Well there had been a meeting in the office on Saturday evening and the Director asked us to submit choices for assignments in the next calendar year by Tuesday. The deal is that we may not get exactly everything of our liking, but allocations are made looking at preferences. If you remember this November post , my extended stay in City I then had caused me to surrender a plum assignment. Well, this time I was openly asked whether I would want to do it this year, and I turned down the offer outright.
There is so much commitment (time, efforts and strategizing) involved that if I am planning an IVF/ICSI cycle again, there would be an ill-available me at some key points. Anyways, I spoke to my Director yesterday, (in private, behind closed doors) and I let him know that I am likely to take a month off.
(My problem is that I need to travel overnight to a totally different city to meet my RE and there are no appropriate experts available here in G). For IUI or just timed cycles, medical facilities in G are sufficient, but that is not so for advanced fertility treatments.
I have been growing professionally in leaps and bounds….I have added several relevant experiences to my resume, but I seriously need to look at more Coordinatorships now. I have potential, and my Director trusts me, but the prospect of taking time off is putting a spanner in the level of enthusiasm I want to show for office responsibilities.
As of now, Director has promised me assignments that do not have do-this-now-or-else nature.
I guess that when fertiles complain that children are hampering their career, they have not looked at the prospect of TTC contributing a few thorns in the career path.
^WiseGuy^
There is so much commitment (time, efforts and strategizing) involved that if I am planning an IVF/ICSI cycle again, there would be an ill-available me at some key points. Anyways, I spoke to my Director yesterday, (in private, behind closed doors) and I let him know that I am likely to take a month off.
(My problem is that I need to travel overnight to a totally different city to meet my RE and there are no appropriate experts available here in G). For IUI or just timed cycles, medical facilities in G are sufficient, but that is not so for advanced fertility treatments.
I have been growing professionally in leaps and bounds….I have added several relevant experiences to my resume, but I seriously need to look at more Coordinatorships now. I have potential, and my Director trusts me, but the prospect of taking time off is putting a spanner in the level of enthusiasm I want to show for office responsibilities.
As of now, Director has promised me assignments that do not have do-this-now-or-else nature.
I guess that when fertiles complain that children are hampering their career, they have not looked at the prospect of TTC contributing a few thorns in the career path.
^WiseGuy^
The last statement is so true. TTC as an infertile forces you to rearrange your life. I hope your boss continues to be supportive.
ReplyDeleteErica
ICLW
I'm glad your director is suportive of your need to stear away from constrictive timelines. TTC was pretty much the deciding factor in me taking part time hours (4 days) just so I could know that every week I have a day I can devote to the doctors, it sure has helped beign able to mark myself as out during project planning etc and it's helped me stay enthusiastic about professioanl opportunities.
ReplyDelete-ICLW
TTC does make you change things doesn't it - I'm not willing to start any kind of AC until after July (if we even do it) because of career commitments - I just can't be unavailable on random days until after that time. It is so great that your director is willing to send convenient jobs your way - that's considerate.
ReplyDelete:o)
Thanks for visiting my blog! Looks like our story is quite similar.
ReplyDeleteICLW
I wish all bosses could be like that. I took 2 months off from work so we could figure out our problems and see the fertility experts we needed (we had to go to another country!) Im self-employed so that's okay from the boss viewpoint but it means no income and starting back up when I came back home. Who knew the work/family balancing act would start before the kids even arrive?
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Happy ICLW!
Thanks for your comment on my blog! I can relate to your career concerns. I've been staying at my current job, which has little career improvement prospects, because it is easier to schedule appointments, doctors visits, procedures, etc. It sounds like this job is where you need to be, career wise, and that your boss is at least somewhat understanding of your needs and willing to work with you. So that's good, right? :-)
ReplyDeleteso great that you have a supportive boss! ICLW
ReplyDeletehappy ICLW
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the whole career path thing - when I started this job 18 months ago I even politely waited three months so that I could get FMLA in nine months' time when the baby was born - didn't happen. Every career decision seems to be tempered by need to figure out health insurance / possible infertility benefits, timing etc - but I don't have to deal with the geography - which sounds like a right PIA.
Just curious what country you are in - having just read a bit of your blog your language sounds British to me -i.e. spanner?
