Application

By Sori Siregar

The man with the necktie welcomed Raul with a handshake and then he asked Raul to have a seat. After fetching a file from his desk he approached Raul. He moved a chair to sit closer to Raul.

"Do you have any idea why you were invited to come here today?" the man with the necktie opened the conversation.

"Yes. To discuss my application."

The man with the necktie nodded several times. Then he looked at Raul. When Raul looked him in the eye the man flashed him a smile.

"Your application was given to me by the personnel director. He made some notes on it."

Raul listened calmly. The man with the necktie, who was the president director of the printing and publishing house, smiled again.

Raul was uncomfortable with this second smile. What is going on, he asked himself. Why was he meeting with the president director? Wasn't it enough to meet with the personnel director for the general manager position he had applied for?

"The personnel director gave your application directly to me because he said this is the most interesting and different application out of the 200 we received," the man with the necktie said.

Raul tried hard to understand his words. What is interesting and what is different? Furthermore, the way the man with the necktie spoke made Raul impatient. His voice was soft and his words uttered with such self-confidence.

"Of all the applicants you asked for the most remuneration."

There was silence as he gazed at Raul. Then he opened the file in front of him and begin to read the documents inside.

"It is mentioned in your application that at your previous company you held the position of general manager for three months. Why was it only for three months?"

"I only served as the acting general manager when the man who held the position was hospitalized."

The man with the necktie nodded.

"And you say here you were successful in that post."

"That was said by my director," Raul answered. "He said the discipline of the workers was much better when I was in that position."

The man with the necktie again nodded. Then he carried on reading the documents.

"You applied for a position here because you thought there was no more room for advancement in your former office. First, because there are only 30 employees. Second, because the company you were working for is a family company."

"Yes, Sir." Raul was suddenly astonished. Why hadn't he addressed the man with the necktie as "Sir" from the beginning of the meeting? He couldn't answer the question.

"Why did you object to working in a family company?"

"A lot of reasons, Sir," Raul replied firmly. "But most of all, I felt myself to be an alien who had no family connections with anyone. The director is a good boss. He proved this by appointing me as acting general manager when his brother became seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital."

"But his decision caused a serious impact. His family and the family of his wife objected to my appointment. A cold war broke out within the family. That was the reason why I was demoted to my former position as an editor when the director's brother had fully recovered. Later I heard rumors that there were efforts by the family to have me kicked out. Before that could happen, I submitted my resignation. After a week of being unemployed, I read the advertisement for the vacancy in this company and I sent in my application."

The man with the necktie stared at Raul for quite a long time. He might have been impressed with what Raul had said. He might believe Raul's story. But he might also consider Raul's story fiction, meant to increase his credibility.

Raul couldn't read what was in the mind of the man with the necktie.

"According to your director, while you were acting as general manager you were successful in promoting the discipline of ..."

"Yes, Sir," Raul answered. Then Raul realized that the way he had just interrupted the man with the necktie was extremely impolite. Furthermore, the man with the necktie was the president director of the company.

"I am sorry, Sir."

"Go ahead," said the man with the necktie, showing no signs that he had just been interrupted.

"At least, according to my director, I was able to stop the employees from playing Scrabble or cards during office hours. Later on I was able to prevent unnecessary spending."

"Then I distributed the work fairly and I appealed to all employees to use the telephone only when necessary."

"Did they protest?"

"No, Sir. But when I turned around they sneered at my back. But I didn't care."

The man with the necktie laughed. Then he offered Raul a cigarette. Politely, Raul refused the offer, despite the fact he was eager to smoke. The man with the necktie lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply as he leaned back in his chair.

"Why did you dare to ask for as much remuneration as you did?"

Then it was Raul's turn to smile. He leaned back in his chair like the man with the necktie, and answered the question calmly and convincingly.

"I think a professional manager must get this much as a starting salary no matter where he works, whether for a local or a foreign company."

The man with the necktie didn't react. He was busy puffing on his cigarette. Then his voice rang clearly in Raul's ears.

"Are you sure your service will be equal to the amount of money you are going to receive?"

"It has to," Raul answered quickly. "During my probationary period I'll prove it."

"If you are unable to meet our criteria?"

"It' up to you, Sir. If during my probation, let's say after one or two months, I fail to meet the required standards, you can fire me."

"Is that what you want?"

"A professional should be prepared to face this."

The man with the necktie set his cigarette in an ashtray. He closed the file containing Raul's application, stood up, walked a few steps to his desk and placed the file on it. Then he returned to his chair in front of Raul.

"That was what I said. Your application differs from the others; it's interesting."

"The other applicants, 200 hundred in all according to the personnel director, are begging. They are prepared to accept any amount of pay as long as they get the position of general manager. All of them admitted they wanted the experience, at least that was the impression of the personnel director. It seems remuneration comes second."

Raul remained silent.

"I do not mean to insult them by saying applying for a job with this attitude is outdated. You should have the guts to say 'I am able' if you are really able to do something. Then you should not hesitate to name the salary that is equal to your ability. If you can't say the price that's in your head, why should others."

Raul nodded to show his agreement.

"If a company is looking for human resources, whether the lowest-ranking employee, a manager or a director, it means the company needs someone. Therefore, the company will be pleased if the person it needs is aware of this. So there is no reason for anyone to feel that he is the one who needs the company that gave him a job, because he also should know that the company needs him. It is a mutual cooperation."

Raul was happy to hear this. This gentleman is a wise man, he thought.

"A company does not need and will not employ slaves. What it looks for is workers who can participate in developing the company and making it bigger."

I think now is the time for me to comment on the views of this gentleman. This kind of thinking is something rarely found among directors, particularly now, Raul told himself.

"Probably, since it is very hard to get a job, many unemployed people are prepared to sacrifice a part of their rights as long as they can get a job," Raul said.

"That's it," said the man with the necktie. "It is a tragedy; something that should not happen."

Then they both sat in their chairs saying nothing. When Raul took his leave the man with the necktie was startled.

"When will you come aboard?" he asked.

Raul hesitated. But he had to say what he wanted to say from the very beginning.

"I am very grateful that you have offered me this opportunity, but I am sorry to say that I can't accept it."

Raul's statement left the man with the necktie speechless.

"Coinciding with the arrival of the letter from the personnel director inviting me here today, I also received a letter from Kent State University in the U.S. informing me that my application for a scholarship had been approved and I should be ready to begin in two weeks."

"I came here today just to express my appreciation for this company's invitation. And I feel fortunate that I was able to meet you, someone who deserves my respect. People of your conscience are becoming rare in this country. I regret that I have disappointed you."

The man with the necktie didn't believe what he had heard. He shook his head. He was not sure whether he had heard correctly.

When Raul shook his hand, he was aware he was not dreaming. He had a last empty look of Raul walking steadily out of his office.