Boat Shmoat, We're Going to Paris - Part 3

Meanwhile at the company, I was working on initiatives with the president of clinical research, Dr. S, to streamline and shorten our drug development processes from first in man to marketing. Dr. S had created a group of his vice presidents to work on different strategic aspects of the processes. For example, one process was writing the final study report which actually can begin the day the protocol is final by slipping that content into the report to create a shell report. Then, key data could be entered as they became available and the draft would be updated. In the past, nothing would be done until the final data were available. I know, now all of you are bored. Anyhow it was pretty exciting for me, because it was very high profile to be working with all of these high level executives. I would be using the company helicopter and jet, and there is nothing to compare to rushing to and from executive airports with a vice president on his cell phone. Picture me in my best suit with short skirt, designer shoes, matching jewelry, striding about, feeling important. That’s me; the jetsetter. I had to travel to New Jersey once a week. I worked closely with a half a dozen vice presidents on high visibility projects and got along with all of them very well. It was like being high.

I also worked closely with the marketing folks who were all in New Jersey. The lead person there was Roslyn, an executive director. I just loved her. We worked together on streamlining the juncture between marketing and research. Through this project I really learned a lot about marketing. I wrote a script for a production that we put on that later took me to Singapore. Those marketing folks sure do know how to spend money.

Through all of this, I was still looking for my next career move. My annual review with Dr. S was coming up and I looking forward to hearing what he could do for me. But, unfortunately I was unprepared for what he told me.

After all the required niceties, he said, “Sue, I will never promote you or give you a raise, but I really appreciate your hard work.” He grinned ear to ear.

I was shell shocked as his words echoed in my ears. I smiled back, we shook hands and I left. I fell apart on the train ride back. How could he be so cold? I guess I was on my own. When I got back to my office I called Roslyn. She offered me a job, but I would have to move to New Jersey. I politely declined since I didn’t want to move there.

So, I started looking at the in-house job postings. Then I found the perfect one. It was for a senior manager of clinical initiatives in Europe and read: full knowledge of clinical initiatives required, willingness to travel across the EU, gets along well with all levels of management, reports to vice president of Europe. It would be at the next level higher, a small promotion. I was uberstoked! The vice president of Europe was Dr. A, who I knew and had worked with, and she was LOCATED IN PARIS! I was sure to get this job, I was perfect for it. I could not think of anyone else who could compete with me for it.

I had electronic copies of my resume ready for just such an occasion, so I completed the electronic application for the job, attached my resume and sent it all in thereby applying for the job in PARIS! Then I thought, holy shit! I haven’t asked Sean. What about the boat we just bought? Sean loves that thing. It is his dream come true. What if he says no? So, I worried about that all the way driving home.