London Socialite Sees The Light

Brightspark87

I think as Joey said above you've answered your own question there... with moving away from London too I found a specialist financial services recruitment agency and only went with them. I was very specific about what I wanted ( a small well established firm with the ability to move up in the future) as I want to become a director and wanted a smaller firm so I could have more say in the way things were done rather than just being a number. They did a fab job, got me the interviews I wanted, the salary range etc so worth while.

Your bosses shouldn't push pressure on your to do things against your ethics - you worked so hard to get there and a good company should understand your name and reputation is your future so you will not compromise it for people to get bonuses! Good luck x

sugarcube84

Nothing is worth compromising your own integrity and ethics, I was in a similar situation (I'm a chartered Quantity Surveyor) and it got to the point where it had the potential to damage my reputation and credibility so despite only being in the job 9 months I handed in my notice. Looking back I was unbelievably stressed during my time there, it got to the point that it was a form of bullying and it was 100% the right decision for my career, my family and my health. Good luck whatever you decide

LondonGirl252

Thank you all for your words of support it really helps! The decision is made and I will take my time to work out my next move... I have a call with a finance only recruitment agency later today to discuss my options and the state of the current market. I have never handed in a notice before without a job to go to but I am on 3 months so I may have to this time as I know its more of a London thing to put accountants on longer notice periods, however although this will be stressful I have discussed with M and he and I will be able to manage if I had a small gap between work and if i was still struggling I could contract for a bit. It will be interesting to see what he says and I will report back!


I do feel a sense of loyalty here and I know it won't go down well when I report of my intentions - despite being here a year I know they want some one to stay longer - so my plan is to get an idea of what is out there and potential time-frames for moving then I can have a chat with my boss and let him know that I have decided to move work out of london but also I am going to advise him that I don't believe the current structure of the team is right and he should hire a full time management accountant and a part time finance director rather than have a full time financial controller, that way they have the experience within the business to advise confidently on matters which I don't have experience in. Then it is up to them how they recruit!


Also, one thing I haven't mentioned yet that is looking more of a concern is the business performance. I'm currently working with the sales team to put together a revenue projection for the next 12-15 months, it looks bad in my meeting next week where I will present the first draft I will have to advise the business will run out of money very quickly unless sales improve dramatically, so probably not a bad idea for me to be protecting myself in this way!


SO pleased it is Friday!


Tonight we are having a nandos date (my turn to pay) then tomorrow we are heading up to see my family for my remaining grandmothers birthday meal and on Sunday when we return M's parents are coming over to see my flat - yes it has taken them over 4 months to pay us a visit!


Health wise it is all going well! I have lost 2.4kgs (6lb) this week which I am delighted about, walking lots is helping no end!


Hope you all have fab weekends xxx

lulabelle

hey LG, sorry not posted for a while but just caught up on your diary.

As per the others, I think you've answered your own question. If they are making you feel uncomfortable with what you are doing and it is going against your moral compass then I think you need to leave. Sadly, when the "powers that be" decide they are going to do something "their way", there is very little chance of convincing them otherwise. Not to mention what would happen if it comes back to bite them on the @rse (because it sounds to me like a manipulation of the accounts which is either likely to be illegal or against some sort of professional rules) - they might try to blame you and say you advised them to do it or something.

Don't want to scare you, just my background as a litigator makes me very suspicious and cautious of others! If I were you, even if you are leaving, I'd make some notes at home (write date and time on them and a heading "this is a contemporaneous note written on x date") of what has been said - just in case. Hope that doesn't scare you.xx

Add onto that the fact that you feel the commute is leaving you and M no time and it seems to be a no-brainer. A girl (who used to be a really close friend when i lived in london, we were at uni together and live together) I know (we are still in touch but just not as much) who was an accountant at a small firm has set up freelance. Think it came from a client asking her to do some work for them initially but she has since gained other work. If you like PM me and I can try to put you in touch - she might be able to help or if not, at least give you some advice.

Hope you enjoyed nandos - well jell, I LOVE their sweet potato fries!!! xx

lionheartedgirl

Hi LG, just a quick note to say hello and to offer some support. I have the same qualifications as you, a bit further along the road though.

What your superiors are wanting to do is shady to say the least, could go very wrong and you probably know about the Tesco thing that blew up a while ago. It was exactly the same scenario. I think you need to be planning your exit sooner rather than later.

Might be worth making the point either verbally or on email that your job is to carry out their instructions but that you do not agree with the course of action (if you can take the potential heat that may arise). If they got rid of you as a result, they'd have to pay you your notice anyway and they would probably do it by letting you 'resign' so it wouldn't affect future prospects. Don't forget there are various whistleblower things in operation too.

I'm in a not unrelated situation at the moment, some of what is going on is really bad and not only is it making me ill and stressed beyond belief, it is not right. As you say, it's not what I got into the job to do.

Great that you're thinking of other options, either part time or further out. I lasted 9 months commuting into central London, never again. This was through one of the hottest summers on record and on the Central Line after a 70 minute train journey into the city. I wanted to try it to see, I'm glad I did but as a result I know it's just not for me.

