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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To go for a job that is against my principles

100 replies

thinkingmakesitso · 08/01/2016 12:36

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?

OP posts:

GraciesMansion · 08/01/2016 20:31

I'm a teacher and wouldn't work for an academy unless we were desperate for the money and I needed it to feed the family. I wouldn't do it just because I thought the job would be perfect for me. Luckily in our authority not many schools have gone down the academy route, probably because we're one of the "outstanding" local authorities and the schools actually get quite a good deal here. There's only been one forced academy in the whole LA.

DrDreReturns · 08/01/2016 21:24

The only employer I would eschew is UKIP What about the BNP?

I wouldn't want to work in the arms industry. Having said that I will have done work for the military in my career (I was involved in forensics and we did work for the Military Police) even if I wasn't aware of it at the time (the testing was anonymised in the lab). In some cases it can be quite tricky to completely avoid things you object to, even if you don't directly work for them.

notquitehuman · 08/01/2016 21:56

I was called a while ago by an agency who seemed to have a perfect job for me. Exactly the role I wanted, great location, work life balance etc etc. After a long conversation, I found out the job was in the headquarters for Bounty. I immediately declined, knowing I wouldn't be able to enthusiastically work for a company that harasses women at their lowest point. The agent was most shitty when I politely declined to apply.

sleeponeday · 09/01/2016 00:37

In the role I would certainly be able to make a difference, yes.

Then that would be my answer.

You can't hold back the tide, sadly. The priority, surely, is to give the kids the best possible education that you can, and this role would best use your talents to achieve that, no?

knobblyknee · 09/01/2016 01:35

I wouldnt. If you have ranted about them on social media under your real name, they can find it.
You either have principals or you dont.

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 09/01/2016 04:20

In the circumstances you outline, I would apply.

LadyWithLapdog · 09/01/2016 06:08

I wouldn't work for the GP chains or in medical assessment for benefits claimants. I know I could 'justify' it to myself and others that someone's got to do it and the money would be better. But I have sufficient self respect and I'm not pushed into it. We don't have to take these changes quite so willingly if we have other options. Work isn't everything.

LadyWithLapdog · 09/01/2016 06:12

Don't fool yourself that you could make a meaningful impact. On your own? As obviously others already working in them haven't been able to. You can't be the only 'principled' person to join. If you are, what are you doing there. If you aren't, how screwed up a place is it if others have been squashed already?

Sugarbread · 09/01/2016 07:50

Totally relate to this. I agonised before taking a job with a Rupert Murdoch-owned company that regularly featured in Private Eye. Sat on the job offer for 3 weeks and nearly annoyed them so much it got retracted. Was working in a depressing council job at the time. I took it, loved it, opemed my horizons, stayed six years, met some lovely people, there was a chance to change a few things - never regretted it. Since then, I've had more ethical issues with public sector clients where they outrageously squander money: "we'll lose the budget if we don't spend it" or are naive about hiring consultancy firms as well as senior people in safe jobs, taking fat salaries but not prepared to make decisions. For OP, I would apply, hopefully get in front of them, wow them and then ask some good questions back - see how they respond - and then make your own decision. Good luck!

LagoonaBlu · 09/01/2016 07:57

I did exactly this. I was in mortgage arrears though and a SP to 2, which swung my decision.

I still have days when I struggle with it, but mostly its OK. Giving me the experience to move on. Have a long term plan maybe?

molyholy · 09/01/2016 07:59

My husband works for the probation service. Since it has been privatised there are literally people making money from crime. It does pay, it seems. He lived gis job. Rehabilitation etc. But now it sickens him that it's all about quantity, not quality. Unfortunately, he cannot just leave and is currently desperately searching for a new job. I wouldn't go for it. It will affect your whole life, including having an impact on your family life.

molyholy · 09/01/2016 08:00

*loved his

wannabetennisplayer · 09/01/2016 08:09

My understanding is that this government's aim is to remove all schools from local government control. There is an expectation that all new schools will be free schools/academies and more and more are converting. You could stay in your current school in a job you dislike and still find that you are working in an academy in a year's time. Personally, in your situation, I think I'd take the job but expect some ribbing from friends about it, at least initially.

