No matter where you work, you should work toward accumulating a financial base to where you can tell anyone that they can go “F’ yourself”. This takes time, a lifetime in some cases but it can be done.
Don’t spend your raises or bonus’s and funnel your extra money into investments. On raises and bonus’s, put about 10% of that aside to reward yourself but be as frugal as you can be. Now Citi does not make this easy as they are extremely lacking in rewards for a job well done but still this is an achievable goal. Work toward a 1 month pay in liquid cash, then 3 months. Put this amount in a CD at a fixed interest rate. Then work toward 6 months, put this into a CD. Then 9 months, same thing, then a full year same thing. Again this takes time. Once done though, as they mature, you’ll be faced with a decision to cash them in or roll them over. Stagger each CD purchase to where they don’t all mature at once. I get it, I really do. This is not a quick fix, its not a fast turn around and you have to spend money to live. It’s a choice though that’s worth the sacrifice. Max out your 401K always.
Resist the urge to have the latest and greatest Iphone, entertainment center, PC, car….etc. … Work hard toward wealth, not money. Build enough wealth to where you don’t care what Citi does. Enough cash reserves to where if you get let go, its of no significance to your life.
If this is so great and fail safe why am I still working at Citi, you may be thinking. I have a good gig. I’m happy and I get paid. Should Citi ever deem my employment no longer needed, that’s ok too. Should Citi ever do or mandate something that I don’t care for, no issue there, I’ll just walk. Simple as that.
I admit, its not always been that way but like I said, this takes a tremendous amount of time and its exponentially harder to do if you have kids but this is what Citi hinges on. They rely on your desperation, your continued need to have to have this job. The more desperate you are, the more you can be abused and strong armed to work crazy hours with the implied “or else” that’s aways preached. They are masters at telling you several things to enforce this. Key phrases such as “its a bad job market out there” , “better the devil you know”, “other banks operate just like this” and on and on. At times all of this is true, at times only some of it and at times none of it is true.
There are other job sectors to look into you know. Citi would have you believe that this is the only place you can ever work and this is the only place that would ever employ you. It’ll do you no good to ever look anywhere else for a job, this is as good as its ever going to get in your life. This is just not true so don’t buy into it.
Work hard, invest what you can, invest in yourself as well (skillset), be patient, network outside of Citi, take care of your heath and work toward the goal of having enough money to where you walk away anytime you want to.