To go for a job that is against my principles

[thinkingmakesitso]

I have seen a job advertised that in many ways would be my perfect role, as well as being a big pay rise.

However, I have political objections to the company and, in fact, the company (or others of its kind) have been the subject of my rantings many a time.

But...it is my perfect role, and that is a role that doesn't really exist in the way I want it to anymore, so this could be my only chance for such an opportunity.

Tbh, I don't think I would get it anyway as I don't meet all aspect of the spec, but WIBU to even go for it? Anyone done similar?

If you take it, I guarantee it won't be long before they suck you in and you start telling people why you were wrong all those years...

I used to be a smoker many years ago and had a good friend who was very anti-smoking (he had lost both his grandparents to lung cancer) and extremely vocal about it. This was back when you could smoke in pubs and I can remember him ranting on nights out about having to breate other people's cigarette smoke, how cigarettes should be banned etc. Anyway, when we graduated he was offered an entry level job at a cigarette company. It was a very generous package for a first job out of university and he couldn't bring himself to turn down the cash I suppose. I have to admit, although we remained friends he went down in my estimation somewhat but I understand that everyone has to make a living and lucrative jobs don't grow on trees.
OP, take the job if you want but be prepared for people who have heard you ranting publically about the issue to think you're a hypocrite. Of course, what matters far more than what other people will think is how you will feel about yourself.

This is probably going to sound more hostile than I actually mean it.

But it's easy to have 'principles' when they don't cost you anything. And quite a different matter to stick to your principles even when it's hard.

Unless this is you only way out of intractable poverty, unemployment or some other force majeure, if you apply you are giving much more approval to this company than one of its ordinary customers does.

As someone has alluded to upthread a bit, it's really hard to lead an ethical existence in 2015 because of globalisation. You'd have to really live off-grid in order to avoid transacting with unethical companies, I'm not really sure how being employed by one is so much worse.

My mum once told me that tesco said had a Saturday job open. I went along and it was for the tobacco kiosk and the interview didn't last long.

Do you smoke? No
Would you encourage customers to buy more cigs? No
Would you lecture them on damage to their health? Yes probably.

I didn't get the job.

You can't eat ethics.

But when was the ranting? Was it years ago when younger? I had that fire in the belly but now nurse a small glow.

Of course I would love to know what company it is. It would be jnteresting to see the answers then but of no real help to you.

Our entire Western existence depends businesses that employ people working in conditions we would rather not think about in countries we would rather not go to run by political leaders we would rather our political leaders didn't do deals with.

..... but then again we all love a bargain.

Would the company want you if it knew your views? I suspect not.

If you got the job, would you be able to keep your opinions to yourself? Given that you've been motivated to complain about them in the past, I suspect you won't feel able to keep your thoughts to yourself when confronted with what you don't like about the company's business all day long.

Don't apply in case you get the job. Its not worth the risk.

No, I wouldn't.

Years ago, I was in your situation where a perfect job for me (not my dream job, but I'd have had a good chance of getting it) came up at a tobacco company - and I just couldn't do it.

Well, I don't want to say too much but I am a teacher and it is with one of the large academy chains - though it is not a teaching post. If it is as good as it sounds on paper, then it would allow me to remain in the field I love, but without some of the more tedious aspects of the job. I am under no illusions that it would be easier, but the stresses would be different and, I believe, more manageable for me.

I am happy to be called a hypocrite by friends - it would be true! However, I have no presence on social media so that's not an issue.

Part or me thinks that these chains are unstoppable now anyway, so I may as well join now - my school may be overtaken by one at some point anyway...

I could happily work for a defence supply company, a pharmaceutical company or a big bank but would probably have to draw the line at tobacco or some of the dodgier payday lenders. But I work for a law firm and don't have the luxury of choosing my clients!

I have previously had a role 'marketing' a product that some people have real ethical objections to. At the time, I didn't know enough about it to form an opinion either way and thought those outraged were probably a bit sensitive.

After 6 months, I left more outraged than most! In my opinion the company was very unethical, manipulative and always looking for a way to work around legal guidelines instead of working within them.

From about 2 weeks in I deeply regretted leaving my old job, working with an absolute dream company, because I made a rash decision for money, a short commute and less pressure.

In my experience, you should follow your gut and if something doesn't sit well with you - don't do it.

I think it really depends on the issue and how strongly you feel about it. I've worked at a big supermarket in the past even though I prefer to support small, local businesses and served meat even though I'm vegan, so that was kind of a compromise of my principles but I was on benefits before so had to accept any job offer. I could deal with that but couldn't work for say, a slaughterhouse, animal testing laboratory, tobacco company or weapons manufacturer. Most jobs are in some way a compromise and it's up to you where you draw the line. Is your objection to this company just a preference or a key principal?

I've found it difficult not to be 'idealistic' about some companies.

