Last weekend I had a headache for four days…Friday and Saturday were quite bad. Spent Friday morning asleep feeling very sorry for myself – I think my office thinks I am looking for a new job as I have had several proper migraine type headaches over the last few months and taken the day off sick. In fact the HR manager had a talk to me about whether I was happy at work – I wanted to say “hell no, but I’ll be taking a break in a few months so what the hell, might as well put up with it.”
For those of you that don’t know me, I am a corporate recovery accountant (for those pedants out there – yes, I really am an accountant, I am a full member of the ACCA). That generally entails meeting loads of broke companies and individuals in order to try to help them get out of the mess they are in, whilst fending off irate enquiries as to what the hell is going on from the people they owe cash. It normally ends ok, well enough, I suppose. I have only had one creditor cry on me. He was a former butcher whose son had messed up the family business because he gave my client meat worth about £11,000 on credit. I have had two directors burst into tears (both women and both in publishing!). Several of my directors have had violence threatened against them (they were all men and one of them actually would have deserved the thrashing). I have had several people ask me to hide their financial status from their partners (one was a vicar’s husband who my husband is convinced spent the money on hookers!). So far I have seen two divorces due to the strain of debt (one man left the family home on Christmas day!). And I have only been doing this for coming on five years (previously I was a treasury relationship manager, which incidentally is very different!).
Needless to say my job can be (and often is) soul destroying. I have never actually met anyone who wants to do this when they grow up or even anyone who actually knows what the whole corporate recovery/insolvency thing entails. I myself fell into when I came to London 4 years ago because I had run out of cash after three months of looking for work and it was more of a real job than call centre work (which, incidentally, I was rejected for anyway but that is another story!). So I was desperate for a way to make cash and I wasn’t ready to sell my body (wouldn’t have got much for it, I suspect, there isn’t much there!). I cannot tell you I have met anyone who enjoys doing this work (and if I do, I will have to seriously evaluate their sanity) and most folk are trying to get out, at least out of meeting clients. Most stay in the industry because that is what they have been doing their entire career and would rather not move jobs at this stage; all that extra learning doesn’t appeal. There is a small minority who are resigned to their fate and most of them become Insolvency Practitioners (incidentally they also tend to be well paid…still not an incentive for me).
So why the big reveal about my job? Well, before I found out I was pregnant I was thinking of changing jobs. Don’t get me wrong, my firm is ok. The team itself is nice enough and I have made some friends here – I don’t leave the office wanting to slit my own throat (unless I have spent the day fighting with numerous clueless creditors who don’t understand the words “the company has no assets”). That said both insolvency partners’ interpersonal skills, leave a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to dealing with women. This is a well known fact and the more senior (and more difficult) of them even acknowledges the fact that he is not good with women. Or rather he had a rant about how he hates working with women because they are irrational. I found this slightly hypocritical coming from a man who expects me to collect non existent book debts or squeeze fees out of directors with no assets or income!? He has nothing in common with women apart from (apparently) being human. Hence he is not in a relationship.
Anyway as this is blog about my pregnancy (I can see my sisters’ eyes glazing over as they read this, not to worry bringing that attention back to LD) I will tell you why my office situation is relevant. I haven’t told them I am pregnant yet…I think I may have to soon though. I am beginning to show (a little, don’t get excited) and I am feeling guilty about the lying. Sooo, decided to tell them the week of the 23rd, probably that Tuesday we will have the big reveal and I can guess all hell will break loose. Monday is depressing enough as it is without the drama of people getting mad at me. The aforementioned senior partner actually stated that he preferred to employ men because “women are always going off on maternity leave”.
So next week will be fun.
On a happy note LD has started to move around a lot (punched/kicked me quite hard yesterday). Been less aware of it today but I am sure it’s LD now rather than my bowels reasserting themselves! Feels like pressing on a balloon if I was the balloon. The baby has a routine (at least when I am awake). It starts moving around about an hour after I wake up (I am on the train/tube then) and then stops till about 11. There is some rest then more movement after lunch then just before I leave the office and on the train home and just when I get in to bed. It’s exciting.
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