u/Awkward_Horror1025

Had an amazing first date with this guy. He was super attentive, texting me constantly, talking about wanting a life partner, making future plans, etc. We had a great date and I genuinely thought there was potential. Then he went on a beach trip and basically disappeared. I reached out once, got nothing, and eventually assumed he wasn’t interested and moved on.

Now, almost two weeks later, he randomly comes back with “Hey”

Like… sir??? 😭

Do I respond? Ignore him? Tell him I’m just going to pretend like we never met since you literally ghosted me for two weeks? I’m honestly more annoyed than excited that he’s back.

I’m so over my job right now. I work as an EA supporting three executives at a Fortune 500 company, and while two of them are genuinely great, the third one is slowly driving me insane.

He’ll randomly call me at night, expect things to be handled with basically no notice, ask about visa requirements the weekend before a trip, randomly reschedule meetings, and label things “urgent” only for them to suddenly become completely non-urgent. I’ve already talked to one of the executives I support about it, and even he basically told me that the after-hours stuff isn’t my problem. So why am I constantly feeling like I’m supposed to be available 24/7?

The culture is also just… weird. There’s this very obvious distinction between executives and everyone else. Executives get invited to lunches, dinners, happy hours, etc., while regular employees are just kind of expected to stay in their lane. It’s never explicitly said, but you can absolutely feel it. I came from a tech company where the atmosphere was much more casual and I actually enjoyed going to work. Here, everyone feels like they have a stick up their ass.

My manager is actually fantastic, which makes this harder. He genuinely cares about his people, and I appreciate him a lot. But I make ~$100K and live in NJ, so the commute is also getting old. The job is in New York and not like path friendly New York, like two blocks away from Central Park.

I’ve been here since January and really want to hit the one-year mark. Part of me wants to start interviewing in December and GTFO in January. I’ve heard December is basically dead anyway, so maybe I just need to survive a few more months.

Has anyone else stayed somewhere just to hit the one-year mark? Was it worth waiting?

Im an EA in the US and one of my executives has an international trip coming up. We’ve known about this trip for basically TWO MONTHS. Because of the current Middle East situation, the normal connecting routes aren’t really viable, so I booked him through London. He acknowledged the itinerary and said it was fine.
Now it’s Saturday and he’s messaging me asking if there’s “no way” to do Qatar or Emirates and pointing out another routing through Singapore that would get him home earlier.
Like… sir. 😭
I have two questions: do you compromise and check/change the flights Monday because there’s a legitimate possibility that the better routing disappears, OR do you hold the boundary because this is exactly the behavior you’ve already addressed multiple times?
My main boss has explicitly told me: my hours are 8–4, and after 4, things can wait. This executive is NOT my main executive, and he has repeatedly messaged me at random hours with last-minute requests. HR and my manager are already aware that he operates this way.
And not for nothing, but… Amex/Global Business Travel exists. If this is suddenly so urgent that it requires attention on a Saturday, why can’t he contact them directly and see what’s available?
I’m probably going to check first thing Monday because I’m not trying to screw up his travel, but I’m also not responding today just because I happened to check my work phone.
At what point are you just teaching someone that your boundaries don’t actually exist?