I was in a similar situation as you OP. I can empathise. Ultimately only you can decide what you are able to live with (repeating what PP have said!)

I went for an interview working a cigarette company HQ, early in my career. Local, great salary/bens, a considerable step-up the ladder and the person interviewing me was really friendly.

The interview went well, but as I drove away I knew in my gut I wouldn't be able to reconcile working for them - I just couldn't separate that job from the industry and what they stood for.

I was offered the job the same day, but had to turn it down - I didn't even think twice and the main thing is, I've never regretted my decision, not for a moment.

that is a role that doesn't really exist in the way I want it to anymore, so this could be my only chance for such an opportunity

Honestly, I bet you anything it isn't your only chance - you may think it is at the moment. My only advice is don't base your decision around that belief - there will be other different opportunities. If you have ranted about the company, then chances are it will eat away at you.

It's impossible to be perfect but equally it is important to be able to look yourself in the mirror. Everyone has responsibilities but it is possible to strike a balance.

I once found out about a month into a job that the organisation I worked for was funding some pretty spurious animal testing. I was hard up against a wall financially at the time so couldn't just quit, but I put a good case internally for scaling it back, got the Chief Exec on side with that and found a new job four months later. They should really have brought it up at interview, all the testing that was mentioned then was a longitudinal human study over approx 50 years. I did do research before accepting the role, but for obvious safety/publicity reasons, the animal testing was very hush hush.

But switching did bring me difficulties career wise for a while. I just wish I had been told the truth at the beginning and so would never have gotten into a mess that I had to get myself out off.

Am getting the impression though that you don't need to switch jobs to put the food on the table now, rather that you think it will help you progress in an otherwise tricky field. My experience is that once you get into sticky situations, it can take you longer than you thought to extricate yourself.

So how would you feel if the right role and the right organisation came up in e.g. 6 or 7 months and you wouldn't be in a strong position to apply for it because you'd recently switched jobs? Or if working for the "bad" organisation would stigmatise you from working for better organisations in the future?

I would say you'd be better waiting for a job that really is perfect to come along i.e. right role and right organisation.

Only you know if you can hide your feelings, tbh. I don't know much about academies but I despise the tobacco industry, for instance, so much that even if I ended up going for a job I know I wouldn't be able to hide it at interview.

I would probably have to draw the line at a weapons manufacturing firm

yeah, we were once approached and their website was speaking about "range" and "impact", then they got straight to the point and said "lethality"

yeah yeah we know what that means

If you cannot beat 'em, join 'em.

I think it would largely depend on what your real objections were. Also how badly you needed the job. Also it would depend how closely you were working with the factors you were objecting to iyswim.

Years ago I worked for a large financial organisation who had close links with British American Tobacco. I had nothing to do with that side, other than that they gave us free shares. I needed the job and it was purely secretarial admin/never anything to do with promoting tobacco or its products and as such I worked for a financial services organisation. NO issue there.

I could work for nestle, but I wouldn't work for a payday lender. Equally I didn't apply for a job as a legacy marketing officer for a charity, as the idea of actively persuading people to leave charities money in their will just doesn't sit right with me.

Could you make a difference, do you think, to the children and young people you were working for?

I think that has to be the main concern. And yes, those chains are awful, but unstoppable. Under this admin, at least.

Is it a good job because it's in an academy?

Either way I would apply and see what the school feels like on interview day, if you get that far. The next time the school system is shaken up they'll all go back to normal state schools anyway...

Yes, but you could never voice your opinions about whatever subject it is again. And you run the risk of friends and family not taking your opinion on most things political very seriously ever again. I would certainly dismiss someones opinion who had ranted about a company or industry and then accepted a job there. You can't object to something but then take their money. Well, you can but you can't expect to be taken very seriously.

It's a tricky one. But I didn't apply for a job at BAE Systems because the make and sell weapons.

I spent a long time working for a company that a lot of people wouldn't work for - think weapons, cigarettes, animal testing levels of controversy.
It wasn't against my principles per se, and they were offering me a package that I couldn't turn down, but I did think long and hard about taking it, partly because of the impact it would have on my CV...

It was a very eye opening experience, mostly because they went to such great efforts to be whiter than white in their business practices. And I found colleagues to be a very nice bunch of people, because nearly everyone had done a LOT of soul searching before taking the job, so were all very moral people.

There were occasionally people who would accept a job and then change their mind and not start, or would start and leave after a few weeks because they got too much shit from their friends. But on the whole, people stayed for a long time and were treated well.

The company wasn't going to hand out any extra reasons for the world to hate them by stiffing employees...

The biggest downside was telling people what I did and where I worked, but you soon work out a few stock answers to tell people and shut the conversation down before they start ranting.

I work for an academy (not a chain and not a teacher).

OP, am interested to know what your objections are?