Well I’m back in the lap of the souless: banking. The bit of paper that says you need to hand over £3k in tuition fees come September is looming large in my bedside drawer so I decided to get back in bed with the devil for a few months. No biggie.
I wasn’t on the familiar trading floor this week and I actually missed some of the perks: the big fuck off plasma screens everywhere showing vital business news, like the World Cup and Wimbledon…
But I digress.
I’ve been in the murky corner of commerce known as IBD or IBK. Which simply means Investment Banking, not very descriptive. I was in the Corporate Finance division (IPO’s: the excitement!) As far away from the trading floor as you can possibly be:
- I actually had my own desk and room to push out both my elbows should I so wish. No more musical “hotdesking”.
- I have one large screen instead four tiny ones.
- I have two nice bosses
It’s been strange working again after being master of my own timetable for six months.
*Setting the alarm, catching the tube, buying a latte every morning*
Come Friday night I actually feel good in having worked. Dear Lord I may be developing a work ethic.
I knew I was ‘at work’ by a number of random events. I saw two people crying on the way to work (both around the City.) One of them was a young guy just near Cheapside; great wracking heavy sobs. Commuters miraculously parted and flowed around him as if he was just a disguarded coffee cup. I feel I did my good samaritan bit by asking him if he was alright: his girlfriend had just dumped him by text message. What a time we live in.
Another City delight is having pinstriped crotches pressed far too close on the tube (yes, I nearly always get a bloody seat by dint of strategy and furbo.) When it’s not crotches in your eyeline it’s armpits as Wunches seem to love to play ‘Carriage Tetris’ every day.
Next week I’m working for the Germans in Equities. The fun just keeps on coming.
June 30th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
He he he, it’s my fault - I gave you a good reference last week when pursued by some pinstriped agency bod by email… sorry buddy! But I knew you needed the dosh
July 1st, 2006 at 10:29 am
Your commute sounds positivley scary! Well done for asking the chap if he was alright though, marks you out as far more civilised than the rest of the crowd, poor fella.
I’d watch out on the work ethic front mind, I’ve heard a bit about them and I’m not entirely sure they’re a good thing. They can have side effects such as sense of achievments and job satisfaction.
July 1st, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Oh my goodness. That poor guy
July 2nd, 2006 at 9:21 am
Thanks lovely Caz you are a star as always. I’ll see if I can bring home any single bankers for you.
Pete and Katja, you’d of done the same. I always seem to see people crying on the way to work - the City does that to you sometimes. The amount of Sunday nights I used to cry because I didn’t want to go back to work on Monday.
July 3rd, 2006 at 9:26 am
Aww - poor bloke. And poor you being back in the City in this weather!