As accompaniment to your own prayer and discernment in job-hunting, here are five Catholic job questions you may considering asking before getting hired.

1. What Does The Company Support?

My brother-in-law used to work for a non-profit that funneled people’s donations to the different charities of their choice. One day he was asked to process a payment to Planned Parenthood. Uncomfortable with being a link in that supply chain, he left soon after. 

We can’t always afford to get into the minutia of working for companies that never seem to stop supporting things which go against our faith, but some stick out more than others. Consider how your work is supporting other organizations beyond the one that sends the paycheck. Will you be asked to directly aid in that support? Inform yourself about how the company you are joining might undermine our faith through their dollars; and listen to your conscience.

2. What Will You Be Asked to Do? 

During the interview process – or even after you’ve been offered a job – try to discover the sorts of activities you will be required to perform as part of your duties. A position might seem morally neutral, but many companies will ask their employees to do or show things that support causes contradictory to our Catholic beliefs. 

For example, will you need to wear a gay pride shirt during the month of June? What about help at a pro-choice fundraiser? Will you be asked to sign something that you disagree with? An example from the past is the national controversy surrounding the bakers who refuse to make same-sex wedding cakes. How would you react if you were that baker? Things that might seem like no big deal to another employee could signal something more serious for you. Exterior support of an anti-Catholic cause – whether or not your heart is in on it – could be scandalous to others. Refusing to support it, on the other hand, can be a stepping stone to sainthood. Just look at St. Thomas More!

3. Will The Work Environment Be Healthy? 

My husband worked construction after dropping out of seminary. Sometimes he’ll bring up the environment of that work and how, little by little, it began to negatively affect him. Your co-workers, your workspace, the language that you hear day-in and day-out; these are all factors to take seriously, especially if you’re choosing between multiple career options.

Work is work and it won’t always be fun, but most people have the luxury of choosing an environment that is at least a little more compatible with their morals. If the job you’re getting into is one that encourages licentious behavior or a continuous taking of the Lord’s name in vain, you might consider taking an alternate route. On the other hand, are your coworkers people who seem to care about others? Is it a professional environment that takes itself seriously? Can you find ways to grow as a person there, rather than fighting to just keep your head above water? It doesn’t have to be a Christian company to have a healthy environment.

4. Will I Find Fulfillment in My Work?

Of these Catholic job questions, this one on human fulfillment is one of the most important to get right! The Church even gave us St. Joseph (whose life offers some practical advice for work) as the patron saint of workers! God gives each of us different gifts and skills that we can use in the workplace, and the dignity of work can’t be understated.

Depending on our stage and calling in life, the fruit that our labor bears may look different. To a father, providing for his family is the most important factor to consider. He may dream of church work, but if it doesn’t pay enough then he may have to look elsewhere. Conversely, a single person may have the freedom to take a lower paying job that does follow their dream career. Neither of these are more or less important than the other; they both allow them to follow God’s calling in their lives.

Understanding the difference between prioritizing a mission (such as family) and becoming a cog in corporate machines is key to this discernment. As a father, are you working so hard that you barely see your wife and children? Perhaps God is asking you to look elsewhere. Or is your career pursuit coming at a similar cost? Look at how to balance work and the rest of your life, and above all how to put Christ at the center.

5. Where is God Leading Me? 

I have heard stories of good people making seemingly illogical, cross-country moves for jobs that come out of nowhere. People close to them shake their heads in wonder and question their motives or even their sanity. Their explanation? “God is leading us there.” 

Whether it is a doctor quitting his practice to move his entire family to mission work in another country, or a girl abandoning a California dream for the sake of a husband and children, sometimes the most obvious option isn’t the best one. Or maybe it is. Listen to that still, small voice – you can even utilize Ignatian discernment – and take a step forward. God uses all of our choices for good if we ask Him to! 

Conclusion:

No matter what age you are or what position you are contemplating, knowing the Catholic job questions to ask before taking a new position will aid in finding a good fit for you. Whether this is your temporary employment or a big step towards a forever career, God is with you!

About the Author

Ella Matthews is an actress and writer who graduated with a Communications Media degree from a film school in California. She loves tea, books and dresses and lives with her husband in Indiana. They are expecting their first child in January!

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

The post 5 Catholic Job Questions to Ask Before Getting Hired appeared first on Catholic Professionals.

