JOURNAL REVIEW ON BUILDING ETHICAL CAREER

The article shares how an individual can develop an ethical career through
introducing three approaches, including useful concepts such as: ethical humility, ethical
mirage, resume and eulogy virtues, the three tests, and many more, that can guide us
to developing and maintaining an ethical career. It also tackles how building an ethical
career one can navigate the moral challenges at their respective workplaces and how it
directly affects them as well as an individual in the work place.

I feel that this is a very useful knowledge for the generations today as this gives a
different perspective on career development. Many people only see career development
as a way to conquer greater heights in their field or workplaces. The introduction of
distinguishing resume virtues and eulogy virtues unveils a new lens in the career
development that I believe can help the generations today become very effective in
helping many young workers today in their workplaces as this probes an individual’s
capability to contribute in their organization or to others, instead of what an organization
can contribute to them, and thus helping them build their characters. Leading them to
the first step of building an ethical career. Moreover, it’s very important to note when we
try to become a part of an organization, we should not be contented of the idea that they
are capable of giving us career growth/opportunities. Every individual who aims to be a
part of an organization or workforce should ask: ‘what are ethical dilemmas that this
organization/company usually face? I think that this is very important to know as well as
this helps many young workers to find fulfillment in their workplaces; being able to share
the same set of values with the organization and maintain their ethical career.

In the Philippine setting, Filipinos tend to work in corporates that are borderline
exploiting their skillsets, expertise, and time. We are lured by the idea that these
companies can pay well and can provide great career opportunities. Meanwhile, many
social media posts share experiences of corporate employees working long hours and
ending up being burnt out. Some describe how their ‘toxic’ workplaces tend to use
different machinations in order to prevent them from resigning, thus, leaving some
forcing themselves to love their work despite the lack of fulfillment in it. However, if we
try to hear these sentiments after learning about the concept of ‘ethical career
development’ we will be able to understand or even infer as to why many Filipinos are
finding it hard to get satisfied or find fulfillment at their workplaces.

According to a CNN report back in 2017, many young Filipinos are found
unsatisfied at work. They have accounted basic salary, career development, and self-
actualization as factors wherein these workers are unsatisfied about. However, learning
about the ethical career development has led me to realization that perhaps many
Filipinos are unsatisfied with their work is because of the prevalent unethical practices
within their workplaces. Kouchaki and Smith have pointed out in the article, I quote:
research shows that elements of a work environment can enhance or diminish self-
control, regardless of cultural norms: high uncertainty, excessive cognitive demands,
long days and late nights, and consecutive stretch goals all correlated with increased
rates of unethical behavior. With this said, the mentioned activities that correlated with
increased rates of unethical behavior either by you, your colleagues, or the people at
the top of the hierarchy affect other individuals in the workplace. These activities can be
normalized and become a culture within the organization (worse become policies) and
can lead to cultivating unsatisfying work experience in the workplace. Thus, it is truly
important that ethical career development must be cultivated within the workplaces in
the Philippines.

Choosing to find a workplace that allows, if not, encourage to behave ethically or

live ethically is not enough. I believe that all Filipinos should be able to work as an
ethical professional and be able to find fulfillment in their potentials, jobs, and/or
workplaces.