"I Wouldn't Hold My Breath" − 1 May, 1996
In May of 1996 I was just a few weeks away from getting my Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside. I had focused the last two years of my college education on business and had planned to emphasize in marketing until I took a management information systems class. In short, I learned the internet existed. I was hooked, so I switched from marketing to a MIS emphasis.
Regardless of my degree, al that I could think of in the spring of '96 was "I need to get a job after graduation". The times where a bit hard, just 3 years prior, we were in one of the worst job markets in history. At UCR, job fairs where in full swing and I went to them all, and I became a master at smoozing with recruiters. Unfortunately they were all companies that I had no interest in working for. Nevertheless, I had all the chochkies I could fit into the trunk of my car; pens, posters, giant blow up replicas of Smirnoff Vodka bottles, etc.
After ignoring interview offers from Enterprise rent-a-car for their "management trainee program", I reluctantly accepted an interview with Norwest Financial services. At the time they specialized in small high interest loans and they were located in strip malls throughout the country. I met with the hiring manager a couple times and managed to get an offer to work for them. The offer: $24000 a year to work in their Moreno Valley office (only because I refused to work in the Victorville office). I tried my best negotiating skills to get it up to $26000 a year. He didn't budge. He said "I'm offering you $24K because of all the reasons you just stated". I had been defeated in negotiations, it was 3 weeks until graduation, so I accepted the job.
One week later, the last job fair of the year was going on. It was a little one, which was put on during the day. I decided that I would put on my suit one more time and check it out in between classes.
While I was there, I came across a company called IBM. They were looking for a business analyst. I had no idea what that was, but it was IBM so I was interested. It also was the only job they had that a business major could apply for. It was a long shot, and I was totally intimidated. I gave the recruiter my resume and walked away.
While spacing out looking at all the people and companies that had booths there, I ran smack into the Norwest Financial booth. My "new boss" was standing there with a puzzled look on his face.
"Jason, what are you doing here?" he said.
"I'm just checking out the booths here today, you never know when someone might offer me $50K to work for them" I said, in a nervous laugh.
"I wouldn't hold my breath" he snapped.
I shuffled off with my head down. I felt so bad, and I didn't know what to expect. Would he not give me my job now that he saw me at the job fair?
By the end of the week, IBM had called me 3 times to set up an interview. I didn't believe that IBM would hire me even on my best day. So I didn't call them back. Not until the third time. Within a week I had flown up to San Francisco for an all day interview and received an offer to work for them. I'll never forget the phone call.
"IBM would like to offer you $40K a year to work in Mountain View, CA with all moving expenses paid."
I bit my lip as I responded "I'll have to give it some thought". It felt like I had won the lottery.
When I called the Norwest Manager to give him the bad news that I was not going to be working for him, he blew up. He told me that I was starting off my career the wrong way by being so ethically wrong.
Needless to say, it was one of the biggest decisions of my life.
Comments:
edunn (March 14, 2007. 05:19pm)
Sounds like a fantastic decision! So long Northwest! Who wants to work for someone like that anyway. You probably started out making more $ than he was! :-)