August 4th, 2007            

Our crisis of identity.
Who are we? Where are we going? Where do we come from?
 

Chapter 25: The surprise of growing up....

Having gone like that, only by the impluse of following my convictions took me suddendly to the world of reality: not having a job.

It is true that it was not planned, I was not even surprised because I acted consecuensly to what I have had always talked to the Direction on the spanish directive group, but I can not stop saying that I was amazed by having to quit like that, I didn´t understand.

I didn't understand because of all the things I had given to the Company, the benefits they got, but, even more, because there was a new path to an administrative growth opening in front of them, a path that would guide them to the strenght and an estructurated work with no possibility of going back, or of imperfections, having up dated everything.

There was a reason why I, from being a director, became, in the same year, General Director. The trust of the employees was enough for that (as I had promised and the directives had agree) of an amount of salary adjustment that was going to be recognized by the personnal for a really long time and put them more compromised with the company in the future.

Anyways, obviously, as I was told by the spanish director, I had to put my eyes on me and not on my employees, on my “brilliant” future and keep going forward.

Until then, I did not even know how to look for a job in the advertisment section of the newpaper.  The first job a had, in OCA, I got it because of a friend and  this one, in the Bruguera Editorial, I had seen it in the newspaper but in the main section. I had seen it because it was highlighted.

However, I never really had to know it (as I havent had to in my entire life) and the reason of that is that I never really had to look for a job because offers were always maden…always when I was already hired.

Big was my surprise when I received a not well known person phone call, saying that we should meet in the Credito Argentino Bank because, once he got the information that I was not working for the Editorial anymore, he wanted to make me a proposition: working for the company were he was the General Director.

It has really hard to believe. I knew that person only from some reunions that we had, separatly, with one of the main Director of the bank and we had established some kind of relation, but it wasn´t anything else…just some cofees from time to time and some commercial coincidencies.

Many ideas were running through my head. The company was Marihan Rohr, a well know fabric factory, and he was a Director there, the same position I have had, What could he offer me?

Anyways, there was nothing to lose by meeting him. I was not in a run for getting a new job. I already had a good salary but It was only a salary that let me afford twins. I was not able to enjoy of some privilege situations…..Not even 24 hours had passed since I was no more in the Company.

Well, we finally met in his Company, located in Villa del Parque. To be honest, only the factory and the admministration were there.

I was really quiet. There was nothing to lose and the truth was that this man had always make a good impresion on me and was very profesional.

Big was my surprise in many different ways. I was used to the noise of the Down Town, used to its offices and the crazy traffic. There was nothing like that here, everything was quiet, the zone was simple, full of houses and close to the Nazca and Juan B. Justo avenies.

The administrative offices were not too big and there were not many employees.…I put an eye on that

Well, Bruguera had more employees and the offices were three times bigger. It was desapointing.

Yes, everything was more modern, from the furniture to the building. Bruguera was really old, old but fancy

The welcome that my friend had given me was another surprise. It was really warm. He acted as if we knew each other for much more time than what we really knew.

He took me to a private office that allowed as to have an intimate chat. It look like a room for reunions, but I knew it was not because it was not big enough for that.

We talked with cordiality. He was amazed by my decision of leaving the Editorial. It was worse when I told him the causes and that the decision was mine. He couldnt believe it…specially the fact that I had quit my job without having found a new one.

Bigger was he surprise when he knew that my salary was really high. He tought that, due to my youth, (I was only 20), I could not have such a good salary, besides of my position.

The company, how was it and the position I was offered for (Director) , made me happy. However, he never really said why he trusted me so much, why he thought that I could be good for the company.

But, continuing with the surprises, he asked me if I had the enought time for talking with the owner. I agreed.

So we went to her office. Bigger, more confortable, modern but simple.

She was cordial, kind of old but pretty. An interesting jewish that had gone, with her family, through really bad moments during the war.

The conversation became fluid, interesting and it reached a really high level. I really liked her.

Suddenly (after an exhaustive interrogation) she stood up and asked me to follow her so she could show me the company instalations.

We got out of her office and we passed through the tesorery, where she introduce me a woman. I could easily find out that she was her right hand.

Well, the factory was really big. Huge compared to my previous knowledge, with many modern machines and almost 200 employees (most of them were women).

Everything had a nice, clean and organized environment and I expressed that sensation clearly. I was amazed.

After that, she invited me a coffe in her office (nothing was given me before) and she told me about the position I was going to occupy: Director of the administrative department, with the managment of the work relations and the hiring of the personnal.

She asked me if I was interested and I say no, that, beside my age I had had a higher position (General Director) and that, becoming just a Director was certaintly a step back.

I would have been interested for the job considering everything else. I told her that I really appreciate the offer, but I refused it with all the cordiality and I also said that I wish I could work with them, specially with her…in the end we were both foregein and we also shared many ideas.

She told me that she could make me a better offer and give me the possition of Administrative and Work Relations General Director

Things were changing and I did not find a reason to refuse the job, so I accepted, partially tought…we hadnt talked about the wage yet.

So she asked for my salary amount in my last job. She was atonished with the answer. “It is almost the salary of our General Director”, she said. (The General Director was my friend)

She thought about it for a few minutes, and with no other word, she said that she was going to make an exception and was going to pay me the same amount, with no cent more.

I was petrified. It was incredible that she agreed with almost every point of my position.

Of course, I took the job.

After that (it was a Thursday of the middle of the month) she communicated me that I was expected to start working the following Monday at 9 o´clock.

So, that was the agreement and with it a very special story of my life would start, one of many, but this one would sign my future.

Marijan Pirsic 

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