r/phcareers

I’d appreciate some advice regarding my current work situation.

I handle Media Partners, and I previously had a colleague who was responsible for KOLs. When she resigned, I offered to take on the entire KOL function permanently, with a corresponding compensation adjustment. I thought this would benefit the company as well, since they could avoid hiring another person and paying an additional salary.

My manager said she appreciated the offer, but she never got back to me, so I let it go. The company eventually hired someone else to handle KOLs, but that person was fired within two weeks due to tardiness.

Since then, I’ve been handling all the KOL responsibilities “temporarily” for several months, without any compensation adjustment. I recently asked my manager if they were still planning to hire someone, and she told me they weren’t.
This is where my frustration comes from. I was perfectly fine with the company hiring someone to handle KOLs. What I’m not okay with is being expected to take on additional responsibilities outside my contract indefinitely, without fair compensation or even a proper discussion about it.

I raised this with my manager, who asked me to document everything I do so she could present it to upper management. I understand the process, but upper management can take months to approve anything, whether it’s KOL-related matters or compensation adjustments. Meanwhile, I’m already doing the work.

I’m not expecting a 30% salary increase or anything unreasonable. I simply believe that if the company expects me to take on another function on top of my existing responsibilities, my compensation should reflect that.

Honestly, I really want to leave, but despite applying aggressively, I haven’t been able to land another job. I know better than to resign without another offer, especially since I have financial commitments and a lifestyle to maintain.

For those who have been in a similar situation, would you continue documenting your responsibilities and pushing for a salary adjustment, or focus on finding another job while staying put?

I’d really appreciate your advice. I feel like I’m stuck doing the work because I can’t afford to leave just yet.

Need some career advice because I'm genuinely torn.

I'm currently in a niche manager-level role at a bank. I've only been here for around 5 months, so I know I'm still relatively new.

Current compensation:

~₱80k/month gross
3 guaranteed bonuses per year
HMO, life insurance, paid leaves, retirement benefits, etc.
Manager-level rank
Potential long-term career growth because the function is still relatively new and evolving

On paper, it sounds like a good opportunity. The role is strategic and there's a lot of visibility with senior management.

The challenge is that I'm essentially operating as a one-person function.

There aren't many people internally with deep expertise in my specialization, so a lot of my work involves creating frameworks, policies, governance processes, presentations, dashboards, and recommendations from scratch. While that has accelerated my learning, it also means there's very little mentorship or technical guidance available.

A lot of the time, I'm trying to figure things out on my own and second-guessing whether I'm even approaching things the right way. Before something goes to senior management, there often isn't someone I can easily approach for a technical sanity check.

To be honest, I sometimes feel professionally isolated.

I came from a research-heavy background where I worked with other specialists, had established methodologies, and could collaborate with peers. In my current role, some days it feels like I'm building the plane while flying it.

Recently, I was approached for another opportunity.

New role:

Equivalent of around ₱150k/month
Fully remote
Flexible schedule
Research and database-focused work
International company
Full-time independent contractor arrangement
Work involves analyzing filings, public records, maintaining large datasets, improving methodologies, and conducting market intelligence research

What attracts me isn't just the compensation.

It sounds like I'd be part of an actual research team with established processes and experienced colleagues. The work is also much closer to my previous experience and skill set.

What gives me pause is that:

I'd be leaving after only ~5 months in my current role
I'd be giving up employee benefits and moving into a contractor arrangement
My current role may have stronger long-term leadership potential
The new role appears more specialist/research-oriented rather than leadership-oriented

So my dilemma is:

Would you stay in the lower-paying but potentially higher-growth managerial role, or move to the higher-paying remote contractor role where you'd likely have more support, collaboration, and familiarity with the work?

For those who have experienced something similar:

Have you ever left a managerial/leadership-track role and gone back to a specialist role?
Have you moved from regular employment to a foreign contractor setup?
How much weight would you place on mentorship, team support, and day-to-day work environment versus title and long-term career trajectory?

Appreciate any insights. I'm trying to figure out whether I'm thinking too short-term by considering the move, or whether the lack of support and professional isolation in my current role are legitimate reasons to explore other opportunities.

I am working at a PH based company and WFH setup 100%.

