Dear Editor:
You may have noticed the posters which have recently been put up around campus advertising for the VOCA office. Two pictures on each poster show the contrast between two employment situations, and the captions read: “Good résumé, bad résumé.” The “good résumé” photo shows a well-dressed, smiling white-collar worker, while the “bad résumé” photo is of an obviously dissatisfied laborer performing a menial task.
While this is a clever and eye-catching way to advertise for the VOCA office and its services, I believe that the message it sends is far from the intentions a Christian is supposed to have in regards to employment. The message conveyed by the posters is this: if you develop a good résumé, you will then be able to secure a successful job, whereas if your résumé stinks, you’ll be stuck serving fast food at McDonalds.
To suggest that there is something wrong with doing work which comes with a high salary is certainly not my intention. However, there is also nothing wrong with spending a lifetime joyfully being a witness for Christ at a McDonalds cash register. I applaud the VOCA office’s mission of connecting students with “opportunities to serve” and preparing them to “participate in the work [God] is doing on earth.” That being said, perhaps we should consider the way that Jesus would serve people fast food: probably with a smile.
Ellenore Tarr, Class of 2018
