Author: Sharif Hraki
One of the first questions people ask in business school is in regard to employment history. From the faculty to fellow classmates, there might not be a day that goes by that someone doesn’t ask what we did prior to returning to school. When asked, I tell people about my most recent experience in the manufacturing industry as a finance manager and my internships at Caruso Affiliated and Playboy Enterprises.
If you are like everyone else that has heard my response, you’ve already forgotten about my first two positions and are curious about my duties working for the Bunny Ears. For my first MBAM article, I will discuss my time spent at Playboy, the “perks,” my opinion of the company, and what I learned that I’ve been able to apply to business school thus far.
I remember my interview as if it were yesterday. I drove down to Playboy’s LA office in Burbank and met with the marketing director. I had my suit dry cleaned, I got a haircut, and I left early due to the ridiculous and constant LA traffic. As I sat in the lobby waiting for the marketing director to come out and greet me, I noticed that I was the only person dressed in a suit. I didn’t think much of it until the marketing director saw me and immediately started to laugh at my getup. You could only imagine what was going through my head at that very instant. At the end of the interview she offered me the job and told me I could wear jeans and a polo shirt.
Lesson 1: Do research! If the company culture is laid-back it might not be necessary, or appropriate, to walk into an interview wearing a business suit and freshly shined shoes.
I was excited about my new job and figured I was living every man’s dream. That is, until my first day when I was presented with a laundry list of tasks to complete. I was placed in charge of doing secondary research on the gaming industry and coming up with innovative ideas to revamp the gaming/nightlife portions of Playboy.com. I compiled a list of hotel/casinos around the world and the elaborate gaming laws in their respective countries. The amount that some countries tax casinos is truly unbelievable.
I bet at this point you are a bit disappointed that I am not telling you about the dozen playmates that would walk around the office? I too was disappointed when I realized that didn’t happen. However, I did get to work on and attend the first annual Playboy pajama party.
I was given a cubicle directly in front of my boss’ office and I spent the majority of my time doing research. Truth be told, I would not have preferred it any other way. I gained valuable insight into industries I had no knowledge of and I appreciated the laid-back and friendly company culture compared to what I was used to. The best part of working for Playboy was the people and their friendly and personable attitudes. I learned to be more laid-back while still getting the job done and this new mentality has allowed me to remain calm in business school.
From doodling in my management communications course (I swear, it’s required!), to my reading assignments, to the “networking events,” there isn’t much time to do anything else but to enjoy it while it lasts.
Lesson 2: Our time at Pepperdine is already going by quickly. Stop and smell the roses. Or, in our case, stop and enjoy the beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and spend time getting to know our amazing classmates and faculty. The bonds we make now will pay dividends in the future.