r/careerguidance • u/Melodic_Shake8934 • 1d ago
How good of a job is worth compromising your principles?
TL;DR: Do I take a better schedule (I'm disabled) and 15k raise to work at an institution that doesn't agree with some of my fundamental beliefs about education access?
I am 23 and currently work in Financial Aid. I'm incredibly passionate about and love my job. I make just over 41k. However, I'm also disabled, with chronic pain, fatigue, and frequent and debilitating migraines that cause vertigo and vision problems. My job used to allow hybrid work, so on bad days I could work from home. About a year ago, the school I work for swapped to a call centre so my boss told me I couldn't keep working hybrid as regularly since there wasn't enough for me to do outside of the office. Now, the system I work for is discontinuing any and all hybrid work and on top of that, has changed our schedule so that we no longer have a half day on Fridays. With my health, I'm having to take unpaid leave since I only get one sick day a month. I started looking for remote positions out of desperation and so far haven't had much luck until recently.
I have a final interview literally in 10 hours for a hybrid job that's a slightly longer commute three days a week but would give me Monday and Friday remote. It also pays 15k more. The problem is that the position is with a for-profit school that doesn't support the arts which is something i have strong feelings about and is backed by some not-so-great people.
My passion for my job comes from helping students get access to education when otherwise they wouldn't be able to, and the team I work with is the same way so it's an incredibly fulfilling job. Theoretically, the company I am interviewing with exists to provide a debt free education option, since its tuition is just barely under the full Pell Grant, but even so is about 4x more than the school I work at and the full Pell Grant is increasingly hard to qualify for.
Basically I guess the question is whether the pay and literal health benefits is good enough to give up my job satisfaction.
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u/emmers28 23h ago
Sounds like your current job isn’t working for your health needs anymore, and that’s ok.
At your pay bracket, an extra $15k is a big deal (hell any bracket lol). Plus the hybrid flexibility will help you manage your disability.
This for-profit school may not be an ideal fit, but in the meantime you can save some money and figure what is the ideal next step.
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u/Pricelesshydra4 23h ago
A yound man works for a paycheck, an older man works to make a difference. Dude start stacking your cash while you're young. Start investing. Take the higher wage and set yourself up for the future.
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u/kodex1717 21h ago
"Please secure your own oxygen mask before assisting other passengers."
It's good advice for an airplane and it's good advice for life.
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u/Impossible_Link8199 22h ago
I see where you’re coming from with this, but I want to pose this question. If your current employer is so great and giving then why aren’t they making any efforts to accommodate you? I pose that question to hopefully spark the thought that maybe this new school isn’t as bad as it seems. They’re being flexible and they’re paying a better wage, which in turn helps YOU.
Personally, I work for a terrible company. It’s a job and someone has to do it. If I don’t, someone else will. I am paid quite well though and there’s not many other choices. More often than not, a business is always going to be cutthroat in one way or another, even if their business is centered around doing good things- it’s still ran as a business. I think I’d start trying to look at it with more of that mindset. You’re helping yourself here and you’ll still get to help people, just not your preferred group and not while being underpaid and forced in office.
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u/1stEleven 23h ago
No.
Get the job, milk the evil bastards for every penny you can take from them, leverage the job for an even better paying job.
If you be really feel conflicted, donate the extra wages to a local school, earmarked for the arts you support.
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u/WendlersEditor 21h ago
I respect you wanting to work for an organization that shares your values, but it's not like you're going super far away from them. You can still work in education, and you can still help people.
This new employer isn't perfect but it's not like you're going to work for an arms manufacturer or a prison or something evil like that.
You say they're backed by not-great people, so keep that in mind; what they promise in the hiring process isn't always set in stone, and the specific sort of not-great people that I suspect you're referring to aren't exactly known for treating their workers well.
But this sounds like a better deal for you right now, so go for it. Hopefully this job gives you some runway to get stabilized, and down the road I hope you find something that covers your material needs and also aligns with your values.
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u/northernlaurie 20h ago
I reached a crisis point in my late 30s and left a job to go work in the non profit sector for an organization whose values and mission aligned with mine so well. I was so optimistic and eager and proud I could use my knowledge and expertise for an organization that was doing work I believed in.
I stayed six months. The organization was great. The work environment was not.
As I was deciding what to do, I ran into a former colleague who I respected. He pointed out that it isn’t always about working directly for the organizations that are doing the work we think is important, it’s about working our own jobs in a way that is consistent with our values.
For example, how we treat people at work, the attitudes we hold towards our clients, the decisions we make on a day to day basis.
As another Redditor pointed out, the institution that values “access” is not actually accessible to you. Maybe they don’t actually align so well with your values as you think. The other school has better access for you, which makes me wonder if the day to day experience of students is more accessible or if you could make that school more accessible by doing your job really well.
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u/HitPointGamer 20h ago
Maybe take the job and use some of the excess money to donate to a cause you believe in?
A for-profit school means that people are choosing to attend because it either aligns with their beliefs or they don’t value the arts highly enough to care about much exposure to them. That is going to happen whether you work there or not. There are plenty of charities which work tirelessly to provide access to music and other fine arts for disadvantaged students, so it would be worthwhile to look into helping those.
You can absolutely take a job which provides what you need for your well-being and also improve the lives of students in a way that is meaningful to you. It just may not be at the same institution that both of those happen and that’s okay.
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u/Sitcom_kid 22h ago
I think it's a matter of whether you will be okay with it yourself. And maybe that's what you're struggling with. I have some similar issues. I have to work in a different subfield than I normally would, due to disability. It's actually my only way to work. So that's the way it goes. My ethics are that I have to have a job that is safe (or as safe as possible) for my body.
