During the summer I was interviewed for a job in a field whose market isn't doing too well. There are many looking for work in this field, but little being hired. I wasn't given a response until October. The paperwork and HR processing took a while, so I only just started working officially a couple of weeks ago. Now, this job I have taken has almost no room for growth and is not the career that I see myself committing to (I had to take it due to circumstances that would preclude me from other job options should I not take this job and get licensed). I aspire to seek a career in research and academia. In an effort to pursue my goals, I applied to PhD programs in December. I did not disclose this to my employers for several reasons: I had still not begun working, there were several problems with HR that threatened my recruitment, so there was a chance I wasn't going to work there anyways, and I did not know the HR processing would take so long, so I thought that if I were to be hired, I would have been able to work for a while before having to leave. The ultimate reason why I did not feel the need to tell them was that never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get accepted. I was applying to a competitive program, in a great school, in a highly sought out location. I honestly did not think I would get in. I was sure I would be rejected, which would give me another year to work with this company. (FYI the reason for thinking I wouldn't get in was not that I was a poor candidate, but rather that I have tendencies for severe underestimation, belittlement, and self deprecation. This is something I am trying hard to improve in myself). But guess what? I GOT IN!!!!! I recently received word that the program was impressed with me and they offered me admission. While I am overjoyed with having the opportunity to achieve my goals, the matter with the job that I just joined is weighing me down. I feel guilty that I will be leaving right after joining them. I hate to give people a bad impression of myself, and I worry that they will think I accepted their offer knowing I would leave so soon just so I can save money until I need to go. The hiring process takes forever, and I feel bad knowing that they'll have to undergo it again so soon right after hiring me. They are extremely understaffed and everyone on the team constantly tells me what a relief my joining was, as it is going to lighten the load a little. I have to tell them soon that I will be leaving them in a couple of months, and I have no idea how I will approach the issue and what I should say. In this country's work culture, people usually hold onto their jobs tightly. It is practically unheard of for someone to quit so soon after being hired.

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AITA for taking the job, knowing that there was a chance, no matter how small I thought it was, that I would need to quit right after starting? Regardless of your judgment of me, can you advise me on what I should say when I need to quit?