The truth behind that ridiculous viral job ad.

The job sounded promising at first. Part-time executive assistant role. Based in Melbourne. Salary starting from $50,000. “This will be the most challenging and the most rewarding position you’ve ever had,” the online ad promised.

“The opportunity to look inside the mind of a successful, fast-paced, intense, sometimes chaotic, passionate, easygoing, adventurous 28-year-old entrepreneur.”

And with that contradiction-stuffed sentence, began a job listing so ridiculous that there was simply no containing it. From the original listing on employment website SEEK, the ad quickly spilled on social media and into headlines around the country.

“Could this be the worst job in all of Australia?” one twitter user asked.

It certainly sounded like it.

“If you want to clock in and clock out of your job – this isn’t for you,” the ad read. “Expect after hours and weekend calls from time to time. Life doesn’t stop when the work day does – high performers work until their tasks are done, NOT just until the clock runs out.”

Could this be the worst job in all of Australia? https://t.co/TfSjBjP3Nf pic.twitter.com/xHeMomAIUI

— Ben Eltham (@beneltham) January 7, 2019

The ideal candidate, the ad stated, would be someone who “won’t take things personally – it’s NEVER about you”, “can deal with profanity” and won’t leave the office without completing their tasks (a trait described plainly as “no bueno”).

It sounded too absurd to be true. And it was. Well, sort of.

As Pedestrian reported, the SEEK listing was a fake. There is no “successful, fast-paced, intense, sometimes chaotic, passionate, easygoing, adventurous” entrepreneur seeking an EA. Not in Melbourne anyway.

The copy was lifted from an ad posted 10 days ago by a US tech company called Easy Pay Direct, with only a few minor changes, eg. their CEO Brad Weimert is 38; the job is based in Austin, Texas; and it’s full-time for the equivalent of just $6000 more. Yep.

Oh, and EPD offers “the chance to travel”. So there’s… that.

The Australian knock-off ad has recently been deleted, but it seems Weimert’s gig is still available. We’d be horrified… but it’s not about us.