The Business World: A Stuffy Environment

Imagine walking into a room, adorned in a recently purchased suit, only to find the awaiting individuals are a pair of baby-boomer business professionals judging every single movement that you make. This was precisely what I encountered when I attended an internship opportunity interview with the accounting firm Plante and Moran. I knew going in that my informal style of speech was not going to fly with the stuffy, very censored managers who used words that lack meaning and were hell-bent on proper structure. Sure enough my speculation about the situation were correct, as I felt like I was talking to a pair of robots previously programmed with precise language and straight to the point banter. Throughout the thirty minute conversation i had where I had to prove I was worth hiring, I was lucky to get even a smile from these unlikable pricks. Everything that came out of their mouths had a "businessy" feel to it, and I literally felt like a rhinoceros being raised by a pack of hippopotamuses.

This was the ultimate form of code switching to me, and I really struggled with not using slang and being forced to utilize proper English because I have never really been put into such an awkward position. Somehow I managed to come out of this precarious situation with a pulse, but I learned a lot about the business world in the process. Although I am an accounting major, I am completely against this type of culture, and regret choosing this as my major freshman year every single day of my life. I unfortunately did not know what major I wanted to pursue out of high school so i just chose to do what I was good at; math. If I could do it all over again I would certainly pursue a career as a writer or performer, as I find these sources of creativity to be the ultimate form of human progress. The internship interview I encountered only helped to solidify my dislike for the business crowd in general, and only makes me think more about, "what could have been" with my college major undertaking. Just like Wallace stated in his article, there shouldn't be a set of principles to follow when communicating, the style of speech should be relatable to the audience in which you are addressing. I was able to pretend like i was very formal in the interview process because I feel like I have enough knowledge of the english language to adapt to almost any situation.