- A job posting for an executive assistant for a “high-profile art world family” recently went viral.
- For a $65,000-$95,000 salary, the prospective candidate is asked to “make life easier for the couple in every way possible.”
- The ad has been removed, but was originally posted on a job board hosted by the New York Foundation for the Arts.
The path to upper echelons of the art world can be filled with banal tasks, belittling employers, and drudgery. Still, many aspiring aesthetes take on these duties in hopes of inching their way into industry.
But a recent ad for an “Executive Assistant” for an “Art World Family” has gone viral for its unreasonable — and borderline exploitative — list of job requirements.
The ad was originally posted on a job board hosted by the nonprofit New York Foundation for the Arts. But soon after writer Emily Colucci wrote a blog post about it titled “I Found It: The Worst Art Job Listing Ever Created” the ad was taken down.
Colucci — who saved the original listing and linked it in her post — called it “the most nightmarish job listing I’ve ever seen in an art industry filled with nightmarish jobs.”
The job offers a salary of$65,000 to $95,000 to candidates who possess “a professional demeanor with a high level of discretion.” This candidate should also be able to “juggle multiple priorities in a dynamic, unstructured environment” and “change course at a moment’s notice” according to the post.
The duties of the job range from managing all travel bookings and itineraries to making restaurant reservations to assisting in content creation for social media. The candidate should also be prepared to maintain the family’s rooftop garden, deliver gifts to friends’ residences, and keep private family documents including passport renewals and birth certificates up to date, the post noted.
Added that, they should “manage dog systems” which includes potty breaks, food, day care, dog walkers, and vet appointments, according to the post.
Ultimately, the post asks that the ideal candidate be “dedicated to a simple goal: make life easier for the couple in every way possible.”
To apply, job seekers were asked to submit a one page cover letter, one page resume, list three professional references, and also submit “something of your choosing that gives us a sense of your personality.”
In an emailed statement to Insider, Melanie Martin, Director of Sales and Communications for the NYFA, said “NYFA Classifieds does not disclose information relating to specific posts or advertisers on its board.”
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