Letters from NYC

My last days in Purgatory

My internment in Purgatory has ended! However, not without a warning from former boss that if they needed me they would call me. I informed my prison guard that I'll be in and out of training for the first few weeks, but that I would definitely return her calls as soon as I returned to the office (READ: NOT!!!!)

Her response: if she couldn't get me at the office she would call me at home. (Heh, I have caller ID Lady!) Under normal circumstances I'd cooperate and make the new person's transition smoother, but knowing that the new person was extended an offer before I even returned to work or found another position pissed me off.

What made me angrier? Knowing my replacement is getting less resposibilities, no projects and $15K more than I did. So for the week I smiled, I endured, and complied with her demands, being that she's the #4 woman in a global company of 60,000. For the remainder of the week I worked my old schedule of 13 to 18 hr days while enduring the meanest, most passive/aggressive behavior from some of my immediate coworkers. As far as I'm concerned, my loyalty ended when I left last night.

Since I believe in Karmic retribution I already know that she and the others will pay for how awfully I was treated these past 2 weeks. To start with I found out that not only is her secretary leaving at the end of next week, the person she hired to replace her Secy (and who'll absorb a few of my duties) doesn't now the Microsoft Outlook/Exchange Server programs. The person she hired to replace me has not used a PC in 5 years as she's been teaching art to little kids and using a Mac during that time. I know she's not prepared for the cutthroat, fast paced, demanding, "market-driven" pace of investment banking.

I can see the crashing and burning way into the future. The smoldering fires of what's to come when research has to be done on when, who and what were the last terms of a bifurcated swap. I would love to be a fly on the wall for that moment. If either woman lasts more than 3 months it will be a miracle. I did get an insult of an offer (as it would mean a demotion) if I wanted to stay; but as far as I'm concerned it's a little too little, and it comes way too late in the game. I had a football analogy of a 3rd down... but I'll spare you.

As for me, things started turning way around when I called a friend and spent over an hour lauging my head off and when I activated my new beloved Treo650. As of this morning, life has finally and definitely turned the corner!

Mellower, happier posts are soon to come.

Posted by Michele at June 25, 2005 09:11 AM | TrackBack