I started working right after graduating high school. Alhamdulillah, I managed to continue my studies and earned my bachelor’s degree. Like most young graduates, I had high hopes of landing a better job than the one I had before. A bachelor’s degree should ideally bring me a higher salary, especially since I wasn’t a fresh graduate—I already had work experience.
But reality didn’t match my expectations. From 2019 to 2022, I still couldn’t secure a new job. At first, I thought it was because of COVID-19; many companies were laying off employees, so I told myself to be grateful that I still had a job.
The following year, when COVID-19 started to improve, more companies began opening vacancies. I tried applying everywhere—from government jobs to state-owned enterprises and private companies—but not a single one came through. I attended countless interviews and tests here and there, but nothing worked out. I felt so low, especially seeing my peers starting to build their careers one by one. Some even got married. Meanwhile, I was still stuck in the same old job.
It was sad and depressing. I kept questioning myself: What’s wrong with me? Were my grades bad? Nope—I graduated cum laude. Was it because my work experience was in a small company? Or was my CV unappealing? But that wasn’t the case either. I consulted my sibling, who works in HR, and they said my CV was fine and my interview skills were good. It just wasn’t my time yet. But then, why wasn’t it my time? What did I do wrong?
The more I thought about it, the more stressed I became. I became less grateful, and my work started to suffer. I used to manage my salary just fine, but suddenly it felt like my money was disappearing into thin air. I had no savings and became even more stressed. Until one day, it hit me.
Why didn’t I appreciate my current job? This job allowed me to go to college, didn’t it? Was my salary too low? Not really—I could still save, support my parents, and buy my needs without waiting for special sale days to get discounts. So why didn’t I like it?
Was it the office environment? Was my boss or my coworkers toxic? Not at all. My boss and colleagues were super supportive. They never had an issue when I asked for time off to deal with school. They were even kind to my family. When the office upgraded its computers, I got to take home an old monitor for free. I never had to work overtime because I was given the freedom to manage my deadlines. When my father passed away, they came to my house and gave me as much time as I needed to grieve. I was trusted and valued there. So why was I so desperate to leave?
Baca Juga : Hari Ayah Nasional: Mengenal Lebih Dekat dan Cara Merayakannya
All this time, I’d been praying for the best job (with the assumption that “best” meant working at a big, prestigious company). But maybe this company was the best place for me to work at the time. Eventually, I shifted my mindset. I started to believe that, for now, this was the best place for me to earn a living. As a result, I felt the need to give my best in return. What happened next? My work improved, the company grew, my salary increased, and I was able to save even more.
The best job isn’t always about the highest pay. Comfort, flexibility, and trust are also important factors. The more comfortable you are in your workplace, the bigger the contributions you can make. And it benefits you too—your salary increases, opportunities grow, and you build more connections.
I’ve since resigned from my job to focus on my pregnancy and fulfilling my dream of becoming a stay-at-home mom. Even though I want to be a full-time mom, I still want to contribute financially to my family by utilizing my skills. But I’m leaving everything to Allah. I’ve prayed and asked for the best. If the best right now is staying at home and taking care of my family, then I’ll do it wholeheartedly. And if Allah decides the best is for me to have a job again, then, insyaAllah, there will be another great job waiting for me—just as good as the last one.
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