I worked in the banking industry without salary last August 2025. It was only an internship and considered volunteer work. Yet, I needed to render 600 hours for the company and provide feedback. Contrary to popular belief, that’s not my only experience. During my third year in college, I provided my service to a friend who needed a writing assistant. Then, she referred me to work in a remote 9–5 setting. I also did extensive writing stuffs related to academics like leading research projects and being an SMM of our organization. However, things just went downhill in my paid work due to “hard-to-explain” situations.

Why I Don’t Want to Work in Corporate

After graduating from college, it’s already expected that we’ll work in corporate. Two weeks ago, my friend started a conversation about our current work, and we all said that we were unemployed. They are thinking about working in brick-and-mortar jobs, but I have other plans to escape that fate. Here are the things why I don’t want to do it.

Office Politics

Admit it or not, office politics in corporate is something we can’t avoid. When I worked as an intern, I couldn’t avoid being power-tripped or getting scolded by my supervisors. I just tried to get along and adjust as much as possible.

Low Salary (in Some Cases)

If the company where I conducted my OJT absorbed me, I would likely face a low salary. Before you work for them, you need to be a college graduate and pass their examinations and interviews. If you get hired, you will only get ₱18,000 monthly. However, you will get mandatory benefits like rice allowance and paid leave after staying for a year. You also need to render time with the company for about three years based on the contract. That’s why I never considered working with them. I’m sure they won’t force me anyway.

Working Costs

If you’re going to work in a physical setting, you need to consider transportation costs, lunch expenses, and other stuff. After rendering my service with them, you’ll realize how costly it is to maintain a professional image. It doesn’t only cost money, but also energy from communicating with other people.

Why I Don’t Want to Work Right Now

Most of my friends from another platform, where some of them migrated here, suggested that I try Upwork or other job portals. I have solid writing experience—yes, that’s true, as I mentioned in the introduction. However, you can’t deny that job seekers on Upwork or similar platforms are way more competitive and experienced. Of course, offering my services to clients has always been considered since it’s been my dream since first-year college. However, I want to try opportunities that could give me a higher paycheck right now.

What Are Those Opportunities?

So far, I’ve been working on two things where I know it’s possible to earn six to seven figures monthly.

TikTok Affiliate

I’ve been working in this area for three years now. However, my problem is inconsistency. I have shoppable videos where I earned three to four figures monthly. I just regret not being consistent, as it could’ve given me more significant results.

YouTube

I love listening to music, so my niche is music commentary. I write different types of content related to music that could help me get known or watched by my subscribers. The only problem with this niche is that you need to work closely on scripts and videos. Personally, I’m struggling a bit since most of my scripts are somewhat controversial. I also struggle with using free images under Creative Commons and clips under Fair Use. It also seems like my laptop needs repair since it can no longer handle long videos. My remedy is to chop the voiceovers so it runs smoothly.

How Long Can I Endure This Decision?

As of now, I haven’t gotten a mega-viral video on TikTok since restarting. My YouTube account is also not monetized yet, but I’m gaining U.S. audiences and higher retention rates. Moreover, I also need pre-operating expenses to produce outputs by subscribing to Canva, CapCut, and Grammarly. That’s why I’m glad that I earn at least a bit here to support my subscription services and personal expenses. I think six months before graduation is enough time to work on this path.

My mindset is that if it doesn’t work, I’ll do the latter. I will also restart looking for writing jobs on Upwork if I fail to monetize my YouTube account. When I told my parents about it, they were worried about my decisions. That’s why I’m trying to use this vacation to do what I really love. It’s risky, but it’s the best time to do it.