Life Lessons, 2: The Real Romanian Dream

He opened the door, it was a heavy wooden one. “How old can it be?” he thought. He entered in the big room and walked to the chairs on his left. He knew the place… an impressive hall of a well-known Romanian university. The professors were sitting on his right. He looked at them, one by one… he could read in their eyes that they were bored… then he raised his view to the walls behind them. It was not long time ago since when he was their student. They also looked at him. Not very tall, not very well dressed, not very impressive presence. Apart from his sparkling eyes, which were expressing a sharp mind, there was nothing to draw their attention. After 2 hours, his moment had come. He was invited to appear in front of the professors and support his application for an assistant position. His eyes scanned them… strict, distant… the youngest of them was 45 – 50 years old. When the first question was heard, his tongue replied following his mind’s orders. His stress and fears remained hidden in his heart.

– “Well, Mr. M, what is your opinion for the work of Professor X?

He looked at the professor who asked the question, checked that his voice was loud enough so that he could be heard in the hall and replied…

Coming to Bucharest

His family was not a rich one. Actually, who could be honest and rich in Romania during the 90s? Probably very few people. He came to Bucharest to study and “change his life”, leaving back a secondary Romanian city, where progress had stopped. Local “smart guys” had already started controlling everything at all and life for young persons was unbearable. At least for the ones with ambitions…

Like thousands of others, he studied and also worked while being in the Romanian capital. His income was ridiculous for today’s standards, but enough so as for him to survive and go on. Actually this was the target: To go on, make sure that he will finish the university on time. His parents could not help much, he also did not ask for much. Many young persons of his age chose to make all kinds of compromises, “life is hard after all”. For M (let’s call him like this) life was even more difficult because he wanted to create something in his life, an achievement bigger than “getting a position due to some relations, get a salary and live my life peacefully, bending the head so as not to be cut by a sword” (Romanian proverb).

The end of his life as a student found him together with a girl, someone who was sharing with him not only their apartment, but the same values for life. In an already disappointed country with a frustrated population… values were rare. This was one of the reasons he was proud of her…

First job

Even nowadays, 70% of Romanian SMEs are totally unproductive and need reforms. In the early 00s this was probably the case for 95% of the “companies”. An owner who usually knew nothing about work, some relatives in the company, some employees saying “yes” to him, as they needed their little salary so as to survive. He could scream, shout, behave totally inappropriate… the vast majority of employees would pretend that “this did not happen”. He also would leave his company be destroyed, while no one would tell him that his “strategy” was wrong…

This was the kind of company that M found his first job. 150 dollars per month so as to work as junior, next to his senior colleague. He was promised that his salary would be increased after 3 months of work. It was summer, the temperatures were high, but he did not care. He was working without air condition, staying until late, resolving tens of problems, unblocking the business. In just a couple of weeks, he was asked by his colleagues “not to work that much, this causes problems to the rest of us”. He did not listen. He was not working for the salary, but for the results. “I want to be proud of what I do, money comes second” he was saying to his friends. They were still blocked with the communistic mentality of “it is a mistake to work hard for someone and make him rich with your work”. He tried to explain that you cannot succeed in life without effort and results but they did not want to listen…

His senior left on vacation in August. When he came back, he found out that M had managed to create a “special software that would allow us to control the company, the expenses and the income” (= an excel file). “This is not our business” was his comment and started accusing his junior to the boss. M did not try to defend himself… he could not believe that his boss was blind…

A couple with self-respect…

When the period of 3 months was concluded, he asked for his promised raise, bringing proofs that due to his work the company saved about 100 times the money of his salary. His boss avoided to look at the printed page. He could not accept that this young man in front of him had self-respect and arguments. He was used to increase the salaries when someone was begging, or due to other subjective reasons. This M was suggesting a revolution in the company and this could not be accepted. “I will not increase your salary”. “But you promised to”. “I changed my mind, come back in 3 months”. “Then I quit”.

That evening he did not come back home on schedule. He was wondering in the city, thinking of what he could tell to his girl… she was not working, she was studying for her degree… without his small salary they would be kicked out from their home and they would have to leave Bucharest… He knew that he did the right thing, he did not care about him, but about her… When he came home late, the door was “heavier” than usual… he found her on their bed, reading…

– “You are late, what happened?” she looked at him and smiled.

