Originally Posted by whizzard

My journey through retrenchment - Part 2

Besides my family, my close friends were a great source of emotional support. They made sure that I was included in social events. They were sensitive and allowed me to pick up the tab on rare occasions whilst they racked up excuses to pick up more than their fair share of the tab. They would discuss ideas and options with me but never to press them upon me. Those who were too busy found time to send me email and some alerted me to opportunities that came their way. Inevitably, there were the few who faded away. Times of crisis can be very telling. You know who your true friends are.

As I entered February after the Chinese New Year festivities, the headhunter whom I had worked with in the past called me with an opportunity at a foreign financial institution. It was for a less senior position but I told her I was game to find out more. She arranged for an interview the next day and I went in with no expectations other than to find out more about the opportunity. I dropped my interviewers an email to thank them for the meeting. Within a week, my headhunter called me to say that the bank had seen 8 other candidates and I was the only candidate shortlisted for the final interview. I had to meet with their Asia Pacific boss after which they would decide. I was excited and told her that I would be happy to do so. She asked me to send over my previous pay details so that she could do the necessary administrative work in the event I was accepted. I met up with the senior executive the same evening and dropped him an email thanking him for spending his valuable time to meet with me. The next day, she called me with the good news that they were offering me the position and that I would be starting work in April. We went through the perfunctory discussion to finalise the pay and benefits.

I quickly realized that I would have to accelerate all the things that I earlier thought I had plenty of time to pursue. However, what came to my mind upper most was to summarise this anecdotal journey that I had experienced into a note hopefully to serve as an encouragement and source of hope for all those out there who are still engaged in a somewhat similar journey. Take heart, stay positive, live life, persevere and don’t put undue pressure on yourself. The night is always darkest the hour just before dawn - but not everyone makes it through the night. Stay positive and draw support from your family, friends and from your religion. Persevere but keep positive and you will find your light at the end of the tunnel. During the journey, it is difficult to see the light sometimes but I always like to believe that there’s always a happy ending in any story and I would like to wish everyone the best of luck and that I am sure each of us will find their own happy endings.