It's one thing to post a job listing in New York City. It's another to offer $55,000 with no benefits for a position that sounds like three jobs in one—and runs well past the typical 9-to-5.
That's what sparked backlash when Recho Omondi, host of popular fashion podcast "The Cutting Room Floor," shared a now-deleted TikTok announcing she was hiring a full-time, in-person "studio coordinator" based in the city.
One version of the clip—reposted on TikTok with mocking text overlaid—features Omondi speaking while a user-added caption reads:
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"Dreaming of making a cool $55k pre-tax in NYC while working junior level in fashion? ‘The Cutting Room Floor' is hiring, because who doesn't want to pay $3k a month to live in a closet and still say they work in fashion?"
In the original video, Omondi described the role as an in-person position based in NYCy, with duties ranging from studio coordination to handling bookings to "a little bit of a personal assistant." She emphasized her distaste for applicants who can't follow instructions and framed the opportunity as ideal for someone ready to hustle. The job would be Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m to 6:30 p.m. The salary? $55,000—before taxes. Benefits? None. Start date? Immediately.
The backlash was, in a word, brutal.
Once the clip started circulating, so did the outrage. TikTokers and Redditors pointed out that this wasn't just a lowball offer—it was economically unfeasible for the city it was in.
"$55K in New York City with no benefits is abuse and exploitation. Goodbye," one TikToker commented, while another asked, "Why is she talking like she's doing us all a favor?"
The comments only got sharper. "This is at least an $80K position," one person wrote. Another, who claimed to be a former HR professional, pointed out the red flags: "The ‘I can't hire someone who can't follow simple instructions' to ‘a little bit of a personal assistant' told me EVERYTHING I need to know about her work environment."
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Then there were those who simply couldn't believe the math: "$55K was my fresh out of college creative job back in 2013," one user commented, while another wrote, "55K isn't even what I paid my junior assistants in 2015—with health benefits."
To drive the point home, one Redditor created a detailed mock budget for someone accepting this role—assuming rent was kept to $900/month by living north of 125th Street with roommates, keeping outings to a minimum, and skimping on lifestyle luxuries.
Despite all the frugality, the hypothetical employee was left with just $201 in monthly disposable income—and that's without any major emergencies, furniture costs, or actual New York rent, which many noted is rarely that low without extreme compromise.
Another user quipped, "$900 for rent? I hope the cockroaches are also chipping in." A second confirmed: "As someone who pays $900 for rent—they are."
Even the structure of the job itself came under fire. "Studio coordinator plus admin plus personal assistant? 40+ hours a week for $55K and no benefits?? Insane."
What made this posting sting harder for some was the visibility of the podcast itself. "The Cutting Room Floor" isn't obscure—it regularly features big names in fashion and boasts a devoted listener base. In that context, offering less than a livable wage for a role that sounds like two-and-a-half jobs stacked together didn't just seem tone-deaf—it seemed exploitative.
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"55K in 2025 is below the poverty line in NYC. She tried it!!" one commenter said bluntly.
And while Omondi framed the role as something for someone eager to grow, that argument didn't land either. One TikToker summarized the mood:
"Unfriendly reminder that if you can't afford to pay a livable wage, you can't afford to be a boss."
If the original job posting was meant to attract a self-starter with grit, the response from the internet made it clear: hustle doesn't pay the rent.
And on that note—about the rent. According to RentCafe, the cost of living in New York City is 74% higher than the national average, and housing alone runs 218% more expensive. Groceries, healthcare, and transportation all cost more, too—so that $55K salary doesn't go far unless you're splitting a one-bedroom, skipping lunch, and maybe teleporting to work.
Omondi may have deleted the video, but the screenshots live on—and so does the wider debate about underpaying junior creatives in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
As one TikToker put it: "You'll need more than hustle to survive that job. You'll need rent control, a second gig, and a time machine back to 2011."
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