Secretary Wanted to Care for Office Cat 'Jerry'
40 Hours per Week, Hourly Wage 65-100 Pounds
Feeding, Grooming, Toy Shopping, and More
Over 250 Applications as Soon as Job Posted
A company in the UK has attracted attention by posting a job opening for a personal assistant dedicated to the office cat.
According to a report by the BBC on May 17 (local time), AviaMarket, an aircraft trading brokerage platform, posted a job advertisement on May 15 seeking a secretary to care for Jerry, the resident cat at its London office.
Jerry, the pet cat of the CEO of a London-based aircraft trading brokerage platform company preparing to hire a personal assistant. Aviamarket
The job posting states, "Jerry the cat has a calm temperament and a quiet charm, and is an important presence in the company culture." Jerry is the pet cat of the company's CEO, Viktor Martinov.
According to the job description, the person hired as Jerry's assistant will be responsible for providing fresh milk and food at two designated times each day and grooming Jerry daily. On Fridays, classical music must be played in the office for Jerry's relaxation, and once a month, a new toy must be purchased for Jerry at a department store. Additional duties include cleaning Jerry's litter box, monitoring Jerry's health and behavior, and creating a calm environment.
The company is looking for one or two applicants to work 40 hours per week and plans to pay between 65 pounds (approximately 120,000 won) and 100 pounds (approximately 190,000 won) per hour, depending on experience. For part-time positions, 8 to 12 hours per week is also possible. The BBC commented, "The pay for this position is surprisingly high," and added, "The actual working hours are expected to be much fewer."
As soon as the job posting for Jerry's assistant was published, more than 250 applications were reportedly received.
Martinov began bringing his pet cat to the office as he started spending more time away from home due to work and business trips. Martinov believes that bringing Jerry to the office has boosted employee morale. He said, "All the employees want to pet Jerry, and Jerry energizes the staff," adding that Jerry has improved the office atmosphere.
In particular, members of the sales team have developed a "morning routine" of touching Jerry for good luck at the start of the day. This is because Jerry once played a key role in closing an aircraft purchase. During negotiations, Jerry jumped onto a customer's lap, and it turned out that the customer was a cat lover. Thanks to Jerry, the tense atmosphere in the negotiation room eased, leading to a positive outcome.
Upon seeing the job posting, Korean netizens reacted with envy, commenting, "Getting paid to play with a cat? The best job," "I want to do it," "I'd even pay to do that," "Are there no companies like this in Korea?" "Being able to spend all day with a cat," "This is truly a dream job," "The hourly wage is high. I'm jealous," and "Can I apply?"
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