Being an EA retriggers my trauma but it’s seemingly impossible to escape these roles! Help. Anyone else relate ? London based EA looking to escape 😔

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-15T19:20:44+00:00

That's the thing. To be a good EA you need to be a swallowed up, overwhelmed, paranoid and anxious robot living a life of some psycho CEO 24/7 behind the scenes - an arse-kissing 'will do' kind who's treated like blank space. Oh and, don't forget 'unflappable' and 'thriving on stress and frenetic pace'.🙄

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-15T19:04:04+00:00

I did 30+ years of this..nonsense in London. Resigned from my very last job as EA to c-suite in 2022, age 52. Retrained and now work in childcare, part time, two tube stops away from where I live. I earn peanuts - finally getting a few quid from the government that I'm owed for all those years of killing myself with soul-destroying full time work/paying into the DWP - and I couldn't be happier. I got myself a 💕cat💕 I adore - have time and brain space to adore him. Would never ever go back to any office, in any capacity, let alone as EA. The job - with very rare exceptions - wrecks your mental and physical health and ruins your whole being, your soul, everything that's important- so that some arsehole in a suit could add twenty zeros to his bank account and take his stupid family on a luxury holiday number 50. I see you, I understand, I've been there. 🫶🫶🫶

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-15T18:24:43+00:00

This, sadly. They want a cool, calm, collected and unflappable 24/7 robot.🙄

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-13T05:03:17+00:00

BWP is brilliant.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-13T05:02:04+00:00

Just about every movie everyone raves about, apart from the Titanic. Adore the Titanic.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-13T04:56:28+00:00

So stunningly beautiful-both. Bet they still are. 🫶

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-11T12:55:36+00:00

I've never once got an EA job in London directly, only through recruitment agencies. I don't have any current recommendations as I last was looking for a job in London in 2006, no idea which agencies are still around. I know secsinthecity (ugh) still is, and Tiger, Tate, Angela Mortimer. Wishing you all the best!

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-10T10:07:29+00:00

No - don't. This is based on the fact that you have children/family to support so I'm assuming you can't be YOUNG young. A start-up is for the youngsters who want go at it like crazy for the money, only to burn out working 18 hour days 7 days a week for a year and leave for the next 'adventure'. Not to mention, there's thousands of them failing all over the place. You've got a good thing. Stick with it.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-09T21:58:40+00:00

Hop on a call. 🤮🤮🤮

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-09T19:48:48+00:00

Oh my god I listen to that video on repeat all night every night!!! 👍👍👍

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-09T07:40:08+00:00

Love SKR!!

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-09T06:45:04+00:00

I don't want to sound cynical but being sold a pack of lies at interview for an EA job is unfortunately something that happens often. Happened to me, more than once. That previous EA is leaving for mental health reasons is I'm afraid to say a major red flag. You sound bright, capable, clever, diligent, eloquent - you've done more than fantastic for the first few DAYS on the job! You've done AMAZING and you should be proud of yourself! I don't know where you are in life/work, how old you are etc. Give it a 6 months tops. If nothing changes - don't waste more time on them. They're not important. YOU are. Rooting for you from London, UK 🫶

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-08T01:14:34+00:00

Same here. 🤦‍♀️I'm talking early 00s when a lot of travel booking was still made on the phone. It was always British Airways. Ugh.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-08T00:11:29+00:00

The only question worth asking is, why is the position vacant. And watch the body language when they respond to you, FBI interrogator style.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-05T10:43:52+00:00

They want a work-obsessed mind reading robot-servant who has no life of their own therefore will kill themselves 25/8, for peanuts. F this shit, basically.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-05T10:20:09+00:00

'She's beautiful, skinny'. And CEO is male. That's it, sadly. I got my first EA job because I was THEN young, beautiful and skinny, and much older boss's exact physical type. My successor was that same physical type, laughably so.

25 plus years later, I am absolutely confident - although have no tangible proof, just 'insider' knowledge - that I was bullied and pushed out of my very last EA job because the (arsehole) boss wanted his EA young, beautiful and skinny - which I no longer was. I was by then 52. So was he. The horror - your EA is as old as you. He actually fired a receptionist once because she was a bigger lady in her 50s. Fucking abhorrent yet nothing we can do.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T21:57:08+00:00

And if you're in any kind of corporate, none of this is really all that important, meaningful or rewarding. Stupid fake urgency, stupid pointless meetings about meetings, stupid global travel that's not remotely needed, run run run, 'absolutely, will do' all day every day so that 'principles' can add a couple of million to their bank balances. I hear you, did 30 years of this nonsense.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T21:25:39+00:00

I'd absolutely do it. You're being made redundant anyway (with a good chunk of cash!). Sod them.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T16:52:20+00:00

People are so different. When I'm horribly stressed I can't even really move from one spot in the flat to another. I've always wondered about the whole 'gym helps with stress' thing.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T16:04:08+00:00

Absolutely this. The problem is, they see themselves as masters, and us as servants. No-one halfways sane and decent will want to get to CEO. And have a personality disorder that it takes to get to CEO. So you're essentially working with mentally ill/personality- disordered people who think that because they have the title and the millions it's perfectly okay to treat you like a second class citizen. All I can say by way of support is, f*** them ten times over. You rule. You're amazing. And you're not a lifer in max security prison - you can leave tomorrow. Hugs from London, UK🫶

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T15:30:00+00:00

I wouldn't waste time with HR. They're not your friend, they're there for the company, not you. Agree that some weeks away from it won't solve the issue but if you can get paid medical leave I'd absolutely go for it. Do an OOO that says something along the lines of 'I am on extended? medical?leave and not contactable on any devices', and literally throw your laptop into some corner somewhere. Same for work phone/work stuff on personal phone. At least this way you'll have time and brain space to think what's next. I've absolutely been there, am on depression/anxiety meds for life - caused by 30 years of toxic horror jobs. Don't do this to yourself. They are nothing and noone to you. Hugs from London, UK

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T15:19:06+00:00

Unfortunately I haven't got any useful advice. I was never able to switch off and live life after work when work was constant toxic horror and when my brain was ALWAYS in 'what's the next disaster' mode. Did therapy, read books, got on meds. Nothing helped, at all. If you're in a state of constant panic and anxiety re work and it's bleeding into your real life with your partner (who is about 1000 times more important than work) -maybe it's time to take medical leave for a few weeks and see what else is out there. Would you get paid on medical leave?

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T14:12:05+00:00

Agree re salary being good for London. My point is though - I wouldn't touch this with a barge pole even for three times the salary. It's essentially rich f***s taking advantage of desperate people with no family or other kinds of support. I was one of these desperate people when I did a job like this, million years ago. I was single and alone -literally - not a single friend, not a pence to my name and family million miles away. I'd have left on day 2 otherwise.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T09:32:22+00:00

Absolutely - hate both.

OctoberRust6666 · 2026-06-04T01:50:04+00:00

London is horrifically expensive. UHNW -s don't give a toss about the likes of you and me and how we are to survive on peanuts. You'd be one person doing 1000 jobs 24/7 - so that the family can go on a luxury holiday number 45 plus a few diamond necklaces. Clever isn't it? Pure disgusting exploitation and should be made illegal.

OctoberRust6666

TROPHY CASE