Dear Dave,

I work an extra job part-time for a retail store chain while I’m getting out of debt. I like my job, except for having to pitch the store’s credit card to customers. Like you, I believe debt is a bad thing. Still, my bosses are putting more and more pressure on me to sell the cards. It’s been bothering me a lot lately, and I was wondering if you have any advice for my ethical dilemma?

Evette

Dear Evette,

If you’ve been in the business for very long, I guess you’ve discovered that most retail stores make more money on credit than the sale of merchandise. In my mind, you’ve got two types of integrity that are pulling at you. Your personal integrity wants you to do a good job for yourself and your employer, but it’s also telling you that credit cards are bad products. That makes you feel like you’ve signed up to sell something that you don’t believe in.

You wouldn’t want someone working for you who wouldn’t follow your instructions, and I wouldn’t want someone working for me who doesn’t believe in what they’ve been hired to do. For the sake of your own integrity, I would suggest that you find another part-time job. If you feel this strongly about the issue, sooner or later it will start to affect your performance and attitude—both at work and at home.

Hang on long enough to land another job before you quit. Then, be professional when you turn in your notice. Despite what lots of people say these days, there are plenty of part-time jobs out there!

—Dave