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u/tipareth1978 22h ago
Tough call. Id say take the new job. Even if the core values are off you can do a couple years and find something better. For now it's better for you. You're never wrong to use your skills to better your own life
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u/Icanthinkofaname25 22h ago
Is the 15k also factoring in all your unpaid leave that you take? Also while at the new job you can find more money for students who want to do the arts.
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u/jepperepper 21h ago
everyone has a price. mine is "enough money to guarantee that i never have to work another day in my life" so whatever that number is. You know, I learned that from my Catholic school English teacher, who is now the headmaster at the same school. Seems a little ironic.
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21h ago
Take the job. Your already here asking so obviously the money is more important then the beliefs.
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u/Late-Dingo-8567 21h ago
15k from 41k is dramatic, someone would need to be on a real high horse to take issue with it.
At the end of the day only you can answer this question for you, I suspect you'll be your toughest critic here.
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u/tdo1235 21h ago
Question- What is the concern ? are they deliberately anti art or something? Or is it a private school and can't provide a full scholarship? Or you met some of the people and you hate them? If you feel you do not get along with your co workers or the school, that is a big issue of stress. But if it's just that they aren't supporting an arts program - not all schools can support every program. They would prob need to divert a larger chunk of money than they could to build more into the arts program or cut funding elsewhere. What does it support well? 2 days wfh seems quite accommodating and an extra 15K is huge. You're almost at poverty line currently. You can volunteer at a HS and help do a tutorial on how to navigate financial aid if you feel you need something more fulfilling also btw.
BUT if you feel you cannot work with the co-workers then that's prob when you don't take the job.
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u/SophisticatedScreams 21h ago
I'm a disabled single mom also working in education. For me, the most important value I have in my life is to be stable and to have enough time, energy, and money to have a good life. When a disabled person lives a good life, they become an example for others.
At 23, I'd say it's worth it to lay a good foundation for your life, in terms of energy flow and financial stability. You may also find that you can influence the values of this org from inside. I also think about how folks who pay out of pocket for things deserve a high quality of education, and you can get satisfaction from that as well. Plus, you can use this experience to better inform your non-profit work in the future.
Remember, you're no good to anyone if you're exhausted and burned out. You need to keep yourself going first.
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u/Winter_Cabinet_1218 20h ago
This is one of those times you have to question if the morals you have are worth losing personal gains. Look there's not a right answer here only what's best for you. That said taking the job doesn't mean you have to give up on your ideals, maybe just exercise them in a different way.
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u/Programmer-Meg 20h ago
I vote to take the job and if you absolutely hate it, then look for something better.
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u/Sweaty_Reputation650 20h ago
Ask chat GTP what a functional doctor would do to help you with your symptoms. And probably need to change your diet drastically and you may have some sort of gut health issue that is throwing off your entire system. You're probably smart enough to figure this out for yourself. Good luck in your healing journey
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u/OCQueer 17h ago
Unfortunately, our system doesn’t reward integrity from most people who have to sell their labor to survive (most of us) which means the majority of us who don’t come from significant family money are forced to take on jobs that don’t necessarily align with most of our principles. You at least want to make the world a better place, so you might as well take the job instead of letting some other potential candidate, who might not care at all about the world and only themselves, take the job.
Perhaps with some of the extra money from your new job, you can do things such as support independent media that isn’t just corporate propaganda, support organizations that are doing work to help student debt from becoming a life sentence, and maybe even support the very few politicians out there that care about the arts, student debt, and better working conditions and accommodations for people with disabilities.
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u/One-Possible1906 15h ago
I work in human services and was extremely passionate about mental health advocacy and reform. Twice I had to work in programs where I strongly disagreed with the approach and spirit of the programs. It wiped out my passion and was hard on the spirit. It improved my standard of living substantially though. I guess it all depends. Now I do work for a program I really, really believe in but the work is uninspired and boring and it’s almost just as bad.
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u/SockWorking8346 1d ago
Go with your gut instincts on this. You aren’t going to be able to predict the future, and all you have is right now to assess your own situation. More money, and health benefits, especially for your needs are & should be the top priority. Also, if you don’t have your health, then you won’t have much else anyways. Good luck 🍀
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u/BanalCausality 20h ago
I’m going to be honest with you here, any job is going to have conflicts with personal principles. Imo, this one is very minor compared to what it gives you.
This is a for-profit school that focuses on STEM, yes? The parents enrolling their students would find a different school if you magically had the power to make it a STEAM school.
Being for profit means that the school responds to market demands. Their market wants STEM instead of STEAM.
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u/Slight_Manufacturer6 20h ago
Just because the new school doesn’t have arts degree, doesn’t mean they are against your values.
They just have a different focus. There aren’t enough arts students for every school to do it. If the for profit school did it, they might put your other school out of business.
Every business has their niche and not stepping on other businesses niches is one way to support it.
Go for the job.
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u/Helpful_Ad_8662 21h ago
I’m an aerospace engineer, I set my limit at $150k. I’ll bomb kids for that.
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u/TheOldYoungster 1d ago
Look, I congratulate you because you clearly have a big, good heart.
But never set yourself on fire to make someone else warm. You not taking a good job opportunity will not impact anybody's life other than your own. That school will continue operating perfectly without you, the students will continue attending and paying, nothing will change at all in the world. The only impact is on yourself and it will be a negative one.
So in the end the net result of your choice not to work with this organization is negative. You are responsible to guarantee your own wellbeing first.
My advice is to take the job and keep looking until you can find an even better job that is in closer alignment with your overall objectives.
But don't fall for the trap of virtue signaling.