I do things extra because I can. But there’s a certain point that I reach the end of the line. Enough is enough.

I got slammed today by APAC boss because somebody else dropped the ball. I did some things so that their asses will not catch fire, to protect them, and also to protect my sources. In the end I get the lambasted for doing the right thing. Later on my boss recognized it and says she understood.

I got slammed for interviewing “non-pedigreed” candidates. I told her, when I was undergoing the hiring process myself, I was falling in and out of the writing test with the former bureau chief, I didn’t have the pedigree of being from a world-renowned media company—but here I am. That’s why I’m giving them a chance because somebody gave me a chance.

For me, everybody is trainable as long as you have the gumption, the drive, and the willingness to learn and do the hard work. We hired somebody with “pedigree” but he turned out to be a dud, the laziest of the bunch. That’s why I believe that what is on paper does not translate to performance.

I told one candidate this afternoon that if you’re really into this niche segment, I can take you in as a freelancer and train you until you get the hang of it. She applied for the junior role despite having a master’s degree on financial journalism on scholarship from UK because she wants to build up her experience in hardcore finance reporting. But since I know my superiors will not give her a chance, I said this is the best I can offer you and if you are stellar in your performance, I can push for a full-time position for you.

Everyday this week has been a constant argument with them. They’re not listening.

And amid all this, I still need to meet my monthly KPIs and more management chores.

Then I got a message from the founder of a publication (that we can call competition) who is looking for an editor. I said, yeah sure we can talk, and I gave him my WhatsApp number. Not that I intend to jump to them because they have a lot of issues, but I just want to use them as leverage. I can campaign for a raise with my bosses, so even if for a little bit of the time that I will stay with this company, I can replenish my savings faster. And I can also haggle for much higher salary in my next job and can take my time applying for that so that I will not be jumping into a worse situation because I’m just being hormonal. But I don’t think I can stay for another two to three years with them if things remain as is. But I bet on my outlook that things will get worse. I mean, the reviews of the parent company on Glassdoor are not that glowing. The reviews were on-point actually.

Enough is enough.