19 posts tagged “work”

The mob I wrote about yesterday sent me their contract today. The quoted dollar amount includes superannuation, which strips away just over $5k/annum, making the disposable income after tax untenable. I rang them, stated a case and was promised an answer later today. In the meantime, I had a call from another lead on the Sunshine Coast, answering an application I'd made yesterday. The man wants someone to fill a role which I'm well and truly suited for. In fact, it would most likely be a better job, per se, than the one I thought I already had. I've lived and worked on the Sunshine Coast and it's pure heaven. The business environment is lively and energetic as well. Albeit, that was some 16 years ago.

Thing is, such a move would mean the wife would be living here, in Brisbane, while I live & work on the coast. During the week anyway. Effectively, her DSP would increase markedly because we'd be 'separated' in terms of the current welfare regime. Naturally, I'd be paying rent and food while away, which would practically zero out the increased pension benefit based on the salary I'm assuming is on offer. Perhaps I'm wrong. I hope so. I'll find out more detail on Thursday.

A half hour ago I had a call from the first employer, the one I wrote about yesterday, to say that they're agreeable to the base PLUS super, which gives me the disposable income after tax I need to make all the sums work. Not luxuriously mind you, but minimally. The mortgage gets paid, which is the prime concern. Now here's the quandary, and we're not taking megabucks here either. Do I opt for a position on the Sunshine Coast, providing it pays a minimum $5k more than the one in Brisbane, or settle for the one in Brisbane, which is still less than what I was being paid in my last role. There's fuel involved, rent, food, all of which would easily decimate any benefit from an increased Disability Support Pension because we're 'separated'. Yes, I know there will be those who'll say we're ripping off the system, but I'd refute that. I'd be working to support two people, living away from home and hearth to do so and at the end of the day, certainly not profiting to any degree.

I'll know more on Thursday evening. Stay tuned for the next exciting episode from Casa Confusion.

Well, I have a job. It's not the job I wanted, and it pays less than I wanted, but at least the house will be safe. For a while. The budgeting will have to be tightly handled as I'll be getting paid monthly, which frankly I find obscene & obsolete in the current age.

I'm seriously shattered, especially given that I still have three irons in the fire which look like taking time to come off. If they come off. Any of the three would be great roles and easily what I'm after. Each would pay slightly more as well, which is always good. Thing is, how long does one hang out on the off-chance that best wishes and desires will actually come to fruition? Bird-in-the-hand stuff, I guess.

I'm seriously tired of this constant battle. I feel the weight tremendously. I hope this position actually becomes something that I fear it's not right now. No challenge, but at least it's an income.

Yesterday wasn't very pretty for me. I've been foolish enough to let my job get the better of me. It's an extremely frustrating, angsty position, having to answer to two bosses. One doesn't understand credit risk, the other is constantly trying to second-guess the first. One holds the purse strings on what we lend and to whom, so while he wouldn't know real credit risk if it bit his arse, ultimately, he calls the tune.

After getting through the day with a little self-medication from the micro-brewery in the shed up the backyard, plus three or four relaxing cigarettes, I managed to get back to work today. It's as well that I did, because of the seven job applications I made yesterday, one called me. One of the better employers and a position I'd be very happy in. A position with responsibility, autonomy and delegated authority. A major regional bank.

Long & short.........I have an interview next Tuesday. Apparently the head of the division is already quite impressed with my CV, so going up against two other candidates doesn't really phase me. The fact that I worked for the bank almost two years ago as a Lending Manager for one of their franchisees will stand me in good stead as well. Here's touching wood!

I made a decision this afternoon. It's time yet again to change jobs. There was a time, frustrations included, that a job was just that. A job. You rolled up in the morning & pissed off in the evening. What happened in between - good, bad or indifferent - was all a part of the glories of working for someone else. These days there are no glories. There's only endless frustration and dissatisfaction. At this stage in my career, and my life, the last thing I need is to be dissatisfied with working at what I honestly do enjoy doing.

I'm a lender. I'm very comfortable with making commercial decisions and living by them. I'm not a collector of bits of paper which are little or no relevance to the actual risk of the proposal in question. How much someone paid for a development property is irrelevant. What is relevant is what's it worth NOW! It's irrelevant to be concerned with how the property was purchased, and who borrowed what from whom to settle the purchase. What's relevant is who owes what to whom NOW! What's relevant is the risk. How much do they want, what's the collateral worth, when will they pay me back and exactly how. Are the credit records clean and what's the purpose of the deal? There's a whole lot of aspects to be considered, but terminology used in a written submission, how detailed or succinct that submission might be, and whether every probability involved with a potential future default is outlined, detailed exhaustively and mitigated before an approval is granted, is NOT a part of a proper commercial decision. A proper commercial decision is based in the gut of the lender.

Is this a good deal? Is the purpose right? Is the loan-to-valuation percentage within acceptable bounds in comparison to the overall risk? Are the borrowers a sound credit risk from a historical perspective? Are the exit strategies realisable? Do we have the minimum required signed paperwork in accordance with legislative requirements? Does the deal 'feel' right? If the answers are all yes, then you do the deal. You don't 'uhmm' and 'aah', and ask for this bit of paper or that balance sheet. You take the necessaries to confirm the gut feel and then you sign off.

It's really very simple. I simply fail to understand, nor tolerate, those who want to make a production of it.

Like the one-off wins one has in life.

Remember the other day I identified my "take no prisoners" personality trait as perhaps needing a little buffing up? Well, it exercised itself today in a dangerous manner.