Here are 5 ways to emphasize your Catholic business values. Even though your brand name might not be openly Catholic.

1. Include Catholic Business Values in your mission statement.

I know someone who owns a private investigative company. He is a devout Catholic, but the company is not overtly Catholic. The word Catholic is not in their company name, and they work primarily with secular clients.

But if you go to his “About Us” page, the very first line is “Our primary mission in life and work is to bring pleasure to God, through service.” He goes on to describe how his work as a private investigator honors God and ends with a quote from John 8:32.

It’s not in your face. If it weren’t for the About Page, you would never know that this man’s primary mission for the company is to honor God.

And yet, he runs what I would call a “Catholic business”.

Not everything that you do has to be branded Catholic in order to be a Catholic business. But a great way to express this motivation for your company and life is in your mission statement. Reference your liturgical ministries in a blog post. Perhaps include a Bible verse in your email signature, and state your intentions right in your mission statement with words like “Truth,” “Beauty,” and “Evangelization.”

A great example of this subtle business statement is Forever 21. They print John 3:16 on the bottom of each of their bags. While they don’t say anything about it in their about us page, this small gesture reflects their motivation.

2. Highlight your Catholic Business Clients

If you want to be a Catholic business, a great way to emphasize that is by highlighting your past Catholic clients on your website. As a Catholic business owner myself, I will know that a business orients itself to a Catholic mission when I see that other fellow Catholic business owners trust them.

Even better, include Catholic lingo in your description of these projects to show you’re “in the know” and not just a secular organization that happened to have a Catholic client.

Don’t have any Catholic clients? Volunteer your businesses’ expertise to your parish and ask for a reference for your website in return.

3. Run your Catholic Business Ethically

Run your business ethically, help others, and people will notice. To begin with, make sure that your interaction with clients is surrounded by justice:

• Responsibility for what you promise
• Honesty and fairness in what you deliver

However, if you want to practice your faith in your Catholic business, your actions should be smothered as well in charity:

• Kindness in your communication
• True desire to help your clients succeed
• Patience, humility and sometimes even forgiveness

Business actions speak louder than advertising. If you want to be a Catholic business, hold your business to the same standards that you hold yourself.

4. Tithe Your Profits

People respond to businesses that reflect their own values. A great example of this is Chick-Fil-A. The company’s dedication to not being open on Sundays has generated a large fan base.

For my own company, I decided that I would tithe 10% of my profits each year and donate them to charity. It’s something that I do in my personal life, so why not carry it over to my business? On a personal note, I find tithing very rewarding because it reminds me regularly of what I value most.

It was only later that I realized that people would probably appreciate working with a company that they knew tithed. So, I included that fact about our company in my email signature and on our website.

The faith is so important to me and my company that I follow all of it, even the parts that make me give up profit I’ve worked so hard to earn. Don’t be afraid to highlight what makes your company Catholic in your advertising or on your website. It simply shows your clients that you are really committed to what you value most. 

5. Pray with Your Employees

Another highlight of your Catholic business values is a staff who prays together. How can we possibly begin to serve God’s people without first praying for each other and for our clients? Consider inviting your staff to join you for the Liturgy of the Hours each morning. Maybe set aside one lunch hour each week to go to a nearby Daily Mass or Holy Hour.

Obviously, while you shouldn’t force your employees to pray with you, having it as an option for those who would like to definitely helps you value your faith as a business.

In brief:

Most of all, run your business with heart. People will be sure to notice your Catholic business values. After all, at the end of the day, it’s really your audience who determines who you are. So if you intend to be a Catholic business and your audience sees you as such, then … you’re a Catholic business.

About the Author:

Emily Ricci is the president of Gloriam Marketing, and works as a marketing content and social media specialist at a Catholic college and previously worked at a church for over 7 years. Her past church titles and responsibilities have included working as a Parish Office secretary, sacristan, Weekend Coordinator (ministry supervisor and event coordinator), youth minister, bulletin writer, coordinator of the baptism program, and Faith Formation teacher and assistant. After years in church work, Emily recognized the need for solid Catholic marketing and promotion, but realized that there were no marketing firms in the area that specialized in faith-based marketing.

Search here for Catholic job postings, or Catholic Professionals you can hire.

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