Meet Job Seekers

I just saw this post about a Lonely Planet guidebook author who didn’t even visit the country he was writing about (which happens to be Colombia in this case).  It really got me to thinking – not only about how that entire book is probably a lie — but also about what values people uphold in their jobs.

When first starting out, it seems most people hold very idealistic goals for their career. Everyone’s out to save the world when they graduate. I would love a job where I can help save the environment, cure societal ills, and always be honest in everything I do. But it seems, at least from our lovely Lonely Planet friend, that somewhere down the line these aspirations are lost. Why? Usually for the money.

Think back to classic scandals, say perhaps, Enron. I had to read up on the Enron debacle for my corporate communications class, and boy, what a mess! Doctoring account registers just to earn a few extra zeroes at the end of their paychecks… how greedy can we be? Plus, it just goes to show that if you lie, you have to cover up with more and more lies, until you forget what the original lie even was. I’ve definitely been stuck in one of those situations before, and completely hated myself afterwards. Therefore, I am declaring that honesty is not only the best policy, but it is my favorite policy to uphold in the workplace.

What is the one value you absolutely refuse to budge on?

Update: Last night we had a lecture in my corporate communications class about ethics and standards to uphold as public relations practitioners. What really got my attention is how honesty and truth can be interpreted a number of ways. It is my belief that all sides of an issue should be presented, but I know that in business, you can’t always provide all information because of privacy and disclosure laws. There’s a fine balance that has to be achieved – one that I hope to learn as I take on more professional responsibilities. So I guess, honesty is still the highest ethical standard for me to personally uphold, but there are certainly some gray areas within the realm of what constitutes “honesty.” It’s really interesting to consider, I think.