world, they would just come out and say: “Aren’t you a little old for that job?” Instead, we have to endure that ever popular comment about us being “over qualified.” Or, perhaps they just didn’t like us. “Boy are you obnoxious. I could never even imagine spending ONE day at the office with you.” Well, perhaps over qualified does sound better. (As Butch Cassidy said: “Don’t sugar coat it Sundance, [ Read more… ]

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