dbd33

I'm with cheeky_monkey. All day I hear how Quinton and Joycelyn lead their class in this and that, are enrolled in elite hockey summer school, advanced math summer school and are learning to fly when not at the yacht. Last winter one kid failed to get an A at something causing umpteen anguished phone calls on the firm's time.

OK, I too see school as being competitive and tend to live vicariously through the achievements of my children, I was delighted to hear that one's now a member of a Tower Hamlets' boxing club, but the people around me are talking about 10 year olds. They're as likely to burn their kids out as to hype them into Harvard.

lmartin999

Make it Canadian and ask them to bring their own. And take their shoes off.

AllyS

Interesting comment dbd33 about parents being so ambitious for their children here.

I have noticed that since I started working in oil & gas in Calgary, people in their late 20's, early 30's are in senior positions ALREADY.

Coming from the UK, I think that we are held back more, we don't progress as much. Over here, they are encouraged more, pushed more into moving up the career ladder.

I think that this attitude is instilled in children - suceed, suceed, suceed....be the best, make it on to every team etc.

cheeky_monkey

i think its just more competitive in the UK..and i find the UK workforce more skilled than here...maybe thats why it is easier to rise the scale quicker here than back home.

dbd33

Presumably they're the children of the senior management. Networking is, after all, so important here.

iaink

Or perhaps in a cut throat business like Oil, people are promoted more on merit and getting the job done, rather than holding a desk down for sufficient time?

dbd33

I thought Canada didn't have cut throat, dog-eat-dog, workplaces. At least it didn't on the last thread I saw.

AllyS

What I have gleaned from reading the history books and talking to people is:-

As an O&G town, Calgary has weathered several boom and bust periods since oil was first discovered here in 1910.

Everything hinges on the price of the barrell of oil and demand.

So, its a survival thing, network all you can until the next bust period and someone might help you out in finding work when many others are losing their jobs.

JonboyE

I am disappointed. I was led to believe you fired people for even thinking about having a family that might distract them from 24 hours a day servitude.

dbd33

Oh! This is at a client's site. I can't fire people here, just give them a nudge. I certainly don't think I should have to know whether or not people working for us have bred, that's not a matter of interest in the workplace. I accept that people do and, while it's not really very professional, it's not something I would act on unless it interfered with work. Don't ask, don't tell, as they say.

el_richo

I disagree. It occurs in both the UK and Canada. It's not a country thing, it's a parental/individual thing that occurs the world over. Some do and some don't. Simples.

Joe_Sleepy

A quick temporary fix would be to ask relatives in the UK to scour charity shops for "lifestyle" magazines from the mid 1980s & post them to you...

Just take all of your fashion tips from the style section (All still readily available in Canada), your health tips from the health section, pick dinner party menus from the recipes on offer & espouse the opinions in any of the editorial or feature sections whilst in conversation with a cradle... Et voilà!

Almost Canadian

I have a number of clients that are very highly paid in the Oil and Gas business. Clever/switched on they are not. I have no idea how they got where they are

iaink

If you ever find out let me know

AllyS

Let me guess, they got there because of who they know! Also, O&G is much higher paid than any other sector here with the exception of financial/accounting and legal.