I am a Brit living in the midwest of USA.
Just curious.
take care and good luck !
I think it's awesome you spoke to your boss about this all. When I was going through all my shit, it helped me tremendously in work guilt when I told my boss outright. He's VERY work oriented but is also very family/health first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Sorry that you also have to share the unexplained diagnosis. You are so right that TTC can definitely hinder your career path. It has effected mine. Glad to see that your boss seems to understand.
ReplyDeleteI sympathize. IF has definitely cramped my career style. I'm glad your boss seems to be understanding.
ReplyDeleteIF is definitely a hinderance in career choices! My bosses are understanding but little do they know as soon as I am pregnant (and deliver), I am out of there! I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog.
*ICLW*
I hope you are able to breath easier with your boss' understanding. Was it very hard to talk to him about it? Hope you're having a great day/evening.
ReplyDelete*HUGS*
Your last statement is so true. IF is definitely a huge hurdle in ones career, I hope everything works out for you!
ReplyDelete~ICLW
yuck, i know, i had to get up at 6am today so i can go to a doctor's appt. BEFORE my normal work day which starts at 9:30am, my re is an hour away. not nearly as bad as what you are describing but disruptive nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by earlier this week!
ReplyDeleteand UGHHH logistics, logistics, logistics. If IF weren't stressful enough, managing the inexact protocol calendars and work obligations can totally put one over the edge. It sounds like you have a supportive director; hopefully this eases things a little for you.
Thanks for visting my blog. Praying for the best.
ReplyDeleteICLW
I think that there is a whole lot of us who can identify with this. I too have made career choices based on my TTC needs. You sound like you are driven and doing a great job of balancing your professional and personal aspirations.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my "blog"
ICLW
Very true. I'm keeping my cycles completely under wraps.
ReplyDeleteWith budget cuts, they are looking for positions to eliminate. Because the Heads have this silly prejudice, if they find out I'm trying to get pregnant, they'll find a reason to eliminate my job. The last thing I need is to lose my job while paying for infertility treatments. I especially don't need a BFN and a pink slip at the same time.
Both my boss, and my boss's boss when through infertility too - so I've been lucky with that. They were super understanding when it came to needing time off. But - it is frustrating to listen to people complain about how hard it is to have babies/work... try being at work all hyped up on hormones, wondering if this $20K resulted in a pregnancy or not? Geez.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last statement wholeheartedly. One of the partners in my firm has a daughter who conceived both her children through IVF (at our RE's clinic, actually), yet I have still been reluctant to tell them about our efforts.
ReplyDeleteIf I keep having to miss work for doctors' appointments every two weeks, I may have to eventually tell the partners why. I'm not quite there yet.
ICLW
I'm glad that you have a director who understands.
ReplyDeleteit seems unfair the sacrifices we have to make. i suppose it will all be worth it if we get the golden goose, but it's hard to think that way now.
ReplyDeleteHello! Just trying to catch up on everyone's blogs! Thanks for the comments and the advice on the water! :) Hoping for good things you way!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteSeems that you need to organise everything around ttc, know the feeling well. Luckily my manager is very supportive and I can also take off whenever I want to see docs etc. It really helps to have an understanding manager. x
It's good to have someone at work who understands. But we do miss so much because of the planning involved in treatments.
ReplyDeleteICLW
You're lucky to have someone at work who helps make it easier. Sometimes, there's not enough understanding....
ReplyDeleteMr. Shelby (from iclw)
What a wonderful kind of assignment! If only I could give myself those kind!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteI am glad your Director is so understanding. And I loved your last statement. So true... (ICLW)
Oh I know!!! I am sooooo lucky that my jerkhead boss was fired and that my interim boss is not only a single mother (not sure if by choice, like me), but she is also 40+ and considering trying as an SMC. Which is to say that she is TOTALLY and AMAZINGLY supportive. If The Jerkhead hadn't been fired, I am sure I'd have lost my job by now for all the time I've taken off - and my RE is in my city!
ReplyDeleteOops, meant to say I'm here for ICLW.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. TTC by choice cost me my job, which was a big arse job, at a big arse firm. Because I made the mistake of trusting my supervising partner.
ReplyDeleteI hope that your director truly understands and this doesn't hamper your career in any way.