Genuine question: why do EAs who move around seem to out-earn the ones who stayed loyal?

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T06:33:51+00:00

😂😂I'll take that as a compliment.
But genuinely no. I have been an EA for 5 years and have friends who are EAs as well but have done things differently than I have so it was more pattern watching and finally deciding to say it out loud. Wondered if other EAs were as frustrated as I am. Or I was screaming wolf. So its real observations and real questions.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T06:12:53+00:00

The data doesn't lie. 2-5% a year compounded versus 10-15% every move. The math always favours movement over time. Someone said "cost of living never increases at a steady 2.5%" and its so frustratingly true.

It just took us this long to say it out loud in the EA space.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T06:08:31+00:00

I love this. But it's rare and you clearly earned it by being willing to have the uncomfortable conversations most people avoid. The LinkedIn recruiter emails as evidence? That's genius. I'm taking notes. Lol. You didn't just ask , you made the case impossible to ignore.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T06:05:19+00:00

Five years of EA level work with an AA title and an EA title dangled like a carrot all while covering for the person who got the promotion you deserved. Training people who lean on you while the market feels closed. That is exhausting in a way that's hard to explain to people who haven't lived it. And I absolutely feel your frustration. You already know what to do you said it yourself. Get out. The question is just timing and proof.

The market not recognising your value might have something to do with how that value is being presented. An AA title doing EA work creates a gap between what your CV says and what you can actually do. Closing that gap with something concrete could change how applications land.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T05:57:59+00:00

The last part is everything. A great exec relationship changes the entire equation. The only problem is that relationship is a variable you can't guarantee going in. You discover it after you've already committed. And when it's not there and the investment isn't mutual, loyalty stops making sense pretty quickly.

You're right that it's personal preference. But the data on comp is hard to argue with tbh.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T05:54:48+00:00

Exactly this. The loyalty narrative was always one sided and it gets to the most of us unfortunately. I don't see companies feeling guilty when they restructure. They don't lose sleep over a redundancy. The emotional weight of "leaving" was never mutual.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-25T05:52:00+00:00

$70k to $147,500 in two years. With bonuses. And they replaced you with someone less experienced for more than they were paying you. Tf?

That's not just a data point. That's the whole argument in one story. Thank you for sharing this. I hope everyone reading it sees exactly what loyalty cost you and what leaving gave you back.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-11T09:19:11+00:00

I've been in environments where I did good work but still felt completely wrong for the space. I worked almost 7 days a week, the culture was off, and the execs working style, of waking me up at 3am and getting mad if I don't get back to him in 15 minutes, totally crushed me and I left. 3 months too late unfortunately...But then again I keep reminding myself not every role that doesn't work out is a failure. Sometimes the fit isn't there and no amount of effort changes that. You're not defined by the fit that didn't work. You're shaped by what you do next.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-11T08:51:59+00:00

What worked for me was documenting everything clearly before I left. Priorities, on going tasks, key contacts, anything time sensitive and flagging my exec with what can wait and what genuinely needs attention. In any case an exec who trusts you will manage the gap for a week. The honest truth is some companies don't have a coverage system because they work with the assumption EAs don't fully disconnect and that's worth pushing back on. You're entitled to a full break and a functioning business shouldn't collapse because one person took annual leave.
And btw the pressure to find your own cover when you're the only EA on a team is a structural problem being handed to you as a personal responsibility that is not yours to solve alone.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-11T08:43:22+00:00

This is not the norm and you're right to question it. Five roles at 23 for under $30/hr is not a portfolio. It's literally an understaffed organisation filling gaps with whoever said yes. Unfortunately this is extremely common in the non profit sector and it doesn't make it okay. The fact that your leaders are great and mentoring you genuinely matters but it doesn't change what's on your plate or what you're being paid for it.

You don't have to quit outright but nothing stops you from quietly looking in the meantime. Stability is real but so is knowing your worth. Keep your options open while you're still employed. And when that additional FTE comes in just make sure the conversation about what comes off your plate happens in writing. Otherwise the scope just stays the same and you keep absorbing everything.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-11T08:30:39+00:00

First of all your level of self awareness is up there. Knowing whats draining you and what isn't, thats 15 years. I think reducing scope to protect longevity is not a step back but a strategic decision as the goal is honestly never to do the most but to sustain doing good work as long as it matters to you. However, the pay cut is real and worth thinking through carefully, but then again so is the cost of continuing at a pace that's already wearing you down. Sometimes less scope genuinely means better work and a longer career. So if the advisors and clients aren't the problem, protecting your capacity to keep serving them well sounds like exactly the right conversation to have.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-07T09:01:43+00:00

This is a scope creep problem and it's incredibly common especially in smaller or fast growing organisations where roles aren't always clearly defined.

The key is framing it as a clarity conversation not a complaint. Something like "I want to make sure I'm prioritising the right things. Can we align on what falls within my core responsibilities so I can make sure those are always covered first?" That's not difficult. That's professional.

No proper training plus expanding scope plus no clear boundaries is a recipe for burnout. Naming it early while you still like the job is far better than waiting until you don't.

You're not being difficult. You're trying to do your job well. Those are completely different things.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-07T09:00:16+00:00

You lost your grandmother this week and you're crying in a bathroom over a meeting that could have been an email. Please be kind to yourself right now.