I’m recently met a guy on Hinge, 34F 35M. We live very close to each other and had four dates with really strong chemistry. After the first couple dates, he was extremely affectionate and reassuring, telling me he really liked me, saw a future with me, wanted me to meet his friends, etc. Eventually we agreed to be exclusive and both deleted our dating apps. Then we hooked up. We were supposed to see each other again on Saturday. He knew we had plans, and I texted him asking if we were still seeing each other. He never answered. He didn’t show up, didn’t communicate, and now it’s Monday of basically complete silence. That is what is bothering me the most. Not even necessarily that he couldn’t make plans, it’s that he went from being extremely verbally affectionate and talking about a future together to essentially disappearing immediately after we slept together. Now I’m sitting here wondering if I was being naive. Did he lose interest after sex? Did he meet someone else? Was the exclusivity only convenient for him? Or is there some completely innocent explanation? I did download the apps again after he disappeared because, honestly, I don’t feel comfortable considering myself exclusive to someone who won’t even communicate with me. I haven’t started seeing anyone else, but I also don’t want him resurfacing later saying, “But we were exclusive,” when he hasn’t acted like we’re in any kind of relationship for days. Ladies and gentlemen, would you reach out one last time and go off on the man or would you just ghost him as well? I feel like he is secretly seeing somebody else and when that doesn’t work out, he’s gonna go and show up like nothing happened. Right now I feel pretty stupid, and I’m trying to figure out whether I’m overreacting or whether this is actually as shitty as it feels. what are you doing in this case?

Hey everyone,

I’m currently an EA supporting a few senior execs at a massive, very stable corporate company. My regular 9-5 is incredibly predictable. It’s a great setup, but honestly? It’s getting a little lame and stagnant. I started casually browsing and the startup compensation is making me seriously reconsider my life choices. But then I actually read the job descriptions, and they completely terrify me.

Take this posting I just found for a FinTech startup (DualEntry) based out of 7 WTC. The pay is wild 150K – $200K Base + $50K Equity. (Plus a ton of benefits, unlimited AI tokens, etc.)

It sounds amazing on paper, but then you get to the actual copy in the JD and it screams red flags to me. Here are some direct quotes:

"We hire outliers... colleagues who've competed at the highest levels of sport, performed on Broadway, trained with UFC champions..."

"Hardcore work ethic and high agency”

"Comfortable with ambiguity, fast context-switching, and high-growth chaos"

I mean, "high-growth chaos"?! I manage complex international travel, heavily matrixed corporate calendars, and board prep right now, but this makes it sound like they want someone who doesn't sleep and thrives on constant emergencies.

So, for the EAs here who made the jump from a standard corporate 9-5 to a hyper-growth tech startup, did you like the change? Id love to hear your experiences. I'm tempted by the salary, but I don't know if I'm ready to trade my predictable corporate life to play administrative firefighter for "UFC champion" founders.

TL;DR: Cushy corporate EA is tempted by $200k startup salaries, but the job descriptions sound like a fast track to a mental breakdown. Give me the real tea.

Im helping my exec book a very specific medical appointment for his green card. Only one specific doctor at this clinic does it, and I don't even have his insurance or personal info. Honestly, I shouldn't even have to do this, but he has a lot on his plate right now so I'm trying to help out.

I sent him an email with all the requirements the clinic asked for. He’s currently at a workshop in another country, but he called me to discuss it. The Clinique wants to know what the demographic he is and his family, if there should be an interpreter, etc. When I asked about the demographic section, specifically religion, he snapped at me: "What is this stupid question?!"

I told him I'm not trying to be intrusive, that is literally just what the clinic is asking. Essentially he didn’t answer and changed the topic. I’m confused because if you don't want to disclose it, what do you want me to do?

This is a favor I’m doing and he’s getting mad at me for asking questions that the clinic wants to gather information about ( keep in mind this is for the whole family)

Fellow admins, what are you supposed to do in this instance? It makes me not want to help with these personal tasks if he's just going to get mad at the messenger.

Need a second opinion on this. I support Executive A at a large company. Executive A reports to Executive B. There’s a recurring monthly finance meeting between those two. Recently Executive C’s EA got involved because Executive C wanted a separate review session with Executive B, and also mentioned Executive C wanted visibility into the broader monthly meeting with Executive A. For context, Executive A reports to Executive B, and Executive C is senior enough that they operate pretty laterally with Executive B, both ultimately roll up to the same top leadership. So this isn’t random, there’s overlap and the teams work together a lot. All of us EAs were already on email coordinating dates.

