Doug J was an employee at a firm I worked for loyally at the start of my career, like all my firms, though these were the Dangerous Days, the Equalizer Years. My firm built what would now be labelled a Shared Drive, though Microsoft Word was not universal and therefore he shaped his words on ASCII files, but why Doug J published these for all to see, and chose not to save documents to his private C Drive, is beyond me, particularly as his correspondence pertained to job searches and business school applications, and whining about co-workers.
For example:
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for taking some time during your extremely busy schedule. As you mentioned during the talk, there is no guarantee of greater responsibility. One issue I was told might be of concern is whether I will be strong enough to maintain my own opinions in such an adept and knowledgeable group. While I doubt a thank you note can change any such perceptions, if they exist, I can assure you I am extremely persistent and usually end up getting what I work for.
Dear Ted,
While I know the position in allocations offers no guarantee of greater responsibilities, your story of the fellow who took more time than expected was an important reminder of the inherent risks involved. While I would very much like to earn an MBA, and envy those such as you who have them from excellent schools, this is too good of an opportunity to let pass. The lack of an MBA will be a hindrance to my promotability some time in the future.
Dear Lars,
I was disappointed with my performance during our talk and so therefore the decision really can not be questioned. It was the denouement to match the performance. It would seem, in retrospect, you were testing my ability to handle an aggressive, forward interview. Comparing my grades to your grades, or my board scores to yours, has relevance, but these conditions are certainly not the only delimiters. Responding to a tough situation with submissiveness and patience is a recipe for disaster. I am more of a fighter than I displayed that day.
Dear Dickson,
Thank you for taking some time last Tuesday afternoon. You were obviously very busy working with clients and trying to close out the day. I was not offered the position for which I was being interviewed. After having spoken with over a dozen folks, I was naturally disappointed with the outcome. I essentially agree with the various critiques offered, but still have my doubts about whether I would not be successful. I have not failed at many goals I have set for myself.
To Jeff,
In early August, there was a memo issued concerning the Trade Ticket Program. There were a number of problems associated with this program with forced the Allocations group to discard a great many tickets each month, due to the errors. By responding so quickly, the ISD group has saved the firm expenses calculated to run as high as $8,140 per year.
Dear Nancy,
The reason I write to you revolves around the glorious fact that I originally hail from Newark, Ohio. I was speaking with my parents (Don and Patsy) recently about my desire to attend business school. My parents recalled a conversation they had had with your parents concerning your position at Harvard. They felt you might have some insights from your vantage point. How do I ensure that my credentials will even get a fair hearing? Questions such as these are not the type that are correctly answered in a “How to” manual. A letter such as this does not seem the appropriate place to inundate you with facts and figures about me. I realize you are probably very busy, but if you would happen to have any of these seemingly intangible answers, I would love to hear from you. Thank you for consideration of this, albeit unorthodox, letter.
There will be more, but in the meantime, he apparently was before long offered a place at a top business school, and the one which rejected my officemate which caused her to become distraught and necessitated our world famous department head to pull strings at another top-10 B-school so that she could join her road to riches, though not Harvard Business School for either, and Doug J eventually owned a successful career, so the joke is not on him either. Personally, I strongly feel he was wasted in finance, when the documentary industry was begging for him to join. I can envisage him penning the first draft for Reimagining the Screwball Comedy, to be narrated by Tom Cruise on helium and too much caffeine.
Nancy, meanwhile, continues to donate her time to the Harvard Alumni Association, and I imagine remains the occasional TEDw Talker.