You've come a long way, baby

I had a staff review on Thursday last week. Just when I returned from a business trip with one of our directors to my least favourite city in China.
OH GREAT- now this.
The last review I had was in 2002....
There I was, face to face with one of the directors in our Sydney office.
I was positive about the whole thing and my growth in the company- heh.
When you share something positive, it makes other person positive too.

But THE ACTUAL BIG BOSS doesn't actually do reviews. He's famous, he's an international architect, his name is revered and university students study his works as one of the greatest post modern architects of all time. NEVERMIND that the big boss likes me, thinks I have balls and never gives me the same type of savage thrashing he reserves for other senior star designers whom he wants to put in their place, but it's more than soft skills- It's more important I have to earn the respect of the Managing Director and other Directors of our Sydney office. And that equals making money, money money.......

It's sobering when you put a dollar sign to how much you make for the company. Am I a cost or am I a profit generator? I guess I should count myself lucky- I get to work on a variety of projects from high rise high density residential to low density golf course resorts and homes. I get to work on international projects which make it into architecture magazines. I will forever carry the name of this master architect on my resume. My future is pretty much set in architecture.

BUT the director did an about-turn when I mentioned I was starting on an MBA. As if that was a betrayal of the profession.
A senior architect has just left our office for a bigger salary package after her MBA.

Just like getting an MBA equals to "Seeya later, losers."

Nah, I said. What I'm gonna do with that is I'm going to run one of your asian offices for you. Two more years at the most. I already pull in loads of contacts because I come from a country that says "It ain't what you know, it's WHO you know."

The country whose government tries to lure people like me and my husband back with all types of incentives.

*THINKING FOR 3 SECONDS AT THE MERE THOUGHT OF FALLING FOR IT. NAHHH I'M GOOD.*