I Left With More Anxiety Than Experience
Pros
Talented coworkers who are often supportive because they’re going through the same challenges.
Cons
It was common to see employees crying at their desks or having panic attacks. Around lunchtime, alarms would go off throughout the office reminding assistants to clock in and out for legally required lunch breaks that no one actually took. The expectation wasn’t that you worked during business hours. It was that you were perpetually available. Responding to emails at 2 a.m. and again before sunrise was normalized. I lived seven minutes from the office and frequently couldn’t make it home without pulling over to answer emails. Despite the workload, there was little meaningful mentorship or professional development. The culture rewarded endurance, not growth. I left with severe burnout, worse mental health, and workplace anxiety that took years to unlearn.
