Slate Daily Feed ICYMI | Is $55K Enough To Work At Your Favorite Podcast?
Sep 3, 2025
The discussion sparks over a controversial $55K job posting in the fashion podcast scene, igniting a fiery TikTok backlash. It highlights the struggles of living in NYC on such a salary, intertwining reflections on hustle culture with personal career anecdotes. The hosts tackle the broader implications of job compensation in creative industries, spotlighting the tension between passion and financial stability. Insights into public accountability and societal expectations round out the debate, making for an engaging examination of modern job realities.
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Early Career Hustle At NPR
- Kate Lindsay recalls her first out-of-college production assistant/intern job at How I Built This and the grind culture surrounding it.
- She remembers low pay, long hours, and feeling scared to ask for overtime while celebrating small raises.
Stacking Gigs To Make Ends Meet
- Candice Lim describes cobbling together multiple low-paid gigs and retail shifts after college to survive in New York City.
- She worked mornings and evenings, often from early morning into late night, trading time for experience and little pay.
Why The Job Post Sparked Outrage
- The Cutting Room Floor's TikTok job post combined multiple roles into one NYC in-person position paying $55K with no benefits.
- That mix of duties, location, and lack of healthcare is what triggered broad backlash online.