Executive Assistant Admits She Makes Over $200K A Year Despite Only Doing ‘1 To 3 Hours’ Of Work A Day
"I think my compensation is based on my ability to effectively put out fires."
insta_photos | Shutterstock.com Going to college, getting a degree, and starting in an entry-level position isn’t the path to success it was for older generations, and the process for landing a high-paying job is radically evolving away from it. One woman seems to have found a loophole, however.
Despite having little to no traditional experience in her industry, an executive assistant said she’s landed a job with a salary over $200K, and she only works a few hours per day. In her Reddit post to the “AMA” forum, she explained her job responsibilities — administrative work, putting out “fires,” and maintaining an anxiety-free culture for her boss.
An executive assistant who makes over $200K said she only does ‘1 to 3 hours’ of work a day.
“Honestly, I had only one year of previous ‘official’ executive assistant experience under my belt, but I had graduated to more substantive admin-type roles on finance teams,” she said in response to questions about how she got her position. “I will say working for privately held companies (especially within tech, real estate, and asset management) yields much higher compensation numbers.”
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Considering the average executive assistant salary is less than half this woman’s salary, she provided tips for job seekers looking to get their foot in the door at the right companies. Outside of looking for private companies within the industry, she urged job seekers to make the right connections.
“Have a personality with zero ego that gets ANY and EVERY type of project done for your executives, and work your way up,” she wrote. “Don’t gossip, hold your executives' secrets close to your chest, and make everyone love you.”
Despite doing primarily administrative work, she said her ability to ‘put out fires’ validates her salary.
It's uncommon in many corporate industries to praise administrative work mostly because of the historical stereotypes associated with it. Not only is it essential, but it’s also demanding work in many situations, especially for assistants managing the lives of high-level executives.
Despite being challenging and occasionally “incredibly stressful,” this Reddit woman said that her day-to-day work is relatively contained to a few productive hours — a few hours that most job seekers could learn to achieve.
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“I did graduate from a top 25 university in the U.S., although I’m realizing more and more that it has little to zero relevance on how intelligent someone is,” she wrote. “I do things without complaining, and I’ve managed to make that into a lucrative career for myself.”
“The 1 to 3 hours consists of calendar management, phone time with airlines, and writing emails. I am constantly ‘on call,’ but my executive is very respectful of that,” she wrote. “ Most of my job is on auto-pilot… so it’s become second nature.”
Her experience is a reminder that sometimes you need to think outside the box when looking for the perfect position.
Every person’s job search is uniquely different, especially depending on their desired position, industry, and pay range. However, her tips for success could be useful for everyone — from making connections to adopting a new workplace mentality to setting clear boundaries with bosses.
There seems to be a common misunderstanding in the comments under the post, and the job industry at large, that you need to be overeducated and experienced to land a high-paying job.
While many industries, like the tech industry, often require 3+ years of experience — even for an entry-level position — there are other options for people in the job market. While they might not be “fulfilling” positions from the toxic corporate standard of work, they’re available to people with a diverse background of education and experience.
However, if you’re looking for jobs solely on job boards, you might be overlooking these lucrative positions. A 2022 study revealed that a great deal of people in successful positions and high-paying roles have been ushered in by their connections rather than simply their resumes.
By making connections in their desired industry, making themselves available and useful to their projects, and finding ways to add value to their experience in alignment with what those people need — they can secure better-paying positions faster than the average person.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories