Help, what should I do?

[hamster]

Aaargh, am in a bit of a moral quandrary and looking for a bit of advice!

I've just graduated and am looking for a job, whilst doing bits of temping and care work and suchlike to pay the bills. Ideally, I'd like to work doing something in local food, either research and campaigning for a food charity/organisation, like I'm doing at the moment (sadly as a volunteer) or by getting involved in a box scheme or local enterprise. Don't really have the business experience for that atm, and for the first, I'll need 6 months to a year's office/admin experience.

I'm doing some support work with people with learning disabilities, which I quite enjoy, but I know it's not the kind of thing I want to do long-term, and it's agency work, which isn't very regular, so I'm looking for a permanent office-type job. Unfortunately, most people look at me weirdly and say, 'You have a degree from Oxford, you're massively overqualified, why do you want this job?' But I really do need a job for the experience, as well as just having some regular form of income to pay off my student debt, etc, etc.

I've just got off the phone with a recruitment agency who have been really sympathetic and finally found someone who's really keen to employ me (on a temp-to-perm basis) and is happy to let me finish my volunteer project with Sustain while I work part time. It's nearby, and sounded perfect... until I was told they were a defence company!

Not really sure if I'd feel comfortable working there (and more cynically, if I want to work for a charity in the future, will they look unfavourably at me if it's on my CV?), but I had an agreement with my boyfriend, who's currently shouldering most of the financial responsibility for rent, bills, food etc, that after I was finished the volunteer thing, I'd look for a paying job, any paying job, so I could contribute more, since he was happy to effectively fund me at the moment. I've fired off loads of applications, and am networking like crazy, but I haven't been offered much, and there's no guarantee volunteering will lead onto something....

Common sense says I should really take this job, and I do need to eat, buy my conscience is screaming, 'No!' What should I do?

[possum]

tbh, at your age and experience I would take whatever I could get, you can take the job and still look for others, if you think the job could work against you on your CV, well just don't put it there.

[QuakerBear]

Mmmm. I think if I were you I'd go with my conscience. I think I'd find the day to day act of going against it too hard, I'd feel abit dishonest. Is there really no other paid employment you can get when your volunteering finishes? Even just as an office admin to bring some cash in?

If you're still wondering, try sitting down in a chair (not a too comfy one or you might fall asleap) in the quiet with no distractions. Then relax, perhaps focus on your breathing, but just listen. Once you're listening the answer might be given to you, or you might realise you knew all along. But the point is don't directly think about the problem. What has your chap said on the topic?

I'm sorry if any of that's not the answer you wanted but best of luck anyway.

[Annpan]

I couldnt take it, sorry, I couldn't do anything that goes against my beliefs that much.

I heard some comedy show on radio 4 the other day and it was set at a school reunion, the charecter was asked by a former teacher if his 15 year-old self would be impressed by what he now did for a living "he would be horrified" was the answer (the character was an arms dealer)

OK it is an extreme example but your story reminded me of it.
Also, you wouldn't be able to keep it off of your CV if that is where you got your experience, if you leave it off the employer will ask you in an interview.

Sorry if it's not the answer you were looking for... but you did ask

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[the.fee.fairy]

I hate the job that i do because of what it stands for, but i needed a joob, experience and money to save up to do what i really want to do.

Sometimes, you have to put some of your beliefs and morals aside and focus on sustaining yourself, and working towards your eventual goal.

As has already been said, you don't have to put the job on your CV in the future, and you can use it as a stop gap until you get the next job.

It is a difficult decision, and i wish you the verybest of luck - from one graduate who's not using her degree in any way, shape or form, to another!

[Thomzo]

What degree did you do, Hamster? Is there nothing in your area that you could go into with your degree? That way you wouldn't be overqualified.

Have you thought about going into accounts? You can start with any degree and once qualified you can go into pretty much any industry/large charity. It's a really useful skill to have.

Cheers
Zoe

[mrsflibble]

Hamster, if you can't eat and have a roof uver your head, you can't go on to better things can you? it makes common sense. Even jews and muslims have a starvation "get out clause" from their food laws.

