This article laid out a sort of framework for a question I’ve been pondering, as I’ve recently set out on the full time recruiting process. Meta is undoubtedly a prestigious company to work for, and not only that, but it hosts one of the most lauded new grad (or new PM in general) RPM programs. Its products are influential and pervasive, and many are consumer-facing – all characteristics most PM job seekers find exciting when looking for the ideal post grad job. However, reading section 5.2 brought me back to some of the coursework from CS 152, a class I took last spring: Trust & Safety. That class opened my eyes to the extent to which Meta, and similar companies, have hugely damaging unethical practices, from the dire mental health effects of content moderation to other types of worker exploitation.
Given these two sides of the coin, the dilemma is apparent. A yes or no response doesn’t come easy; I feel like a fully honest answer would only come when the offer genuinely stood before me, and the ramifications on my career, lifestyle, and future were real. However, the notion of distance from the unethical practices as discussed in the section would likely be massively influential in the decision-making process. If I was placed on a product team I was genuinely deeply excited about with people I deeplt respected, and perhaps was even doing something social impact related, I could perhaps mentally offset what I know Meta’s doing elsewhere with the “moral and good” work I was contributing to. I could maybe reach the “balanced ethical stance” they mention in the reading. Another part of the section that resonated was about how a role can better equip you to do more impactful work at scale in the future. Having the opportunity to work at Meta would give me skills less easily attainable at a smaller company. Also, Meta’s “name brand” validation could lead to me getting hired at a company afterwards with a more social impact forward mission or more policies against unethical practices. This would definitely be a huge consideration in whether or not I took the role.
After having written this response, I think that realistically, I would take an offer at Meta. The implications it could have on my future opportunities would be significant. And on top of that, as the article discussed, since our economy is essentially fully interlinked, having some proximity to some sort of unethical practice is unfortunately part of the reality of working in tech. In my view, it’s most important to understand where that negative proximity fits into, or balances out with, your overall positive career mission and impact.