Thinking of you and sending love and support to you. X

Brightspark87

Hi LG

I had a 3 month notice period and I had to work every single day of it. New firm were away but prepared to wait - but would have been happy if I started sooner. It all worked out well in the end. However, DH didnt have a job and we only had 3 months to find him one! He ended up with 3 job offers. So both sides of the coin really.

Sorry to hear that you are having to have these meetings - with the poor sales figures good luck xx

Brightspark87

Hi LG just popping in to say hello and hope all is well x

greensalad

LondonGirl252 wrote: »

In the evening its the same in reverse and frequently the train home is delayed meaning my time with M is cut ever short, I get home grumpy and tired then we cook and fall into bed.
I guess over the last month and particularly the last couple of weeks I'm getting worried that my commute is affecting mine and M's relationship. Mon-Fri we just seem to get through the week as best we can and it doesn't feel like we have much quality time together.
Or is this just how it is when you live with a partner, am I expecting too much?

I'm in a very similar place to you. I work in London, so does my partner, but we commute at different times. The train is a nightmare, I never get a seat. Luckily I get a bus from Waterloo at the moment so no tube to deal with but when I did that it was hell.

I think it is just adult life to be honest, at least if you want to work in London. You've got to accept that you're gonna be tired when you get in from the city.

I'd say a few things that help are making a genuine effort in the evenings to chill out together. Get home at 7, promptly cook dinner together, eat together at the dining table, do a blitz of the housework together (we do a 10 minute today every night, put the cooker timer on and go as fast as we can - you'll have the place tidy in less than 10 after a week of this), and once all that's done it's maybe 8pm. Now chill out together. Watch a film, play a boardgame, drink some wine and chat. Maybe you won't want to do that every night but make an effort to step away from the phone or the computer and sit down together. Eating at a dining table really really helps. When I first moved in with my partner we always ate at the dining table but slipped into telly dinners and it's definitely made our evenings worse. We've just ordered a new dining table and are getting excited about no-TV dining again!

Also, weekends seem to go quicker when you do nothing, I find. So plan to do at least one thing a weekend. Whether that's go to the pub, or have bacon sandwiches in the garden / on a flat balcony, or even something silly like "let's drive to a village out of town and have a cup of tea". Things that only take a few hours (or less) but get you out of the house.

joeyjimbles

Hope you're ok LG and silence is just because you are plotting your escape! I did the London commute too but seem to have had a much easier time of it since I only had the tube to contend with and I lived near two different stations so usually could get a seat on the way in at least.
Just wanted to shake the pom-poms for you and hope its all going well.

LondonGirl252

Hi everyone,


Sorry I went a bit quiet, had a busy week last week with month end and didn't really get chance to stop for lunch to write back. Thank you all so much for your messages it has helped a LOT.


I covered my back with the revenue situation as per advice given above (thank you Lullabelle and lionhearted girl) but now it's a similar situation again this month, I tried to stand up for myself yesterday but was dismissed - once "they" decide they want to do something here that really is it, I will make sure I am covered again and will keep my advice in emails so it shows I advised the correct action.


In terms of new recruitment, I have been put forward for one role and will find out next week if they want to interview me and I have applied for a position at a major retailer but I have a feeling I won't hear back from that one as they usually get filled internally in past experience - worth an application though!


I will try contacting a few more local finance recruiters this week to see what else is out there.


Lullabelle - thanks so much for your offer of putting me in touch with your friend, I will think about it and drop you a PM in a few days fingers crossed.


Green salad - I loved your advice about the evening plans and we put it into plan yesterday and had a lovely evening so, thank you.


Unfortunatley I had the journey from hell this morning and arrived to work late and stressed!


I have a 1-2-1 with my boss this afternoon and I am contemplating bringing up how difficult I am finding everything commute wise so that he has the chance so offer any more flexibility he is comforatable with but also so if I do resign soon that I had approached him about it before taking action to leave. I know I shouldn't be overlly loyal to a firm but I do feel like I should at least speak to him about these problems before telling him i want to leave? What do you guys think?


I am working from home tomorrow and Friday which I am looking forward to a LOT! Although it is so I can have a 24 hour blood pressure monitor fitted and done. The last few times I have gone to get my prescription she has been worried about my blood pressure... so this time she refused my prescription and made me change it to a lower does (which seems OK so far, no horrid effects just yet) and she wants to see if changing that will lower my blood pressure or if there is something else. Personally I think it will still be high as I struggle to let myself relax over my journey and results in stress throughout the day. I was almost in tears as I walked from the station to the office this morning.


Thanks for all the pom poms and support, you guys are my rock!


I will take some serious job hunting action the rest of this week and over the weekend and keep you updated.


Over wise stuff is fine, weight is slowly coming down, I'm managing to keep to budget and save a little each month which is good, in the evenings I am trying new recipes and stuff which I enjoy and they're all Slimming World recipes so i know they're healthy too.


Anyway, back to work now.


Have a good day all
LG x