Greetings! My name is… Though, it is completely not important, I will begin in another way. Hello! I have a secret: I have got used to be a poet. Do not worry, now I am not simply a poet – now I have MBA. Very long time ago I was another, unpretentious: I earned $32,000 a year and rejoiced lives.
Earlier it was really good. I lived a carefree life, I even didn’t think about money. I had apartment in the poor area, still there was an old motorcycle and the worn out leather jacket. I dreamt of inspiration, girls in leather trousers and a couple of bottles of wine for $8. My world consisted of feelings and words, there was no place for bank notes.
It is very difficult to survive, being a poet. I will tell you even more, it is impossible. Therefore I worked additionally as an editor in the branch of one firm where all my work was limited to a writing of two-three sentences in present time. When it became simply intolerable, I have found the grant for the cultural organisations. Then I have told to myself, that should approach to this employment seriously: after all, what the culture can bring to a society, than? Also what can be more noble, than a prolongation of the life of Jackson Pollock’s creations and Fransis Scott Fitzgerald? Yes, it was noble, but at the same time, very tensely. Some organisations managed to work with the minimum budget and to let out really outstanding books, the majority spent huge money for stamping to nobody interesting novels. Elementary absence of knowledge of marketing was our main problem. Once I had imprudence to complain of this to the girlfriend, and she has told: « And why don’t you enter business school»? I have burst out laughing. But in couple of days I have seriously reflected: maybe, with MBA I could work more effectively? At least, I could carry on negotiations better. In couple of days I was started. You may imagine, how it was awful for me, a poet?
To my greatest surprise, unnecessary diploma of the master in the American literature, and also mediocre GPA and GMAT let me to be accepted in five top schools. It appears, schools simply searched for the students, planning to be engaged in gainless management. One of such students I was who has managed to write to an essay about the charitable organisations.
On the first week of training I have felt, that I am doomed. Certainly, we studied gainless management, but a large quantity of other subjects simply killed me. On the other hand, I liked to play games where I was the director of Coca-Cola AT&T. Strange, but teachers praised me, and students respected. For the first time in a life I was surrounded with clever and pragmatic people to whose mind there was only one thing – only money. Though, they just could not complain of poverty – the majority of them have worked for some years in the big corporations. They considered business school as a certain magic wand which is capable to provide the ticket during a life full of millions, glory and success. I strongly differed from them. Though, I with impatience waited, when summer practice will begin: it was interesting, whether I can earn money, after all I always planned to be poor.
However in the real world, outside of school, all appeared not so simply. In February I was engaged in firm search in which it would be possible to pass summer practice. The gainless organisations were absent, I have understood this in some days. I have decided to choose entertainments and mass media, all the same it though somehow corresponded with the literature.
For some months I have seen enough of some tens of polite smiles and have heard not one refusal. I have seriously started to suspect, that this is something wrong with me. In spite of the fact that I have cut hair, have removed earrings from ears and a nose and have replaced fragmentary jeans and a leather jacket with a decent suit, they did not wish to take me for work! I have called to one friendly recruiter with whom I got acquainted in a campus, and have asked, what the reason of constant refusal. He has advised to put the “fat” signature of any corporate celebrity in a letter of recommendation. You know, this has worked. In some days due to a miracle I have appeared in a media conglomerate. Then I understood: I have got to a tribe! Its representatives talked the same language, equally put on, were similar against each other, shared airs and graces and similar sights and as in any tribe, concerned with watchfulness strangers. My version about a tribe was proved to be true, when my colleagues and I carried out the project on telecommunication business of Asia. We needed to collect a lot of information which managers of certain firms owned only. They never refused, spent for us a heap of time only because we were members of a tribe.
The following conclusion which I have immediately come to, was that the business school is capable to present you with the exaggerated feeling of own importance. The naive feeling appears at once after summer practice, especially if it was passed successfully. Admiration of self lulls. With it, as well as with love, it is necessary to be cautious, differently you will end that you will go to bat on interview how you wished to work in that company.
Do not think, my conclusions did not tear off me from poetry to which I still planned to return. However I have tried capitalism, this dish to me i was pleasant, and I wanted eat it up to the end. I have directed the energies and ideas to a consulting channel. Certainly, I have felt at once, that it is not mine. For long time I persuaded myself and as a result I has bought myself that has solemnly promised: after I will become a millionaire, I will offer a big sum to any charitable organisation.
As I already became a member of a tribe, I had enough work offers. I felt the prince, who had a set of admirers (and fans, that too is important). I have chosen from all corporations Well Very Big Firm (further – simply WVBF) which has settled down in the west of the country.
They really wished me to catch. They sent me notes, sweets, champagne. One guy even called some times. If to be fair, such attention has amazed me and even has pleased – all the same it is pleasant, that you are so appreciated. At the end I have agreed. Work was strained, but very interesting.
Most of all I remember formal dinner parties in San Francisco. All celebrities of WVBF gathered and on our little table they have brought three bottles of super-expensive champagne. «Your present life, in a big way Begins», – I thought.
Then there was Japan where I, young MBA, gave advice to the guru of business. Then – many more different trips and projects from which most of all Sweden was remembered. Because of a visa regime we could not remain in the country more than for a week. We have travelled all neighbouring countries, thus, accounts were paid by other party.
Euphoria and growing self-trust has forced me to leave WVBF. I was involved in a risky project which soon has lost as promptly, as well as begun. I was offered other place of work, I agreed. I didn’t live well, I felt, that myself somewhere evaporated, and on its place something comes alien to me and my close people. In completion to everything, the boss was the real petty tyrant. Business sometimes reached real absurdity: campaign incurred losses, and he paid a fantastic sum to builders who moved walls of its office on 18 centimetres. In one fine day I took the laptop and told: “Good-bye”.
That day I understood, that business cannot replace poetry it is all the same that to change yourself, to betray, renounce a close person. But I do not regret that have received MBA. The business school has strongly changed me, my outlook is more exact. I began to understand many things and events which seemed for me a fantasy earlier, I know how to make of the decision, how to carry on negotiations and so on and so forth. Now I do not imagine, how I lived without these things earlier. Now I travel all over the world with a new wife. Where I will move then, I do not know. Most likely, I will organise the business or become one of top-managers of any cultural-entertaining organisation. For now I write for one small newspaper.
The poet who has MBA