Yesterday I was told to check with my exec if he still wanted the broader monthly meeting. I checked. He confirmed yes. So I emailed the group, including the other EA who had already been involved the whole time, to keep everyone aligned and suggested we use an available August slot for the broader meeting while the separate review session got coordinated separately. Then Executive B’s EA pulled me aside and basically said “You shouldn’t have included the other EA, you should’ve just told me. This is going to create a lot. Executive B still needs to decide whether he even wants this broader meeting” … and I’m sitting there like… wait, what? Because my exec did request the meeting, the other EA had already been on every email, she had already said her exec wanted visibility into the broader meeting, and literally the day before my understanding was that the recurring monthly meeting was continuing as normal.

Now suddenly it feels like I somehow “created confusion” by looping in someone who was already actively coordinating. I fully respect calendar ownership and know EAs protect their exec’s time. I also understand there’s a difference between “my exec wants this” vs “the senior exec has officially approved it.” But I’m struggling with whether I actually overstepped or whether this is one of those corporate situations where direction changes midstream and the assistant in the middle catches the heat. How would you handle this politically? Like do you apologize and smooth it over even if you were acting on your exec’s direction or stand by the fact that you were communicating your exec’s request and keeping everyone aligned? In my POV EA that reports to Executive B just got her pannies in a bunch

Im having a bit of an internal career crisis and would love some perspective from other EAs. I’m currently an Executive Assistant making around $100K/year at a large, established company. The environment is very corporate and structured. It’s not exciting but there is stability. I support multiple executives, and for the most part, I have a good relationship with my main executive. The biggest thing I appreciate about my current role is the work life balance. If something comes up after hours, I can usually set boundaries. Obviously, I don’t want to damage relationships with executives, so I try to be flexible when needed, but I’m not in an environment where I feel like I’m expected to be available 24/7. I have one executive who can be challenging, but it’s manageable, and leadership is aware of their personality.

Recently, an opportunity came up with a major tech company (think FAANG level company). The compensation difference is what’s making me seriously consider it. The offer range would be something like 145K base salary, 10 to 20% annual bonus depending on performance
Equity/RSUs that vest over several years (for example, around $100K worth over a 4 year vesting period)

I understand the equity is not cash immediately and that you have to stay at the company for it to fully vest, but realistically, the total compensation could put me somewhere in the $170K–$200K+ range depending on bonus and stock performance.
That is a huge jump from where I am now. My hesitation is the stereotype that FAANG companies are intense. I know the expectations can be much higher, and I worry that the work life balance I currently have could disappear. I’m not afraid of hard work, but I also don’t want to trade a manageable job for one where I’m constantly stressed, checking my phone at night, or feeling like I’m always “on.” The confusing part is that I wouldn’t necessarily be supporting a huge number of executives. It would be supporting one high level executive, versus my current situation where I support multiple people. So part of me wonders if it would actually be more manageable because I could focus on one person. He seems nice but all execs seem nice in the beginning and idk if it’s going to turn into a Miranda Priestly situation 😂

For those who have worked as EAs in FAANG/big tech would you leave a stable $100K corporate EA role for this type of compensation jump? Im torn because my current role isn’t bad at all, but the financial upside is really hard to ignore.

I’m a 28 year old woman, and I never expected losing weight to make me feel this isolated.
About a month ago, I started at 176 lbs. My lowest so far has been 165, and today I’m sitting around 166.4 (probably from a higher carb day), but I’m still really proud of myself. I’m down about 10 pounds, and I can genuinely see and feel a difference.
The thing I wasn’t prepared for was how much my social life would change.

I work a regular 9-5 office job, and I’m in my late 20s living in the city. I love being social. I love going out, getting drinks, going to bars, and just feeling like I’m living my life. But weight loss has forced me to realize how much of my social life was centered around food and alcohol. And honestly? It’s been hard.

I’ve become very committed to my goals. I wake up at 5 AM to go to the gym before work. I hit my 10k steps a day. I’ve improved my eating habits, my sleep schedule, my fiber intake, and I’m learning what actually keeps me full. I feel better. I have more energy. I’m proud of myself but the tradeoff has been feeling lonely.

