Tough Times
I remember my first desk job as a credit analyst. There was a novel feeling to getting dressed, having my own workstation, and even the very idea of working for an honest wage. Fast forward a dozen years later and I'm facing an uncertainty that I never expected to experience in my career: economic crisis and possibly retrenchment. Working for a consultancy firm in the O&G industry was a "glamorous" job back then; we may not get the big bucks as our counterparts do in client companies (the industrial term is "operating companies"), but we get to dip our fingers in a variety of fascinating projects, each with its own set of challenges and new knowledge to savor. I love financial independence: who wouldn't? You need dough to pay the bills, to fuel the car (and fix it), to fill the tummy...I am lucky I found a job that I love and can satisfy my financial needs. It didn't seem possible that the oil price will dip so low but then again, geopoliti