Very light lang ang work as a Senior Support Engineer, maluwag din when it comes to leaves. They’re also prepping me for a team lead role, pero promise palang.

Basic pay is 85k per month with HMO (2 dependents) +5K allowance and +5k annual medical reimbursement.

Sa totoo lang sobrang easy ng trabaho since kabisado ko na.

Salary progression? Medyo ok before pero walang increase this year.

From 35k > 40k > 52k > 85k

Eto na nga, I’m turning 30 pero never experienced living alone. Hindi rin ako nagtatravel. Wala akong hobby as in.

Since nasa bahay ako 24/7, lahat ng problema ng pamilya, kahit sobrang simple lang, lahat naririnig ko. Kaya parang nawawalan ako ng gana. Hindi naman toxic family ko, hindi ko lang maiwasan talaga na isipin lahat ng nangyayari since nandito ako maghapon.

Tila every galaw kailangan kong i-overthink kahit di naman related sakin, gets niyo ba?

Panganay din kasi ako at breadwinner. So lahat ng sahod ko napupunta sa bills and groceries.

Yung mga simpleng bagay na gusto kong gawin, hindi pwedeng hindi ko sila isama sa plano.

Like gusto ko magsamgyup? Dapat sa araw na available lahat at ako magbabayad so x5. Eh si mama hindi naman gusto ang samgyup, so hindi ko itutuloy yung plano. Instead susundin ko ano bet ni mama.

Eh ang problema, ako lang nagiisip niyan! 😭 like di naman sila nagrerequire na isama ko sila sa plano pero di ko kasi kaya na ako lang magsasamgyup, or kaya dalawa lang kami ng kapatid ko. Nagi-guilty ako!!

Lalo na sa travel, tapos ako pa lahat magaayos at magiisip, kaya wag nalang. Simpleng punta nga sa mall na kumpleto kami naooverwhelm na ko.

Like bet ko relax lang pero di ko magawa kasi iba iba trip ng pamilya ko. Gusto ko masulit yung labas and good feed back paguwi sa bahay. Again, nasa utak ko lang yan at ako lang din nagdedesisyon na ako magaadjust! Kasi sila priority ko.

Ngayon na magtrenta na ko, feeling ko wala pa kong nararating at naeexperience sa buhay.

Hindi rin naman practical na magsolo living ako dito kasi may bahay naman kami, dagdag gastos lang sakin.

Triny ko na kasi yan eh. Nagrent ako apartment sa same city, ending umuwi ako sa bahay kasi nanghinayang ako bumili ng mga gamit hahaha saka na-miss ko si mama.

Ang nakikita ko lang na way is to go abroad. Para kahit gusto kong umuwi, di ganun kabilis so malalabanan ko yung home sickness.

Hindi ko alam kung ok ba yung dahilan ko na yan? Practical? Ewan ko. Nag cut off din ako ng mga friends kaya wala akong matanungan.

Bigyan niyo ko ng comment at feed back. Paano ba dapat?

Just wanted to share a little milestone from earlier this year.
I started working right after graduation and actually had multiple offers before leaving university (my last sem was basically interviews after interviews lol). Luckily, I landed a job in Makati (large MNC) earning around ₱38k + allowances per month. After my 6-month probation, I got a “better” opportunity - 45k + commissions as a Product Manager at a LOCAL tech company.🗿🔫

I got burned out pretty badly. I was wearing multiple hats, dealing with a very toxic manager, and basically had to figure things out as I went because there were barely any proper processes/SOPs. Local-company office politics, favoritism, working beyond work hours (UNPAID!!) juskopoh 😭

I resigned after a year because it was already taking a toll on my mental health (hello wala pa rin backpay!). Had a 1-month render, and I was already interviewing during that time - mostly rejections. 😭

My last day came and I STILL had no job 💀 Spent another week jobless, applying and interviewing almost every day, until I finally got an offer from a US company - dowsntream supply chain role.

Now I’m earning 6 digits monthly!! 🐣 YES!! Direct hire, with full govt benefits + night diff. job dust ✨✨

I definitely do NOT recommend resigning without a backup plan lol. I was genuinely questioning if I had just fucked up my career. 😭

Now, with just about 2 YOE in supply chain, I’m in a role where I’m much happier and more content. I have way more flexibility with my time, a much healthier work environment, and financially, I can finally afford to date myself, travel, and buy things I want without overthinking every purchase.