I have two mates in similar situations... overqualified.
one was at st hildas in xofrod and did chemistry (and unlike me she learnt to type properly ).... she eventually got a job back at oxford uni working in the library somewhere.

the other is an even sadder case. My mate laura worked hard to get a degree in law and to do an LPC course; but due to her cerebral palsey (no mental difficulties; just a limp and one eye which doesn't point in the right direction) nobody would employ her for the final part of her qualification to work as a solicitor. Shes the most highly qualified till lady at tilbury sainsbury's.

[snapdragon]

defence = protection

for your CV then surely you could list it as a temporary post - working for the agency and stating the work you did without stating the nature of the business.

[Annpan]

defence = protection

for your CV then surely you could list it as a temporary post - working for the agency and stating the work you did without stating the nature of the business.

I think we all know what 'defence' means, and so will anyone you apply to afterwards, if you are not honest on your CV they will ask.

It won't necessarily be negative, but I wouldn't feel confident putting it on my CV.


BTW
They used to call it the war cabinet when we were defending the country, now they call it the ministry of defence, when we are only involved in conflicts abroad. (I am trying not to get political here but it is obvious)

[Millymollymandy]

Why would they ask about something that isn't on the CV - they wouldn't know to ask about it if it wasn't there?????

Who is honest on their CVs these days - they are always 'tweaked' depending on the type of job you are applying for.

Even mine, years ago, was tweaked by an agency to fill in some gaps where I'd been travelling! And I was only looking for secretarial work!!!

The only possible problem is a gap in time but you can just put 'temp work'. Nobody is going to check up on that. That's what we did with mine.

[Annpan]

But if you say that you got your experience through temp work, or if it was the last job that you had they will ask what the company was and what your duties there included.

They also ask questions like "what position were you within the team", "can you give an example of a time where you..."

I think it would be difficult to skirt around the issue and not admit who it was that you worked for.

I agree that we absolutley all bend our CV to fit the job for which you are applying, it can get tough to do continue avoiding subjects during interview, especially if it the answer to I direct question.


Sorry Hamster for highjacking your post. I'll butt out now

Good luck

[Thomzo]

I have had a number of temporary roles (we accountants glam them up by calling them "contracts"). On my CV I put "Various contracts including..." and then list the ones that are relevant to the job that I am applying for.

I agree with Snapdragon. Put the name of the agency that employs you on your CV. If you get to the interview and they ask who you worked for then you will have to own up. At least then you have a chance to explain why you worked there. You can always add that it was a chance to see for yourself what a defence company actually did from the inside rather than just relying on what you read in the press. In fact, if you want to change something, it is often better to do so from within the organisation than outside it so I wouldn't even feel bad about working for them.

After all, what is better than taking their money and then using it to fund an anti-war campaign?

Zoe

[ina]

Why would they ask about something that isn't on the CV - they wouldn't know to ask about it if it wasn't there?????

If you have an unexplained gap in your CV, they are bound to ask about it - if they invite you for an interview, that is; they might not, if they see this gap...

I think I'd go with Thomzo's advice - seems very sensible to me.

[mrsflibble]

I did the same as thomzo said, "various contracts including..." all the places I worked at were fairly big companies; i just said "admin work" if it was something as crap as envelope filling etc.


"Office assistant in the returns department of Cossatto" means I was a general dogsbody for a week in their basildon distribution centre; made everyone's coffee and chased up missing spare parts.

"I have a qualification in photoshop and digital image processing" well, I do... 20 credits of a degree course... but then i figure in this line of work, if I am good enough on photoshop to forge a certificate (not done yet but you never know when i may need the skill) then I'm good enough to do any work anyone asks me to.

"various contracts through Interpersonnel; general office work" means I did a day here and a day there in different places 'cos i was taking anything; i was desperate.

"receptionist for Oliver Engineering" means I answered the phone for jim's dad while he was out to try and earn my keep a bit while i was unemployed... this one was more impressive when my surname wasn't oliver though.

don't out and out lie; bend the truth.

[red]

if its about what you CV looks like, then I suspect you can get around that. if it's that you do not feel comfortably morally working for this company.. then you have to talk it over with bf and decide if you can afford morals. afterall there comes a point when you have to eat etc.

... but if you really feel against it, you will be motivated enough to take several small jobs (yes evening work too) rather than lowering your standards.

only you can decide where to draw the line - I could not personally work for a company that made weapons, but have in the past worked for a company that made boat parts and MOD were one of their customers - in fact it is difficult to be totally pure .. you just have to decide where the line is.

good luck