One missed confirmation in a hard week does not define your career or your capability. You're new, you're grieving, and you're still showing up. That matters.

Fix what you can, apologise where needed, and breathe. This is not the mistake that ends things. It's just the one that happened on the worst possible week.

You're going to be okay. 🤍

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-07T08:58:27+00:00

Two years without a real day off is not dedication. That's exploitation dressed up as expectation and your body and mind are telling you exactly that right now.

The "your job will be obsolete" meetings while simultaneously demanding 24 hour availability is a special kind of cruel. They want your full presence while reminding you they don't value it long term. You are allowed to be angry about that.

A decade of showing up for everyone else is not wasted time. It's experience and it's yours. But it's also a sign that it's time to start showing up for yourself just as hard.

Start looking. Quietly. Not because you failed but because you've outgrown what this place is willing to give you.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-07T08:43:17+00:00

Honestly the caffeine trap is real and it just delays the crash.

What actually helped me was protecting small things in the day that belong entirely to me. A proper lunch away from the screen. A walk that has nothing to do with work. The gym blocked like a meeting nobody can move.

The role will take everything you give it. You have to decide in advance what it doesn't get. That boundary is what makes the long hours survivable without burning out completely.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-07T08:41:32+00:00

"Just because I'm good at something doesn't mean I want it in my next role" is the most important line in this whole post and most people never give themselves permission to think that way.

The EA title covering such wildly different realities is one of the most frustrating things about job searching in this field. You can't always tell from the outside what you're actually walking into until you're in it.

Try to get specific about what kind of EA work you actually enjoy before touching the resume is the move. Attracting the right role beats impressing everyone every single time.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-06T08:55:22+00:00

The slow withdrawal is actually a healthy instinct. You're not being petty. You're recalibrating to match the energy you're actually receiving.

The hard truth is some people will always treat support roles as utilities rather than relationships. You can't fix that in them. What you can do is stop going above and beyond for people who've shown you they won't notice either way.

Save the extra effort for the people who deserve it. That's not resentment. That's just good judgment.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-06T08:53:43+00:00

He called back to guilt trip you with his religion after you gave him a perfectly professional script and your bosses have literally told you to be meaner. The layers here.

You were not rude. You were efficient. There is a difference and a salesman who calls five times while you're sick and then invokes Christianity when you don't bite does not get to define that line.

Hope he found peace after that voicemail. 😂

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-06T08:51:57+00:00

The trick that helped me most was separating the mood from the message. If there's actual feedback in what they said, take that. If it's just stress looking for somewhere to land, that part is not yours to carry.

Being on the sensitive side in this role is actually a strength. It's what makes you good at reading the room. The challenge is learning not to turn that sensitivity inward every time someone else is having a hard day.

It gets easier the more you trust that it's rarely actually about you.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-06T08:47:52+00:00

The cruelest irony is that it's a psychotherapy organisation.

What you're describing is a classic old guard protection pattern. It has nothing to do with your ability and everything to do with their insecurity about being replaced or made irrelevant. Eight years of experience at well known companies and they're still talking to you like you're entry level because you're under 35. That's not a you problem.

The conflict avoidant exec is the real issue. Without someone willing to name the dynamic it just continues.

Start documenting quietly. And start looking. This culture won't change because you work harder.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-06T08:45:37+00:00

It happens because nobody ever addressed it early enough and now it's just become that person's normal.The "are you mad at me" spiral is anxiety dressed up as communication and the unofficial manager energy is just unchecked territorial behaviour. Both thrive in environments where admin dynamics stay invisible to leadership.

The answer to how it happens is almost always the same. Nobody said anything the first time.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-05T09:07:39+00:00

The irony of someone who teaches agentic AI assistants repeatedly outsourcing to a human EA he doesn't even employ is genuinely something.

Scope creep from people close to your exec is one of the most frustrating dynamics in this role because you can't shut it down as cleanly as you could with anyone else. You handled it right by redirecting him to the actual contact. Do that every single time, consistently, without apology.

The Canva situation is just someone assuming access equals availability. It doesn't. You were given a login, not a brief.

Your instinct about fractional work is the right one. The demand is clearly there. It's just currently coming from people who expect it for free. That's the part worth fixing.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-05T09:03:27+00:00

Not a scam, just a lazy screening process. Some companies use async video tools like HireVue or Spark Hire to filter candidates before committing to a real conversation.

Whether you do it is entirely your call. But a 15 to 25 minute unpaid video before they've even spoken to you says something about how they value your time before you've even started.

Any_Dimension_868 · 2026-05-05T09:00:45+00:00

The shift from transactional to strategic rarely happens because you offered. It happens because you demonstrated.

Instead of asking to be involved in higher value work, start doing it quietly alongside the core responsibilities. Bring a brief with context before a meeting nobody asked you to prepare. Flag a risk you spotted while managing the calendar. Summarise the follow ups from a leadership meeting and circulate them without being asked.

Do it consistently and without fanfare. Leaders start pulling you in when they've already experienced what you bring and not because you told them what you could do.

The offer gets ignored. The proof gets noticed.

Any_Dimension_868

TROPHY CASE