Not posting this to say “just quit your job and you’ll get a 6-digit salary” because obviously that’s not how it works. 😂 I guess I just wanted to share the milestone and remind anyone who’s currently stuck in a shitty situation that things can change really quickly.

Take it with a grain of salt, keep applying, keep improving your skills (very important!!), and don’t lose hope!!!

First time posting here in Reddit ‘cause I really wanna read some advice and opinions from the others. I graduated in college last year and until now is nasa iisang work pa rin ako ever since. Okay yung work and syempre ang pinaka maganda is yung sahod which reaches up to 40k to 50k a month since may additional pay kapag nag on-site ka. Pero syempre, here’s the “BUT” — I want to be a psychologist. I really want to be a psychologist ever since; it feels like it is my calling to be a psychologist kasi everytime psychology or brain/mental health ang pinaguusapan is talagang all ears ako. Sadyang hindi ko lang siya na-pursue dahil syempre sa financial problems kaya napilitan ako mag take ng ibang course sa state university na walang ganong course.

My plan for now is mag-ipon muna then probably next year is mag take ng exam on some university (gusto ko sana UP) then ta-try ko kung kakayanin kong pagsabayin ang work at pag-take ng second degree (which I know will be a complete challenge)

So, do you guys have any advice or anything? Kasi minsan iniisip ko baka nadadala lang ako ng hype and thrive kong maging psychologist and because of that is hindi ko nakikita yung nasa harapan ko na dapat mas pinagtutuunan ko ng pansin.

Hey everyone, I need a reality check.

I spent nearly a decade leading a high-stakes, 24/7 technical operations department. I ended up leaving due to severe burnout from constant emergencies and toxic firefighting.

I have been unemployed for several months now, using the time to rest, upskill, and work on my senior professional licenses.

Out of nowhere, a direct competitor offered me a higher managerial role. The package is objectively amazing—huge salary bump, car plan, extensive allowances, and great benefits. On paper, it is the ultimate financial safety net after months of no income.

But my gut is completely rejecting it. Aside from the residual burnout, I am genuinely terrified of the sheer scale of the responsibility. My mind is screaming at me to change my career path completely.

My real passion is long-term strategy, data analytics, and consulting. I want a peaceful, daylight 8-to-5 corporate office job where work stops when the clock strikes 5:00 PM. No midnight emergencies.

My plan is to negotiate a delayed start date a few months out to lock in the contract as a worst-case safety net. I’ll use that buffer to aggressively hunt for a peaceful corporate desk job. If I find one, I'll withdraw from the competitor before Day 1. If not, I step into the job.

Has anyone turned down life-changing money to protect their mental health, even after being unemployed for months? Is using this offer as a safety net while hunting for a low-stress pivot a bad move?

Thanks for any insight.

Hello, need advice lang with my situation.

For the record, fresh grad ako but graduate Summa cum laude and nag-topnotcher sa board exam. No experience, pero may relevant internships ako, and also years of freelancing experience (though hindi ko ‘to nilalagay sa resume ko kasi I still work here atm and I want to do this as a side hustle).

I made the mistake of asking for too low of a salary range sa Company A. Nagbigay sila within my asking but it’s <20k, they want my decision tomorrow agad, but I’m still waiting for the F2F interview ng Company B which is set to happen next next week pa.

Company A seems like a small-to-mid business pero mukhang okay naman ‘yung other employees with each other. ‘Yung boss nga lang nila, I found to be a little strict. Habang nasa office ako, narinig kong pinagalitan ‘yung HR na naghahandle sa akin.

Company B is hiring ngayon pero ang starting date is not until January pa. I really like this company so far kasi nagustuhan ko ‘yung professional approach ng HR nila - better than how Company A approached the whole thing.

Now, I’m mulling over what to do. Should I accept the JO they gave to me and mag-quit na lang if makuha man ako sa other company? But then, ayoko namang magmukhang I cannot stay at the company for longer periods. Should I negotiate further pa with the initial salary offered in the JO kahit na iba nilagay ko sa asking during the interview process? Will that make me look indecisive and incompetent? Or should I turn it down para lang i-pursue Company B na hindi ko naman sure kung kukunin ako?

Thanks in advance! Huhu.