Training and Professional Development is a Social Mission

I’ve worked in the nonprofit space for much of my career. Years ago when I wanted to make a transition into the world of corporate training for a big company, the interviewer looked at my resume and asked: Would you even be comfortable working here? You seem to have a job history of working for more… well… “do-good” types of organizations. Be honest, how would you feel about working for an organization whose focus, at the end of the day, is making money for shareholders?

In my interview prep, I had been so focused on making sure I could talk about my L&D prowess that I hadn’t thought much about how to answer this kind of question. And I think it’s a fair question to ask, because a hiring manager doesn’t want to bring someone on board who might struggle to give 100% since the mission of the organization isn’t to save the world in some way, shape or form.