Category
Work
-
11.01.09Permalink: PersistencePERSISTENCE © 2009 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International FamilyMagazine Republished in Folks Magazine on 11/7/09. I was working as a computer programmer at Rutgers University when I saw the perfect job advertised by American Airlines. It had everything that I wanted: interesting work, decent pay, and free travel everywhere American flew. I sent a letter outlining my skills, and offered to write a resume if they found me interesting. They did not request a resume, but they did call me in for an interview. I thought that it went very well. A month later, a “thanks but no thanks” letter ...
-
10.01.08Trade or ProfessionTrade or Profession © 2008 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine I have just returned from the annual meeting of the Chicago Quantitative Alliance (www.cqa.org) where one speaker made a convincing case that the brokerage and banking systems are bankrupt and another made the case that so is the Federal Government. The world is going to hell, and we don’t even have a hand basket.[1] At the lunch break I asked the fellow sitting next to me what advice he had for my children in college. He said, “Drop out of college and learn a trade; they can always go to college ...
-
07.01.08MoneyMoney © 2008 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine My father told me two things about money that had a profound effect on my life. They were: "Money should buy freedom, not chains." and, "It is easier to make money doing what makes you happy than to buy happiness with the money you are paid for doing what makes you miserable." Even though I can remember my father's explanations, at the time (age 17) I thought he was off his rocker. He explained that if you had a certain amount of money, and then someone gave you more money, you should have more options ...
-
06.01.08When Pigs FlyWhen Pigs Fly © 2008 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine In 1977, American Airlines offered me a job in Manhattan in their Operations Research group and I took it. One of our projects was to build a mathematical model to determine how much we should overbook each flight so as to maximize profit. You could generate happy clients when there isn’t enough room in coach by bumping them up to first class. But if you throw them off the plane entirely you might lose them forever. On the other hand, since a full-fare customer could use their ticket on any ...
-
08.01.07Permalink: Sally Would be Proud of MeSally Would be Proud of Me © 2007 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine In 1993 I lost a job in Tokyo and returned to the States with a wife, two young children but no work. Most of my contacts were no longer at the phone numbers in my book and many were unemployed. It appeared our economy was in a recession. A friend arranged for a courtesy interview at a brokerage firm I’d worked at years earlier. Let’s call the interviewer “Bob”. Bob began, “I hope we aren’t wasting your time but we have no jobs; there is a hiring freeze.” “You ...
-
08.01.07Permalink: Learning How to Land a JobLearning How to Land a Job © 2007 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine A mentor is someone who stands out in your mind as a model for your own behavior. If you find yourself thinking “What Would Sally Do?” then Sally is a mentor. Here is the story of my Sally. In 1979, my boss asked for my help in replacing a secretary. Rather than pay a fee to an agency, Ted hired a temp and then advertised in the New York Times. We were flooded with resumes and some of these candidates had amazing credentials. He asked for ...