– “I resigned from my work”

– “You did well. This guy did not respect you”. Her words made him feel like “Superman”…

The final countdown

M was proud of his woman. She did not realize this that night, but her attitude gave him even more power. Still, things were simple. He had few days to find a new job, otherwise they would have to evacuate their apartment. He knocked all possible doors but there was nothing that could be done in such a short notice. Meanwhile, he had to resolve an issue regarding his degree, so he went to his University. Someone there recognized him and came with a proposal: “Didn’t you see the announcement? You are smart and hard working. Why don’t you apply for the job of assistant?” “I guess it is already taken” “Try, you have nothing to lose”. The deadline was on the same day at 15.00. The application of M was filled up and deposited at 14.58.

Back home, M and his woman were preparing for all scenarios, even the negative one. But they did not resign, they were trying to find a solution, refusing to adopt the common “this is it” behavior and quit.

Some days later, M had to present himself for the interview. It was his last day in Bucharest. The day after, he would need to empty their apartment. He reached the university 15 minutes before the announced hour. He made sure that his head was up. He looked in the eyes of the old lady at the reception, smiled and headed to the Hall.

The reply that changed 2 lives

He opened the door, it was a heavy wooden one. “How old can it be?” he thought. He entered in the big room and walked to the chairs on his left. He knew the place… an impressive hall of a well-known Romanian university. The professors were sitting on his right. He looked at them, one by one… he could read in their eyes that they were bored… then he raised his look to the walls behind them. It was not long time ago since when he was their student. They also looked at him. Not very tall, not very well dressed, not very impressive presence. Apart from his sparkling eyes, which were expressing a sharp mind, there was nothing to draw their attention. After 2 hours, his moment had come. He was invited to appear in front of the professors and support his application for an assistant position. His eyes scanned them… strict, distant… the youngest of them was 45 – 50 years old. When the first question was heard, his tongue replied following his mind’s orders. His stress and fears remained hidden in his heart.

– “Well, Mr. M, what is your opinion for the work of Professor X?

He looked at the professor who asked the question, checked that his voice was loud enough so that he could be heard in the hall and replied…

– “I don’t really like his work, I think he can do better than this. I’d rather prefer the work of Professor Y”.

Suddenly all bored faces had waken up and all eyes were targeting him.

– “I am sorry, what did you say, Mr. M?”

– “That I don’t like the work of Professor X, I’d prefer the work of Professor Y”.

– “Based on what criteria do you accuse the Professor?” someone else stood up and spitted the question, with a red face from anger.

– “I do not accuse anyone, I simply say my opinion”. He continued with his arguments, always calm and looking directly in people’s eyes…

The 14 minutes of his interview were followed by a pause of 32 minutes, for the professors to discuss in between and come up with a decision. All candidates were waiting patiently outside. It felt like an eternity… M was sure that he would not be selected. “Truth is not appreciated in Romania, maybe I went too far, but this is me”. He started walking to the exit, when the door opened behind him and he heard a voice asking “Mr. M, who is Mr. M. You, ah ok, come here please, sir”.

A new life

– “You impressed everyone in there”, the Professor told to M, when they remained by themselves.

– “I simply stated my opinion”.

– “You are hired here as an assistant. You can stay in the University’s apartments and get all the benefits we offer to our colleagues. They are not many, but for the beginning I think that they are a good start”.

It was a good start indeed. He worked like crazy so as to make sure that no one would comment something on his hiring. Soon he was asked to start offering lessons to students, then to advise companies. In less than 5 years’ time, his hard work had brought him to a different financial status and opened all possible doors for his future, as he was recommended like “the man who will tell you the truth and resolve your problem”.

M was more ambitious, he did not want to remain in this status. He wanted more. This is why he created his own company. He decided to do it together with another lady, extremely serious and hard-working like him (a bit more modest, but in life fruitful collaborations are created by people who are not 100% the same). They started from scratch and in 10 years’ time they are among the top in their country, Romania.

M’s girl became his wife and their family grew with new members. “I can never forget her words that night” he says after all these years…

It is possible in Romania as well

If you meet M today, there is nothing that allows you to guess what he lived through. You will probably think that he is “one more guy whose father was in the old regime and found all the doors open, reaching success without too much effort”, as media usually suggests. But he is not. He works hard and searches for solutions, making sure that everything is in order.

I had the honor to meet M and his partner back in 2007 and then follow up their evolution until today. If I would be asked to name 10 people in this country who represent “the Real Romanian Dream” of working hard and succeed, they would be in my first choices, each of them for different reasons.

You see… Romania has its own heroes, with values, self-respect and difficult decisions in their past, in business or society in general. If you did not find them yet, it simply means that you need to continue searching.

And if you wish to follow their example, you should not forget that respect is not “awarded”, but it is earned. This is why it is so sweet…