I’ve cut out bars because I know myself. People always say, “Just go out and have one drink” or “Just drink water at the bar.” But for me, it’s never just one drink. I genuinely enjoy alcohol, and once I start drinking, I tend to make choices that don’t align with my goals.

It turns into staying out late, waking up exhausted, skipping my morning workout, eating whatever sounds good, feeling bloated from the sodium, and then wondering the next day why I did that to myself.

I’ve literally had nights where I go out thinking it’ll be fun, and somehow I end up at some random guy’s place that I probably didn’t even want to be at, only to wake up the next morning thinking, “Why am I doing this?”

So instead of putting myself in situations where I know I’ll be triggered, I’ve been staying home more. Watching corny chick flicks. Ordering from Amazon Prime. Drinking sparkling water and Cherry Coke Zero.

Some of my friends have been amazing. They’ll say, “Let’s go on a hot girl walk,” or “Let’s get coffee instead.” And I appreciate those people so much.
But I’ve also noticed that some people have basically stopped reaching out now that I’m not drinking or going out as much and that honestly hurts.

It makes me question whether some of those friendships were built around the activity rather than the actual friendship.
The weird part is… I’m not even close to my goal yet. I’m still considered overweight. My goal is around 120 lbs, which means I still have a long way to go and part of me wonders if this loneliness is something I’ll have to navigate throughout my entire journey.

I’m happy with my progress, but I also miss feeling spontaneous. I miss being able to say yes to plans without thinking about calories, alcohol, sleep, recovery, and whether it’ll throw me off.
I know I’m building a healthier life, and I know changing my environment is probably part of that. But I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been lonely.
For anyone else who has lost weight or changed their lifestyle, did you experience this? Did you feel like you had to distance yourself from certain environments or friendships? How did you find a balance between staying committed and still having a social life?

I’m interviewing and would love to hear what the culture is actually like day to day. The job sounds exciting, but it’s listed as onsite, so I’m curious about the in office expectations, work life balance, leadership style, and overall employee experience. Would appreciate any insight from current or former employees. Thanks!

I’m interviewing and would love to hear what the culture is actually like day to day. The job sounds exciting, but it’s listed as onsite, so I’m curious about the in office expectations, work life balance, leadership style, and overall employee experience. Would appreciate any insight from current or former employees. Thanks!

I’m an Executive Assistant supporting three executives and I actually like being an EA, the work itself is interesting, I enjoy solving problems, managing calendars, travel, operations, and being a trusted partner. I have been an EA for 5 years at a start up but for six months or so started working at a Fortune 500 button up company.

The problem is…I don’t think I fit the culture.

Everything feels incredibly formal and hierarchical. One thing that really gets to me is how executives have separate breakfasts/lunches and other perks (literally get paid to go play golf) while everyone else is basically on their own. I know every company has perks, but the divide feels so obvious that it makes the environment feel stiff and impersonal. Like God forbid regular peasants participate in the lunch

I have a great relationship with two of the executives I support, but the third is honestly a nightmare. He’s demanding, doesn’t communicate expectations well, seems to expect constant availability, and every interaction leaves me on edge. It’s made me realize how much the executive you support can make or break the job. My main boss is the good one though.

I make about $100k and I don’t hate my job enough to quit without a plan.

That said, I’ve been wondering if I should quietly start looking for something better. My ideal next role would be around $140–150k, hybrid, a shorter commute, and most importantly a healthier relationship with the executive(s) I’d support.

For those of you who are experienced EAs or Executive Business Partners, is this just what corporate executive support is like everywhere, or are there companies where the culture is less rigid and you’re treated more like a true partner than “the help”? I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences before I decide whether to stay or start interviewing.

