It's been two and a half years since I last wrote about resignation (Extended reading: Work Isn't Actually Difficult: It's Only a Matter of "Fit" and "Adaptation")

In mid-March, I resigned from the TV station! I'd been looking forward to this job since sophomore year through my master's graduation. Although it took nearly seven years to finally get it, I only stayed for two years before leaving. I truly missed it, but I couldn't bring myself to speak about it openly for a long time.

Why didn't I mention it specifically? First, I genuinely loved the work at the TV station and the fast-paced, fulfilling environment. It allowed me to grow and face reality constantly. On the other hand, I loved seeing my work being watched, and I enjoyed the moments reporting news on air. Even under scrutiny, because that might have been my only remaining sense of accomplishment.

Through working as a TV reporter, I experienced other people's lives every day. I went to many places I thought impossible and interviewed people I never expected to meet. I became close friends with people who had no connection to my past life, or people who mutually admired each other. This nourished my life enormously.

There's also this: I was extremely camera-shy and introverted. Precisely because of this, I wanted to challenge my limits as a TV reporter, and it truly opened endless possibilities for me. For example, I had to go live for three minutes without knowing what was happening at a fire scene. Or report on a suspect's background right after they were brought to the police station. Or having never heard of Kuan Chung-ming, I ended up knowing where he lived, his office, what bus number he took, what time he woke up, and who his son was. Or negotiating at 1 a.m., then staying until it was resolved.

These precious experiences are irreplaceable parts of a human life. From my words, you can sense how much I loved that job, or rather, I deeply loved being a reporter at the TV station. But I still resigned.

After resigning, I discovered that a job's nature determines your lifestyle. During my two years as a TV reporter, I never attended lectures or courses to improve myself. I love learning, but often when I registered for something, my off-work hours would be delayed, or I'd be too exhausted to attend events. This made me feel very hollow inside.

Mealtimes were never punctual. I'd always buy breakfast, take one bite while holding iced tea, and rush out the door. Lunch was either at 11:30 or at one o'clock, and I'd eat while making phone calls, while writing scripts, or glued to the screen, absorbing information through all five senses. Eventually, I could barely finish one or two bites of a meal box.

Don't even mention proper sleep. Of course, I could function on very little sleep, but when I had to ambush someone for an interview the next day, my dreams would be filled with them—finding ways to get in front of them, or various questions to make them answer just one sentence. Or if the next day required an early car, I'd have to wake up at dawn. These things made me sleep lightly or wake startled.

Believe me, I'm not complaining about any of this, but recording facts. I believe every reporter works this hard. Yet in such harsh conditions, many still persist in their ideals and original intentions—something I temporarily cannot do as a TV reporter.

Why? You might be curious about the real reason for my resignation. Honestly, it's because the salary was too low. With the work pressure mentioned above, combined with 12-hour shifts and 24-hour on-call status, I'll be frank: my salary, after deducting health and labor insurance, isn't even 30,000. You didn't misread that. And I wasn't the lowest paid—some earned 10% less than me. You might say the TV station offers exposure, connections, and many added values...

But are these really enough to be negotiating chips between employers and employees? (Extended reading: Poor with Nothing But Ideals! When Corporations "Use Dreams as Leverage" to Trample Employee Value—Do You Accept It?) Maybe yes, maybe no. What kind of life you live is your choice. I've experienced my ideals, so now I must face reality. With 480,000 in student loans, credit card debt, rent, and insurance savings, I truly couldn't save money on this salary.

Loving your work is fine, but life must go on. I don't regret those days when I chose to take a 10,000 yuan pay cut, but from now on, I need to think carefully about my own future.