Your first job is not your last
A young adult's realization about getting her dream job
Published Feb 9, 2026 12:02 pm
The author
By Phoebe Gwynn Francisco, 24
"Wait, is this it?"
For many fresh graduates, the “dream job” is the ultimate prize. I thought I had won. I landed a role that genuinely excited me weeks before my graduation gown was even ironed.
Coming from a heavy background in student leadership and campus journalism, I was a classic “jack-of-all-trades.” My job search was a chaotic map. I even pivoted from my Psychology degree to apply for graphic design roles, only to realize mid-interview that my heart and my resume were rooted elsewhere.
Eventually, I found my way to a non-government organization. I remember low-balling my salary expectations to P10,000 just to get my foot in the door. I wanted to serve. I remember the excruciating wait for a callback, the “trial” volunteer day, and the sheer adrenaline of finally being told: “You’re hired.”
Fast forward to today: I was promoted to manager. On paper, it was a success story. In reality, it was hell.
The weight of the role led to a diagnosis of depression, fueled by occupational stress and burnout. The environment I once romanticized had become toxic. The mission I loved was no longer enough to keep me afloat. So, I did the one thing fresh grads are terrified to do: I walked away.
I tendered my resignation, trading a title for my peace of mind.
The author during her graduation day, the start of her professional journey.
Adulthood is a series of trial and error, and I had to learn that the hardest way possible. We often treat our first job like a life sentence or a permanent identity. We feel that if we leave, we’ve failed the “adulting” test. But I’ve realized that the first job is often a transitory period, a bridge between the protected halls of a university and the grit of the real world.
It is okay to romanticize your beginnings, but it is an even greater strength to walk away when a space no longer serves your growth.
I am currently unemployed and back to the books, but I am far from empty-handed. I carry the lessons, the friendships, and the hard-won clarity of my 24 years. I have learned that while a career is a marathon, your first job is just the warm-up, and you can’t finish the race if you’ve already burned out at the starting line. Your first job is not your last, but your soul is the only thing you are required to keep.
At 24, Phoebe Gwynn Francisco is learning that life is a series of brave pivots. A Psychology graduate and current Master's in Public Affairs student at UP Cebu, she balances her passion for public service with a love for books and the written word. She believes that walking away is sometimes the most powerful step toward finding oneself.
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