I was overworked, underpaid, and miserable at my last job, so I 'quiet quit' my new job. I refuse to be taken advantage of again.

• This 26-year-old account executive loves their new job. 
• Still, they refuse to take on additional responsibilities unless well compensated.
• Quiet quitting is about setting hard boundaries, they said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 26-year-old account executive based in Minnesota. They've asked to remain anonymous for professional reasons, but Insider has verified their identity and employment with documentation. It's been edited for length and clarity.

Since late 2022, I've happily worked as an experiential marketing account executive at an international advertising agency. I'm great at my job but refuse to take on additional responsibilities unless I'm well compensated.

I'm on the Millennial and Gen Z cusp, and for me, quiet quitting is more about work-life balance and not taking on so many duties that you feel taken advantage of. 

My bosses at my old job thought quiet quitting meant laziness, but I've learned to have a better work-life balance, so I log off as soon as 5 o'clock wraps around.  

My version of quiet quitting is about setting hard boundaries 

My work is remote except when I work weekend-event activations every few months. I work long hours during live events, but I take two days off during the week to compensate for the weekend work. 

I work nine-to-five, but our remote team spans multiple time zones. If I get an email after working hours, unless it's an emergency, I'll wait to answer it the next day. If I'm required to take a meeting on Eastern Time at 8 a.m., then later I'll end my day earlier at 4 p.m. Central Time — my time zone.

I learned the hard way to become a quiet quitter 

My previous position at a mom-and-pop marketing advertising agency taught me to be a quiet quitter. I only worked there for ten months and wasn't alone; most employees stayed less than a year, and there was an extremely high turnover rate. 

I was overworked, underpaid without training, and expected to wear many hats. They micromanaged, and taking paid-time off was always an issue due to understaffing.  At first, I was excited about my old job, since it was my first job out of college. But just three months in, project managers were leaving, and I was left to pick up the slack. 

The company had an overabundance of clients while understaffed, so we were all overworked. I had to take on many responsibilities I wasn't compensated for and worked simultaneously with at least 12 or 13 clients. 

I was constantly working overtime at my last job, which was so taxing to my mental health 

I was miserable. I put in so much effort, but there weren't clear delineations of growth opportunities. When I asked for a raise, they said, "You don't do enough." I left that conversation feeling expendable and questioned why I was staying when I was unhappy, poorly compensated for the workload, and without proper guidance or training. I started looking for other jobs.

After editing LinkedIn to say I was open to other positions, a recruiter from my current job reached out. At first, I was hesitant because they scouted me out of the blue. But after learning more about the position, I saw they had all the benefits my current job was missing. 

At my previous job I felt like I was shamed for asking for accrued PTO and was often told, "We're really short-staffed; do you really have to leave at this time?" 

A major perk of the new position is the unlimited PTO

My current director approves PTO quickly. There's also ample room for growth, robust training opportunities, and my new job is fully remote. Additionally, I only work with about three brands. 

I left my prior position despite the pay being the same because I saw more significant benefits at my current job, especially on the communication front. After working here for about nine months, I plan to stay long-term because I enjoy the employee-forward work culture, remote work, and camaraderie.  

I learned to set clear boundaries because my last job piled on more responsibilities 

As I performed better, I received more responsibilities with no additional pay. If I see an inkling of something similar happening at my current position, I'll proactively say, "Hey, this is crossing into someone else's role. Can you help me define what my roles are?" 

I appreciate that my current managers are open to clear and transparent conversations. At one-on-one meetings, I always touch on goals, asking, "What am I doing correctly, and are my actions getting me closer to my goal of becoming a senior account executive? What can I improve on?" I feel like management and I are working in tandem as a team. 

I put in way too much effort at my last position and was taken advantage of

Quiet quitting is not about being a bad employee, but about boundaries. I'm a natural self-starter and go-getter, but I was taken advantage of at my last job. With that learning experience, I still perform my job to the best of my ability, but if I take on anything new, I will stop and ask if I am getting appropriately compensated for these new roles and duties.

I'm a perfectionist, so I'll never do merely the bare minimum, but I refuse to do more than I'm paid for.