Dehumanizing hiring processes, swoop-and-poop bosses, and maybe the biggest question of all: does my design work even matter if I don’t care about propping up capitalism? This week, Sara and Jen answer dilemmas about pushing back against exploitative requests, working around a faux-inclusive boss, and managing disillusionment with design. And through it all, a theme emerges: How do you handle the tension between two conflicting truths?

Links:

The 2023 Content Design and UX writing survey results Sara worked on
Ask a Manager: Should you do free work as part of a job interview?
How to use “job crafting” to make your work more meaningful

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

Can I uphold my values and still get a job?