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I have no idea why I insist on opening my work email from home!! Oh yes, tonight it was because I’d seen an email from a friend just before I shut down but it was too late to open it. Ho hum! It could really have waited until morning.

And the result of doing the unthinkable…. I’m frustrated and irritated!! AAARRRGH

Market rollercoaster rides

By jenty on September 30, 2008 in Arb, Career

OMW, it’s interesting working in financial services at the moment. LOL! Never a dull moment.

I’ve been through a bad market before, but the last time I was a bit “green” about it all. And this one is BIG! Huge! I’m sure you guys have all read about it, or at least know that there’s a problem… it’s in every newspaper and every news bulletin you hear and see.

It’s just so interesting to work through these times…. hopefully that doesn’t change!

Everyone you speak to in the market, not just in my company, but other local and international companies is just wondering when it’s going to affect them, and how they’ll get affected.

There’s talk and news articles about retrenchments in companies already. That hasn’t taken long. Posts have been frozen in a lot of companies for a few months now, but all of a sudden there’s a flurry of retrenchment talk. And before you say “but I thought it was only in the US”… well, that’s not the case. A lot of local companies are owned internationally, so it goes without saying that if there’s a problem overseas it’ll affect us.

Retrenchments might not happen, but already huge cost cutting exercises are being practised in most companies. And I’m sure it’s not going to be long before a lot of IT projects are scaled back or changed completely as focus has shifted from growing and trying to be clever, to trying to maintain the client base and keeping afloat – if that hasn’t happened yet!

I bumped into one our top portfolio managers last week on the escalators, and he just said “It’s rough out there”. I think that’s the understatement of the decade. The traders are already looking haggard.

Wish it was me!

By jenty on September 25, 2008 in Career

Got an email the other day telling the company that a colleague is resigning, but it didn’t say what she was planning on doing.

I chatted to get today after a meeting, and she’s going to take a year off and then decide what to do with her life. She might do some work for the SPCA for the next year. How cool! The only thing she knows for certain is that she’s not getting back into this market.

I really take my hat off to her! She’s got a brilliant career going, and she’s so highly respected in the market (not just this group).

Wish I could do the same.

I must regret it

By jenty on September 15, 2008 in Career

Every time I’m having a bad time at work and I’m contemplating my future, I tend to dream the same dreams. Isn’t it weird?

I dream about joining the guys that I was going to go into IT consulting with about 8 years ago. There were 5 of us that decided to start a consulting firm specifically in the financial services industry. And at the last minute I pulled out. At the time it was too risky… I was the breadwinner in the house and we couldn’t afford to live on Lance’s salary if it failed.

I must sub-consciously regret not joining them in their venture. The thing is, they’re really in a no better position ito career than I am at the moment. The 2 gals work in IT in banks, and the 2 guys gave up IT – one runs a trucking business in Knysna, and the other guy is farming!

But… it’s clearly still on my mind. It’s not the same dream over and over again (it used to be), but the theme is still the same. Weird.

After the conference

By jenty on July 24, 2008 in Career

Well, that was good, in fact… it was brilliant!!

I really hope I can go to the next one in 2009 in Cape Town. Even better, I wish I could attend one of the conferences overseas.

It’s such an amazing opportunity to learn. It was unlike any conference I’ve been to before. It was ALL practical, so I’m really exhausted tonight. I didn’t realised we’d be participating so much.

An explanation… it was the 3rd African conference for Facilitators… run by the IAF and the SA Facilitator network.

What I came away with:

1. It’s amazing that this profession is so open to change and challenge. Everyone was learning, even the seasoned facilitators and the IAF board members that were there.

2. There are SO many tools and techniques to use, and I need to learn more to add to my “toolbox” and learn how to apply them, this was a very good start.

3. The course I did last year seems to have placed me in a better position that a lot of the delegates from other countries.

4. I learnt so much from watching one of the IAF guys in a session. We were doing a group discussion, and he just naturally took over and facilitated without even realising. It was so natural for him. I was in awe! He truely is a being the facilitator, and not just “doing”! What an amazing man.

5. What fabulous network opportunities! I didn’t realise how big this profession was. And it’s opened my eyes ito what career path I could have.

Hmm, I could carry on for ages. Needless to say, I’ve got another plan for my future now!

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