I need to know if I’m overreacting because this has been driving me insane. I’m an Executive Assistant, and this isn’t even my primary executive. He’s one of several leaders I support. My actual boss has made it very clear that my workday ends at 5:00 p.m.

At 4:48 p.m., this executive sends me what appears to be a PERSONAL travel request. From what I can tell, he wants documentation so he can try to get travel insurance, but the only payment method I have access to is his corporate card. I don’t have his personal card, I don’t have his personal travel details, and honestly, I don’t even think what he’s wants is applicable if it’s a personal trip.

The part that’s bothering me the most? It feels like he expects me to…stretch the truth. Like he wants me to tell the insurance people different dates so that he’s in compliance and is able to get the insurance.

I’m asking legitimate follow up questions because I need information before I can do anything. Instead of answering them, he goes, “Hopping on another call,” and disappears.

…Okay?

So now it’s after hours, I don’t have the information I need, and somehow this is supposed to become my emergency?

This is also NOT the first time he’s sent things right before I leave for the day and then vanished when I needed answers. He did the same thing before going on PTO, I asked multiple follow up questions about other tasks, and they were just ignored.

Why is your lack of planning suddenly my crisis?

If this were an actual business emergency, I’d understand. But this looks like personal travel, and I’m not comfortable making representations or “adjusting” facts so someone can try to qualify for an insurance benefit. If the documentation isn’t accurate, I’m not putting my name on it.

I’m honestly leaning toward responding the next business day with, “Sorry, I had already logged off for the evening.”

Am I being unreasonable? As an EA, where do you draw the line between being helpful and refusing to do something you’re uncomfortable with, especially when someone waits until the last 10 minutes of your workday, disappears when you need information, and then leaves you holding the bag?
Because at some point, “poor planning on your part” can’t keep becoming “drop everything on mine.”

I’m an Executive Assistant supporting senior leadership. A new employee recently joined my department, and I helped with his onboarding, getting his laptop and phone set up, scheduling introductory meetings, and making sure he had what he needed for day one.

The issue is that he now seems to think I’m his dedicated EA.

For example, he asked me to reach out to an external client’s executive assistant to coordinate calendars on his behalf. That’s not part of my role. I don’t support him directly, and I already have multiple executives with full workloads.

I’m happy to help someone get settled during onboarding, but I’m concerned that if I keep saying yes, this will become the expectation going forward.

For those of you who are EAs or work in corporate environments:

* How do you draw the line without coming across as unhelpful?
* Do you simply redirect them by saying something like, “I’d recommend reaching out to the client’s EA directly,” or “If you require dedicated administrative support, HR can clarify what’s available”?
* Have you dealt with a situation where a new hire assumed you were their bitch just because you helped them on day one?

I’m trying to establish healthy boundaries early while still being professional and supportive. I’d love to hear how others have handled this.

I’m an executive assistant supporting multiple executives, and I ran into a situation that left me wondering how other EAs would handle it.

One of my executives was asked by another senior leader about the agenda and schedule for an upcoming business trip. The executive responded by saying, “she’s is my EA.”

Normally, that’s completely fine, I expect people to come to me for logistics.

The problem is that I don’t actually have the information. I’ve previously asked him about the agenda, and he told me he was still putting it together. I don’t create the workshop agenda, decide how many days people need to attend, or determine the schedule. Those decisions come from him.

So now another executive is asking me questions that only he can answer. It’s annoying because he redirected it to me and I have also asked him the same.

In situations like this, how do you respond without making your executive look bad, but also without making it seem like you dropped the ball or failed to communicate?

Do you simply say something like, “I haven’t received the finalized agenda yet, but I’ll confirm and get back to you,” or is there a better way to handle it?

I’m curious how more experienced EAs navigate this, especially when you’re expected to be the point person but aren’t actually given the information you need to do your job.

