CityGirl : Blog

Friday 30th November, 2007 posted by City Girl

Even in these times of sub-prime uncertainty, a silver lining has emerged. And after last week's Thanksgiving-thinned, volatile trading, the lining is shining more brightly than ever.

Yes, the New York business trip has a new twist, as everyone clamours to find an excuse to hotfoot it across the Pond with the intention of snapping up cut-price luxury items. As the dollar plummets to an all-time low against the pound, it means that Christmas really has come early in my office.

Unfortunately, the frugal finance manager, deciding we’d done our bit to boost the US economy, put the stoppers on any further business trips to the land of the cheap. Fortunately for me, a prestigious client insisted that I attend his Thanksgiving soiree in New York last week and as my boss is keen to squeeze

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City Girl

Friday 23rd November, 2007 posted by City Girl

What's worse than a poke in the eye? A poke from your boss. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just wish it had been later, like after the end of January when my bonus money should be safely clutched in my offshore account.

But no, she had to go and ruin everything. My boss, that is. She's only gone and asked me to be her "friend" on Facebook.

Now, this poses all kinds of dilemmas. Do I accept the invite and make her privy to potentially damaging inside information on the state of – or lack of – my social life?

I have only three friends on the damn thing, because the rest are busy living their real lives.

Or do I pretend that I haven't seen it and run the risk of denting her already fragile ego? Choose this, and I risk fast-tracking myself to the g

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City Girl

Friday 16th November, 2007 posted by City Girl

She who dares, wins shoes – as I found out this week. The training manager decided that it would be a good idea if the team managers did their bit to improve the bank's level of customer service. My task was to "listen in" on calls to the customer relationship management team, and report back on the level of performance.

The first call involved a young girly in the team bitching to her mate about the "major" decision of having to choose her meal now for our Christmas party. After 27 minutes of deliberation, she proclaimed: "It's impossible. How am I supposed to know what diet I'll be on then?"

Next was some old duffer private banker calling to discuss his client's investments. He didn't know the answers to the security questions and ended up ranting. He was shouting so loudly, the tea

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City Girl

Friday 9th November, 2007 posted by City Girl

There's a Mark Twain quote, “The lack of money is the root of all evils.” So with this in mind, myself and a small group of colleagues have decided to take measures into our own hands. You see, it's that time of year again – the feedback fiasco. We are all being asked to give feedback about each other on the “360-degree” forms. Only with this year's climate of uncertainty, the stakes are higher.

I've already been told to apply “sensible economic constraints” when deciding on my team's bonus amounts. It's just a shame they don't know that, as the sudden rise in invitations to alcopop dumps like All Bar One and Tiger Tiger is starting to grate.

To ensure that we aren't the beggars at the feast come the end of January, me and my management colleagues have decided to replace the “constructi

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City Girl

Friday 2nd November, 2007 posted by City Girl

With the rumoured 16 per cent drop in bonus payments, pandemonium is reigning. Already I've heard a colleague telling her house husband that the Sunseeker Predator 108 yacht she'd promised him, at £4.2 million, may have to be forfeited. He's now screening her calls in favour of family days out with the nanny.

To make matters worse, the directors are insulting those of us expecting a reduced bonus by squandering company cash on some fantastically useless, not to mention impractical, things.

First up, they've swathed the office floor in a new deep-pile cream carpet (though, on a positive note, I can cancel my gym membership, such is the effort required to get my heels out of the goddamn thing).

To cap it all, there seems to be a move to force us to wear indoor shoes – just li

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