My boss and I we're vigorously 'debating' the rights and wrongs of a particular approach to credit analysis on a particular deal. I disagreed with his position and he disagreed with mine, but the crowning glory was his statement that "well, you can argue with me all you like, but I'm right". Red rag to a bull. My response?

"Yes, well, you're always right, Philip" Fuck! Too late, it was out. Once those words form and pass your lips, there's no going back. As I said, I don't regard that part of my personality as a liability. It's there and not much I can do about it. I've carried it 50 years now, and dammit.....why should I tolerate arrogant idiots? Why should anyone?

His response? "In that case, I'll take the file back and you should consider your future here"  Oh yes....I should point out that I don't come off probation until 10 March.

So......I did consider my future. Had a smoke while doing so and decided that if he doesn't want my help in his business, then he should come right out and say so. I decided to ask that precise question. I came back into the office to be greeted with, "Look, can we start again?" and a hand offered in, if not friendship, at least the spirit of conciliation. I took his hand and said, "Surely"  We're now back on an even relationship. I seriously doubt his pedantic 'always right' attitudes will change because he's my age, my experience level and doubtless of a similar makeup from a personality perspective. I know I'm a much more relaxed individual, but then, I'm not in business for myself either. I just roll up, do my thing and piss off home. I like it that way. I also like......nay, require...... a little respect as a 35 year finance professional. I have opinions and I expect to be allowed to express them without retribution. I'm a professional or at least try hard to be. If we can all operate on the same basis, I'm sure things will work out.

Yes, it IS the little things in life that make it all worthwhile. The little victories, even if it does take a minor infarction to get there.

Have you ever had a job where you couldn't actually 'do' anything until someone else did what they had to do? I'm in one right now. Yes, I know, I've raved about the advances happening in the establishment of this finance brokerage thingo I'm setting up, but it seems those advances are the singularly brilliant flashes of activity in the pitch blackness which is the seemingly interminable periods of total inactivity.

Last week, our aggregator declared that they wouldn't wait for our last accreditation, but would proceed with their paperwork. That won't be available until Wednesday. Our funders won't accredit us until the aggregator accredits us, and they won't finalise anything until the industry body accredits us, which won't happen until next Monday at the earliest! **SIGH**

I'm not one for inactivity and boredom really drags me down. I've done all I can do in preparation for the real launch, which can't happen this week, and may not happen before the end of next week! FUCK!

Maybe June will see me so busy with proposals from our dealership and referrals from my sources that I won't be able to scratch. I'd prefer that to all this sitting around and playing solitaire.

I'm Excited!!  Just received an email from our aggregator, the central body which arranges liasons between finance brokers and lending institutions, that we are to receive immediate accreditation!!  Yes indeedy, I'm excited!

After six of the longest, most boring and frustrating weeks of my 35 year finance career, I am now on the verge of going live to a dealership network of some 40 franchises, plus whatever business I can derive from my own resources.

Yeh, yeh........I know that rave above means bugger all to anyone besides me, but I just had to tell somebody.

Rather than try to translate moveable type to Vox, I'll simply direct you, reader, to the these entries on 'the other place'. Australians' will probably identify better with the local issues, but I think it might be worth a read by anyone whose been away on a business jaunt organised by someone else. 

I'm off on a business related trip next week - in fact, tomorrow morning - for five days jaunting across South Eastern Australia. I fly from Brisbane to Melbourne, where four of us meet up with our National Sales Manager who's been away in Western Australia & South Australia for the past fortnight. We pile into a Ford Territory for the journey to our first dealers conference in Shepperton, Victoria. Why Shepperton escapes me, but apparently it's central to those dealerships in central western New South Wales and Victoria. Tuesday we meet and greet, launch the finance arm of the business, of which I'm principal. Should be interesting. I've been to a few product launches in my time, but have never been the one smashing the proverbial bottle of champers over the bow, so to speak. Apparently these conference do's are all very laid-back and low-key so I'm looking forward to into-ing myself and my job to all concerned. The preparation has been a month in the creation, and I'm as confident of my readiness as I've ever been with any new launch. It should be an easy platform because the dealers are all small business franchisees in the in-ground fibreglass swimming pool industry, and know two-fifth's of three-eight's of sweet fuck all about the finance game. Putty in my hands might be a time-worn analogy, but in this case, it's very apt.

After Tuesday's launch, we pack up Wednesday morning, pile into the Territory once again and head off cross country to Newcastle, capital of the Hunter Valley wine and coal region of New South Wales. This is some drive! 880 klicks and 10.5 hours in duration. I don't expect we'll be doing a whole lot of sight-seeing or wine-tasting. After overnighting where-ever we're supposed to be staying in Newcastle, it's a repeat of the finance launch in Newcastle on Thursday with the usual shoulder-rubbing and bullshit-spruiking before imbibing that night away, undoubtedly, as we fly home around midday the following day, Friday, no doubt frazzled at the edges.

As well prepared as I am, I'm treating the entire jaunt as a work junket. I know my stuff and delivery in a public forum isn't anything new. The big thrill for me is getting to fly again. Twice! It's been years since I last sat in a big metal bird and felt that rush as powerful engines push into your back and hurl you at several hundred knots high into the sky. I'm excited just thinking about it. I have one of my digital cameras packed together with the laptop, and the video cam will be going on-board with me. Rabble has arranged dial-up internet access for me while I'm away, so look forward to a few shots at random and maybe even a smattering of video footage as the days pass. I'm hoping to have some time to myself in the evenings when I can chat with Rabble via IM and process the odd photo and video, but I'm also totally unaware of what social aspects there are to this kind of trip. Time will tell, but here's hoping anyway.

You might see me here in the next week, and you might not, but rest assured, I'll be having an absolute ball.