During my last days of work in a semi-exclusive school located in the heart of the university belt in Manila, I experienced somewhat a life changing experience. I never got along with the President of the College, who by the way was my boss, though it wasn't always that way.
She wasn't the bossy type but could pack a punch here and there. One day, the network administrator of the school decided to go from using our current Microsoft based network to a supposedly more stable and safe Novell Netware network.
At the same time me and my colleagues down at the marketing department were scrambling to search for our files, which were lost since the network administrator also erased all of our backup files on the server.
By accident, we chanced upon different files, private files, from other departments including the accounting department's. Out of curiosity we took a peek at the payroll files without malice and without even thinking.
Since I was the Marketing Officer at that time, I decided to inform the network administrator through his assistant that the whole network was visible to everyone, probably even the students.
Ok, going back to the President, somehow the news inadvertently reached her as this: That I hacked the system and maliciously checked on the accounting files.
Naturally, I was summoned to her office. She, In a very loud tone, was asking me if I did hack the system. (Geesh.. poor me.. I am just a poor marketing guy with some background in computers...) together with this, she questioned my loyalty. So I told her, ""Madam, even if we do not get along really well, you have my full and unconditional support, that is why, it was I who reported the whole thing in the first place." She was babbling about so much stuff that I couldn't understand as I felt more than just slighted, humiliated and downright down.
As our conversation progressed, her voiced was already above the normal, so I asked her again: "Are you accusing me of hacking the system?" to which she replied:"No! I am merely asking you." I couldn't take it much longer as her tone was more like shouting at me. So, without thinking, I blurted out "You do not sound as if you are just asking with the tone of your voice." Frustrated and mad already, I decided to walk out and bang her door. (I am not normally disrespectful, I guess anyone in my position could have done the same thing.)
A lot of other incidences occurred after this. And to think I was part of the academe. She was replaced by a new President since she already was up for retirement.
Unfortunately, the new President, was the type of person who was quick to judge by listening to a party who, unfortunately, picking on me too. He was doing so since to my guess, he wanted my department for himself. Now, I am not saying that I am one great Marketing Guy, but this other guy had no marketing credentials whatsoever.
These people forced me to resign and I did, since like what I told the new President, that if there was already a lack of confidence by my colleagues in me, then it is time for me to go. My only request was not to be replaced immediately.
I don't know how some people can be so very insensitive, rude or whatever you might call it. But unlike what the President and I agreed upon, he hired a new person two months before I was to leave and even made the new guy my boss.
Let's see... I've been humiliated, insulted, accused, demoted, pestered. pressured. I decided right then and there that, though I wanted to retire there at first, I told myself that I would never, ever entrust my career to anyone else, I would never work for anyone else but me.
Oh did I tell you that they held my salary because they said I did not return some books? I told them I would accept responsibility but that they had to show me some documents that I signed for these books.
To make the long story short, I complained with the Labor Department regarding this and got my salary.
Since then. it has been a long road ahead. But then when I look back, working for myself has a lot of perks, perks that I never could get anywhere else without having to justify my actions to people whom I do not need to explain to.
So, to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, the only thing I can say is... "GO FOR IT!!!"
