It's official I'm never going to make it in corporate America.

[white_wolf]

So today a corporate recruiter from the Southwest(or maybe southeast?) company came to my journalism class to pass out a survey, so he could find good candidates for his company's summer job program. Anyway as he was listing of some of the names of the people who had done this job I realized I never ever want to be like the people he mentioned. These two stuck out in my head: The CEO of Merrile-Lynch and Rick Perry, Governor of Texas. If those are the kind of people that it takes to succeed in Corporate America, than I'm glad I never had an interest in business, because I can't do it. Also one of the questions was "I admire a self-made business man more than someone with a PHD" I put strongly disagree. So in short, I am not good out for the corporate world.

[nenagh]

1. I remember working for a corporation once while having a really difficult boss once...

who was always calling HO to complain about her staff and HO was often called to sort out the problems.

Once the HO staff came down with a questionnaire for the manager's staff to fill out and sign regarding her behaviour as we perceived it... , but the questions presented for our signature were gossipy, negative and non professional..

Ultimately, we decided that to fill out such a poorly worded questionnaire would only reflect negatively upon her staff... not herself.. that we would look like small minded, spiteful staff.. so unanimously, we pitched out the questionnaire.

It was an interesting experience..

[Mika]

2. I own a corporation, and I'd bet you'd do just fine.

The best people in corporate America are not made famous. Of course, this is not the meme that famous F-500 CEOs want you to know.

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[BadgerKid]

3. In college I went to one of those recruitment meetings.

We would be selling encyclopedias to targeted rural areas. The host went through the spiel with his mentally bookmarked pages. I made good eye contact, BSed, and tried to appear confident. I got offered a slot but turned it down because it seemed like entailed manipulating people into buying an idea that was not necessarily something they would/could use. (Hellooooo advertising!) As you suggest, it would have been good training for climbing the corporate ladder or for becoming a career politician.

[Recursion]

4. Eh. Remember the Peter Principle

There are people who get promoted up in industries so they'll do less damage. I work on K street; it's full of these guys. The corporate world has good and bad people, but I wouldn't say you should write off your opportunities just because some assholes happen to be good at playing the game. (Would you look at Michael Vick and decide you didn't want to play football?)

[provis99]

5. actually, I would look at Michael Vick and decide I wouldnt play football.

Who wants to spend their working career associating with assholes.

[kudzu22]

9. Show me the career field that's asshole-free

It doesn't exist I tell ya!

[white_wolf]

10. True, and maybe this is just a bad sterotype on my part

but large corporations seem to have a higher % of assholes than other career fields, at least in the higher ranks. Well Corporations and Washington. Seriously Bohener is an ass!

[provis99]

11. Doctors Without Borders. Asshole free.

[white_wolf]

6. I guess my biggest problem with this guy's sales pitch

was the people he held up as shining examples of his companies program, Rick Scott and the CEO of Merrile-Lynch. Rick Scott seems like your typical Republican asshole and isn't Merrile-Lynch one of the banks responsible for our current crisis?

[Renew Deal]

14. I would be turned off by the Rick Perry thing myslef.

Merrill is a different story.

[white_wolf]

16. Well maybe I was wrong about Merril-Lynch

honestly I don't know much about them, I just vaguely know the name and I thought it was one of the Wall ST. banks.

[Renew Deal]

17. They are

And they were in the middle of the banking problems. They'd probably be gone if it wasn't for the bailout/intervention. I just see them differently because those are accomplished people that have knowledge and skills to get where they are. I know it's easy to be dismissive of bankers and finance people. But a lot of them come from educational institutions we hold in high regard.

[Iris]

7. I'm reading a book called "The No Asshole Rule" by Robert I Sutton

I suggest you check it out. There are lots of examples of companies that try not to be assholes.

[white_wolf]

8. Just did a search. The company is Southwestern Company.

Anyone ever heard of them? Here is a wikipedia link on them, I enjoyed the controversy section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Company#Controversy

[raouldukelives]

12. Sounds good to me!

Once your not part of the problem you can start being part of the solution! It's very liberating to cut your ties with corporate America and the destruction of the planet for profit.

[Renew Deal]

13. I think you'll do just fine

Every "corporation" is different. Most of them respect a PHD as much if not more than the "self made businessman." Of course, money talks. But there is room and need for all types in the business world and it sounds like you would do OK.

[reformist2]

15. Actually, we probably need to encourage more liberals to go into business.

We self-select out of the business world, and then spend the rest of our lives trying to get government to play by the rules.

[kjackson227]

18. I knew I wasn't a part of corporate America since...

working in the Human Resources department of my company. I've seen and heard way too much from the few CEO's and managers that I've had the displeasure to work with. Believe me when I tell you that these people have no conscious. They care only about promoting their cronies, mistresses, and raping the company for their own selfish monetary gains. They couldn't care less about the employees. They feel we should be grateful for having a job and keep our opinions to ourselves (which I seldom do). There is no love lost between me and the manager. When you become part of the business world, you'll either stand by your convictions or you'll turn into one of them. I refused to become one of them (I have long since been overlooked for promotions), but I don't care. I know I've made the right decision.