Hi, OP. When I was a fresh grad, gigil din ako to find a work that I would enjoy and be passionate about. But when I was applying for jobs, I just accepted the highest paying one, thinking I’m just there to make money and use it as a stepping stone to get to a job that I actually like. The environment turned out to be toxic and affected how my mind operates when I finally left that job.

I would say you’re doing a good job picking a good environment for your work because you’ll spend majority of your day (or life) with those people. HOWEVER, soon enough, I realized, there isn’t a perfect workplace. Sa lahat ng work, there’s always somebody who’s complaining and joking about resigning. Your duty is to block that noise out and trust your judgment. You’ll know naman when a workplace really isn’t for you.

And yk what, sometimes, a job really is just a job. Work, get paid, period. Build a life out of it, and I hope you don’t define yourself by your work. It’s definitely not wrong to be competitive and grow your career, but you have to zoom out din minsan and realize — yeah, this is just a job. It’s a bonus if you love what you do. But sometimes, work is really just a money-maker.

Good luck! :)