The plan, part 1 - The job

The grand plan. The job.

Leave University, move into the Management Training Scheme at a well known International media company at the age of 22.
Join the management team at 24.
Senior Management at 26.
MD at 28 of the UK arm.
Enjoy that for a 5 year contract.
Then move to Vice President of either the European arm or any other continental division of said company. Enjoy that for 5 years.
At 38, I am highly successful.

The grand pubar. The reality.

Leave University, find that the recession has hit and the MTS that was offered to me with a fast track into Management is no longer there. Try to get in to that firm and find that every job is either way too junior (Post Boy) or way too senior (need to be 30 and highly experienced).
Apply to loads of places and ultimately end up working for their competitors.
Stay there for 3 years in a job that is highly important, badly paid and despite really liking the Boss at the time, discover that it could never amount to a senior job or a decent salary.
Apply for a job as a manager in a discipline I can do but don't actually get fired up about.
Find out on first day that working hours are not the contracted 9 to 6 but a realistic 8 to 8 plus half of Saturday.
Hated the Boss. Found something out about him that could have got him sacked. 24 hours later I was paid out of my contract.
Did a SQL contracting job. Tedious, boring and not for me.
Joined a media company. Still there over 9 years later. Still a Manager.
Now 35.

Oops.