Hey everyone! I’m an Executive Assistant in the NY/NJ area and noticed JP Morgan has multiple EA openings across their NYC offices right now. I’m really curious about the culture and day-to-day experience there. For any current or former JPMC EAs, what is it actually like working for the firm? How is the work-life balance, management style, and the overall office vibe? I’d love to get some honest insights before applying. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

I need to vent because I genuinely don’t know if this is just executive behavior or if I’m losing my mind. My executive travels internationally all the time, so there’s a big time difference. The communication is… chaotic atm ( I’m based in new yoke and he’s in Singapore right now)

For example, there was an email thread where people were clearly debating something back and forth. He simply forwards me the thread with “Can you organize?” No context, no “this is a new meeting,” no indication whether they’re talking about an existing meeting or a brand new one.

Then he’ll message me saying, “There isn’t one this week, so we can go ahead,” followed by, “Let me know if you made this one.”

…Made what one?

I searched his calendar, Outlook, and the entire email thread. There was no existing meeting. Then I later see him emailing his boss saying they already had time scheduled with everyone later that week. They didn’t. It literally didn’t exist on his calendar.

Then there was the flight situation. I sent him the itinerary, Outlook sent the confirmation, it was on his calendar, and I’d already gone over it with him. He messages me, “It can’t be.”

Sir… what can’t be? 😭

I guess 5 minutes later he realizes he’s being a dumbass because I told him “do you want to be moved to another day”

Then, because he’s overseas, I get messages like, “I’m going to crash, let me know if this is done,” and “Might be good to get your Teams on the phone.”

We already have Teams. On our work phones. That doesn’t mean I’m available at 10 p.m. because you’re awake on the other side of the world.

This exec is not my main manager. My main manager has already told me my hours are 8–4 and that I don’t need to be responding after hours, especially at night. I don’t mind helping, but I also don’t want the expectation to become “EA = available 24/7.”

For those of you supporting executives across multiple time zones, how do you handle this? How do you politely deal with executives who reference conversations or meetings that only seem to exist in their heads? And how do you reinforce work hour boundaries without damaging the relationship?

Im looking for a reality check from other Executive Assistants.

I support a senior executive at a large company. About 9 days ago, I submitted a ServiceNow request for a new hire’s laptop/equipment. The new hire starts on July 13.

Today, around 10:25 AM, my executive messaged me saying he was getting ServiceNow emails, that they wanted more information, and that he couldn’t approve the request. He asked me to look into it.

I contacted the Service Desk immediately. The analyst told me:

* No additional information was needed.
* Only the hiring manager (my executive) can approve the request.
* ServiceNow doesn’t allow delegate approvers.
* She sent me step-by-step instructions to him

I even jumped on a quick call with her, and it literally took less than a minute to find the approval screen. It’s simply an approval action that only he can complete.

I relayed all of that back to him and told him I’d be happy to call him and walk him through it. He went unresponsive.

Here’s where I’m conflicted.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July holiday, I work 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, I don’t receive overtime, and next week he’ll be traveling internationally. I also can’t help but wonder why this became urgent today when the request has been sitting there for over a week.

I absolutely don’t want the new hire to be affected, but I also don’t want to create an expectation that I’ll stay after hours every time an executive needs to complete a system approval that only they are authorized to do.

For those of you supporting C-suite or senior executives:

* Would you stay after hours this one time because of the holiday and travel?
* Or would you say, “I’ve confirmed everything with IT, and the next step is simply your approval,” and leave at your normal time?

I’m trying to figure out where the line is between providing excellent executive support and becoming responsible for tasks that only the executive can legally complete

Update- sent an invite and now magically he discovered the approval button

I support an executive at a Fortune 500 company. He recently moved from APAC to New York and has started asking me things that feel increasingly personal.

Today he texted: “Do you know where I could get sworn translations? I need to do that for me and my family’s birth certificates.” In the same message he also asked about a work meeting in another country.

I replied with a translation service recommendation and answered his meeting question. But now I’m wondering if he actually expected me to take ownership of scheduling the translations, collecting documents, etc.