StitchesInTime · 09/01/2016 08:13

I don't really understand anything about the academy's issues.

But would I take a job that was against my principles or for a company I disapproved of so much I ranted about them in social media?

Depends.
Would I need the job to pay essential bills and keep my family afloat? Then yes, i'd swallow my principles and take the job until I found something else.
Would it just be to further my career or slightly better working conditions? Probably not.

MagicalHamSandwich · 09/01/2016 08:26

I'm A die-hard leftie of the old school - and work for a technology and management consulting firm (baaaad!) big enough to almost exclusively cater to big, greedy, international corporations (very baaaad!). Basically, if you run a hedge fund, displace native villagers in order to pillage their natural ressources, cause oil spills or manufacture the weapons currently used to slaughter children in Syria there's a pretty decent chance my firm does consulting work for you.

I love my job and am actually proud of what I personally do: building software to make public transport safer. There are clients I wouldn't want to work for necessarily and then there are those I promised myself I would resign if ever forced onto a project for them. Luckily my area (both geographically and skills-wise) makes this rather unlikely.

On a more positive note, I've worked in a variety of firms but have never had more co-workers who agreed with my political ideals than now. One of my trainers was a bona fide communist in his private life. Also, I once stood in the middle of a crowd at a political demonstration when - oh shock, oh horror! - I saw my boss approach. Of course he promptly spotted me. Imagine my surprise when his face lit up and he declared how pleased he was to see he was not the only radical leftie in the firm!

MagicalHamSandwich · 09/01/2016 08:30

Bottom line is: go for it if you feel you can deal with the specific role you'll be doing. I also recommend defining your own red lines beforehand so that you know when it's time to jump ship should this ever happen.

I've done it and actually see a lot of positives about working for big evil as opposed to the nifty IT-startup I had in mind. For starters, big evil has professionalised HR and actually knows how to deal with the particular challenges faced by women in tech. My last firm was so lousy at it that I left.

tobysmum77 · 09/01/2016 08:31

I assumed that it was an ideological objection to the aims of the company eg tobacco, meat if veggie etc.

The academy/ LA thing doesn't change the fundamental aim of educating children and improving lives. Lots of teachers in academies don't agree with academisation but the important thing surely is to do your best for the children? And make sure you can eat.

SheGotAllDaMoves · 09/01/2016 08:55

I think it depends what your position would be OP.

If it would be to provide education to the DC or run the admin of the school, then okay. If it would be as PR for the chain, then that would be a gross sell out.

Slutbucket · 09/01/2016 09:12

Are academies really that bad? My children go to one and I'm really impressed with it. The learning experiences they provide are second to none.

TheSnowFairy · 09/01/2016 09:21

Our academy wasn't a forced academy - it was a positive change we made as we had a good rating (SE area).

tobysmum77 · 09/01/2016 09:34

Ours was forced but the LA was truly dreadful and directly to blame for some of the school's problems.

At individual school level they arent always good or bad, it depends on the chain/ group and its fit. However there is an argument at a higher level that putting schools into private hands isn't a good thing.

SevenOfNineTrue · 09/01/2016 09:45

I'd also consider that most of the people you will work with agree with the principals of the place, so you could feel very isolated if you start talking about how you really feel to them.

MrsCrabb · 09/01/2016 09:53

I predict that once in you'll soon be toeing the party line and be telling people why Academies might not be perfect but they're better than the alternative

AppleSetsSail · 09/01/2016 11:22

I have missed the controversy surrounding academies. Anyone care to help me out?

WhereTheFuckIsWonderWoman · 09/01/2016 11:41

I work in an academy chain school. The job is so perfect it could have been designed especially for me. However, if I had known then what I know now about academy chains I'd have thought long and hard about whether to apply. I completely understand your reservations, OP and I expect I can guess fairly accurately the content of your rants.

Having said that, my job is to go in each day and make a difference to the lives of the children I work with. I'm protected from much of the shit because I'm not senior management and our head is great at buffering stuff that comes our way.

I'd go for it in terms of application and interview. You've got right up until the moment you're offered the job to pull out by what ch time you'll have got a better feel for what goes on.

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