Brooke Allen

On Saturday, December 21, 2014, while driving in the right hand lane, I was given a ticket for passing a police car stopped on the shoulder.

One of the things I love about New York is Stuyvesant High School, and one of the things I love about Stuyvesant is that Frank McCourt once taught there.

I wrote about how I hire in “How to hire good people instead of nice people.”

People often read what I have to say and then write asking for my advice.

Right now some of the richest kids in the world are meeting at something called the Nexus Youth Summit. Their last powwow was at the White House and now through July 26, they are meeting at the United Nations.

Note: If you are reaching this story via brookeallen.com, scroll to the end for more information.

Here is Brooke Allen’s response to a letter from a reader asking for help deciding on what sort of MBA to get, which appears below in a lightly edited form.

This post, originally published on April 27, was updated on May 18.

In my last Quartz column, To get a job, write your story instead of a resume, I talked about the value of finding a purpose in your work, and suggested that in order to do that you reflect on your life and write your own narrative. I talked about how economics is about the scarce resource, and in this age of abundant goods, services, and knowledge the scarce thing is a reason to do what we do, a purpose.

I am 61 years old and I have been doing paid work since I was 16. I’ve been a grocery clerk, camp counselor, film projectionist, sound man, light man, cameraman, freight loader, computer programmer, teacher, operations research analyst, manager, salesman, writer, consultant, and for the last 30 years I’ve been a securities trader and hedge fund manager.

Is the MBA of value?

DATELINE: 9:32 PM, Education Startup Weekend, New York City

I’m terrible at doing what people tell me I should do, but I still get things done. I’m not sure why this is, but here is my best guess:

You and I know why business schools charge so much for an MBA.

It will soon be 10 years since I resolved to be of more help to others without expectation of return. I didn’t decide to give more to charity or volunteer at a soup kitchen. I decided to find ways I could make things better that will not be done unless I do them. Here’s how:

Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them, and today I give thanks for the internet since it has brought so many wonderful strangers into my life.

I’m fairly entrepreneurial, having started a few businesses that have made me well off enough that I can now pursue my personal mission, which is to be of meaningful help to my people without expectation of financial reward.

About 10 years ago, I attended a conference on behavioral economics. I’m not an economist, but a trader, and I went in the hopes of learning something that would improve my game.

When I was unemployed in early 1982 I took a sales class where the teacher taught me something that changed my business and personal life in profound ways.

Many people hate their inbox, but I love mine. I get hundreds of emails each day. At least a few times a week, I get a request for help from a stranger, and these give me a thrill. Doing a little favor for someone is a great way to kickstart my day. It gives me the energy to tackle the much bigger problems that are part of my routine.

I want to help every unemployed person find rewarding work if they want it. What I have to say applies to everyone.

Usually, employers rapidly scan the resume of each job applicant looking for relevant education, skills, and work experience. They select 10 candidates for telephone calls, invite three in for interviews, and hire the one they like the best.

Brooke Allen’s piece, “The secret to a higher salary is to ask for nothing at all,” has drawn many responses from readers seeking advice on how to negotiate a better deal for themselves. Over the next few weeks, we will publish a few of his answers. 

Brooke Allen’s piece, “The secret to a higher salary is to ask for nothing at all,” drew many responses including Lauren Bacon’s take yesterday: “The secret to a higher salary might be to ask for nothing at all—but it only seems to work for men.” Here is Brooke’s advice for women trying to negotiate a better deal.