Duty to Myself vs. Duty to Others
I would 100% accept a job at FaceBook/Meta. In fact, I am waiting with bated breath that once their new grad positions open up I will at least land an interview. The reading on Working for Ethically Complicated Organizations supports my stance: I ultimately owe a greater duty to myself than to others.
I am the first in my family—and likely in my community—to set foot in America, let alone attend a private university with immense resources. Since arriving here, I have worked relentlessly to sustain those I left behind. This responsibility is one I chose to embrace, but it has come at the expense of my own personal and financial growth. I don’t travel, eat out, or indulge. If I were offered a position at Meta, with a total compensation of around $183k, it would mean something profound: for the first time in my life, I could live for myself. When survival and opportunity are at stake, people rarely have the luxury of “choosing” in the abstract — the decision makes itself.
Finding Meaning in Meta’s Mission
Meta’s mission is to “give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together,” and for me, that’s not abstract — it’s personal. WhatsApp has been my lifeline in a new country. On the days when loneliness whispers that I am alone, I can hop on a call with my family in seconds and talk for hours. If I were part of the team adding features to WhatsApp, every line of code could feel like I’m preserving that connection, not just for myself, but for millions of families like mine.
Instagram, too, is more than a social feed. It is a marketplace where small businesses find buyers who would never walk into their nonexistent storefronts. If I worked on Instagram, I would see myself contributing to those economic lifelines — helping someone, somewhere, make rent because their handmade product found a buyer. Yes, Meta carries its share of ethical shadows, but the good is not theoretical. It is woven into my own story.
Balancing Ethics with Opportunity
I do not deny Meta’s controversies. There is a “stink,” as this article says, but I believe my presence/absence there will not tip the scales of global impact. What I can do is maximize the unparalleled learning and growth opportunities Meta provides, then carry those skills forward into roles where I can influence change more directly.
For someone like me, there isn’t really a choice. This is not just a job; it is a golden opportunity. It is the chance to honor the sacrifices I’ve made, claim my independence, and eventually chart a career path where I can balance financial freedom with ethical purpose. Joining Meta would not only change my future—it would buy me the freedom to finally live my life for myself.
