Layout my convictions on the line
I had an interview today. It was more filling out an application and re-creating a simple poster in Quark than an interrogation session. After the Quark test, the interviewer asked a few questions about why I wanted to change jobs (I'm seeking permanent employment) and even about Australia, and then I was done.
I should know by Friday if I get the job. But in my mind as I pray and think about it, even if it was offered to me, I may have to turn it down.
This company is a grocery distributor, and my job would be to put together advertising materials for the stores the company serves. I feel suspicious that some of the products in the ads would be tobacco and alcohol products. (and for the Adventists out there...how about pork and other "unclean" food?)
On the other hand, my current employer is a textbook publisher. We put together books on all kinds of subjects, from dental assisting to literature to psychology. We even publish some Christian-oriented books custom-made for Christian universities across America (I cannot disclose which--confidentiality agreement).
I've had to review some of these texts, not for editorial content, but to look for old branding references such as logos and Web links, which we no longer can legally use since the company was spun off from the parent corporation. Some of these books have content that promotes ideas contrary to my beliefs on topics such as evolution and human sexuality.
All I do is put together covers, and maybe hunt down old branding references, or perhaps call out the rare spelling error I may happen to find. It's not in my job description to alter the authors' content or declare what in a textbook is morally right or wrong.
And many times I'm doing data entry for archiving books. All I see are ten-digit numbers (ISBNs), and I have no idea what the books contain from just looking at the number.
In art school, we had a guest speaker who was an art director at a prestigious advertising agency. He refuses to work on alcohol and tobacco accounts. His convictions also came to mind as I ponder whether or not to turn down a potential job offer, in the name of better pay and to escape from "temping."
Then again, the grocery distributor might--ahem--"select another candidate for the position"--and this will become a non-issue.
I should know by Friday if I get the job. But in my mind as I pray and think about it, even if it was offered to me, I may have to turn it down.
This company is a grocery distributor, and my job would be to put together advertising materials for the stores the company serves. I feel suspicious that some of the products in the ads would be tobacco and alcohol products. (and for the Adventists out there...how about pork and other "unclean" food?)
On the other hand, my current employer is a textbook publisher. We put together books on all kinds of subjects, from dental assisting to literature to psychology. We even publish some Christian-oriented books custom-made for Christian universities across America (I cannot disclose which--confidentiality agreement).
I've had to review some of these texts, not for editorial content, but to look for old branding references such as logos and Web links, which we no longer can legally use since the company was spun off from the parent corporation. Some of these books have content that promotes ideas contrary to my beliefs on topics such as evolution and human sexuality.
All I do is put together covers, and maybe hunt down old branding references, or perhaps call out the rare spelling error I may happen to find. It's not in my job description to alter the authors' content or declare what in a textbook is morally right or wrong.
And many times I'm doing data entry for archiving books. All I see are ten-digit numbers (ISBNs), and I have no idea what the books contain from just looking at the number.
In art school, we had a guest speaker who was an art director at a prestigious advertising agency. He refuses to work on alcohol and tobacco accounts. His convictions also came to mind as I ponder whether or not to turn down a potential job offer, in the name of better pay and to escape from "temping."
Then again, the grocery distributor might--ahem--"select another candidate for the position"--and this will become a non-issue.