Here’s the thing: I have no problem supporting business travel, meetings, expenses, and work logistics. But I really don’t want my role to drift into handling an executive’s family’s legal paperwork. To me, that’s personal assistant territory, not executive assistant territory.

He’s relatively new, and there have already been a few moments where it felt like he was testing whether I’d handle personal errands. I usually respond helpfully but don’t volunteer to take over the task, and he tends to back off.

Am I being unreasonable for wanting to keep that boundary, or is this a normal expectation for executive assistants?

Update- there is a whole team with attorneys, paralegals in the company that handle immigration services AND also a third party group that assist with immigration/ legal

Update - I think there was some misunderstanding about what actually happened. I gave my executive a recommendation for a translation service. He contacted them himself, and they told him they don’t provide sworn translations. After that, I reached out internally to both our immigration team and HR to see if they had guidance. Immigration confirmed they can arrange certified translations through one of their vendors if needed, and HR is looking into whether this is related to his green card process. At this point, I’m simply waiting to hear back from my executive on how he’d like to proceed. My original question wasn’t “Should I refuse to help?” It was about where other EAs draw the line if a request evolves into managing an executive’s family’s personal legal paperwork. I appreciate the people who answered that question thoughtfully.

Hi everyone, I could really use some honest perspective.

I’m currently an Executive Assistant at a large corporate company and have been here for about 6 months. Before this, I was at my previous company for almost 4 years, so I’m definitely not someone who job hops impulsively. But lately, I feel incredibly conflicted and don't know if I'm being dramatic or if this role genuinely just isn’t the right fit long term.

On paper, the job is "good." I make $100K, the environment is highly stable, and I support three executives. Two of them are genuinely wonderful people, one especially has been incredibly supportive of my growth, and I’ll always be grateful for that. However, the third executive is honestly draining me. Every single interaction feels high pressure, overly critical, and emotionally exhausting. It’s the kind of environment where you constantly second guess the tiniest things because you know they’ll somehow become an issue.
I actually love being an EA, I enjoy organizing, solving problems, managing chaos, and supporting good leaders. But a few other major things are starting to wear on me.

When I really break down the hours and energy, it feels like I’m losing a massive chunk of my hourly value to taxes, which has been pretty discouraging. I also know there are similar EA roles out there closer to the $140K–$160K range, which makes it incredibly hard to ignore. I literally have to stop myself from scrolling LinkedIn because it makes me want to start applying immediately.

I live in New Jersey and commute into Midtown East every single day via bus and train. It is honestly exhausting. I didn’t think it would bother me this much initially, but it’s really starting to take a toll.

This might sound strange, but I just don’t fit in here. The other EAs are polite, but it’s very much a "show up, do your job, go home" vibe. No one talks badly about anyone, which is healthy, but it also feels like no one is genuine or open. There’s no real connection. At my last job, I loved my coworkers, we were friends, we had fun, and there was actual personality. I was just severely underpaid there.

Everything here is incredibly buttoned up, polished, and dry. Happy hours aren't a thing unless they are tied to clients, and even those feel more like rigid networking events for senior leadership than a social outlet. I’ve never gone because it feels like I’d get side eyed just for showing up.

I’m one of the younger people on the team (most are 50+), and I definitely feel that gap. Even the dress code threw me off. When I started, everyone was in full corporate suits. I came in wearing a feminine blouse, heels, and dress pants, totally appropriate, but I still felt out of place. At my old job, I barely wore makeup; here, I feel like I *have* to wear it just to look like I'm putting in effort.

Overall, it just feels... dry. I don’t see myself staying here long term, but I also don’t want to look like a job hopper after only a few months, especially since I have that solid 4 year run right before this.

At what point do you stop forcing yourself to “give it more time” and admit that a place just isn't aligned with what you want? Would you stick it out a bit longer purely for the resume value, or would you start quietly looking now if you were only willing to move for something around $140K?

Appreciate any advice, even if it’s blunt!