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Tough choices - for career and family

A corporate finance manager highlights the dilemma faced by many employees (reprinted from Jubilee News)

Paul, a corporate finance manager, highlights a dilemma faced by thousands of employees in the UK.

Although I had worked for the same firm of accountants since graduating some six years ago, I had become aware that there might be good opportunities for me to further my corporate finance career in a larger firm.

During the summer of 1999 I was approached by one of the 'Big Five' accountancy firms who were keen to recruit me into a newly-formed technology group, based in their regional office. I had recently gained valuable expertise in that area and was keen to pursue my interests, although I was aware that the working environment might be very different to the relatively small and friendly office I was used to. I was also concerned that this new job opportunity might threaten the time I had for my 18 month-old son and my wife, who was expecting our second child soon.

I prayed about this job with these factors in mind, and decided that I needed to ensure that my prospective employer would be willing to accommodate my set of priorities.

I was offered the job during the first interview which was very flattering, and the pay and prospects were also very appealing. I was assured there were other working parents in the department, and that I would be able to do the job well without it affecting my family commitments. I decided to talk to some other members of the department about the frequency of travelling, the type of work and what commitments they had outside of work.

The feedback was encouraging and having negotiated my salary to a high basic salary but with no overtime pay (I was told that overtime need not be a regular occurrence for me!) I accepted the position, starting in the New Year.

The following events led me to realise that the firm, while flexible about my pay and benefits, had either completely ignored my personal priorities, or were unwilling to change their working practices to accommodate me:

* on my first day I was told to cancel my induction courses and fly to Stuttgart the following morning for the rest of the week.

* my reputation as a 'family man' had preceded me, so the department decided that it would be easier for me if I did office-based work rather than the specialised corporate finance work I had been recruited to do, and

* on reminding the department of my intended role, I was told that I could do this, but that most of the work was controlled from London, and that it would involve a significant amount of travelling and working away from home.

I clearly had a choice to make, either to sacrifice my family priorities, but accept the dream career being offered to me, or to sacrifice my career aspirations so as to maintain my home life as best I could.

I am pleased to say that by God's grace I was able to choose a third option, which was to leave my new employer after just three days, and return to my previous employer, who welcomed me back with open arms, clearly demonstrating to me their set of relational values!

Reprinted with permission from Jubilee News.