For six years I've been an underpaid and unhappy assistant at a law firm. Lawyers can be great to clients, but often make miserable employers. From big ego reprimands over their poor communication, to disregarding our safety during COVID because they're too stubborn to learn how to function remotely, I've often found reason to drown in bottles after work.
There's something special to be said about the power of salt, and a community of people dealing with the same shit feeling of having their labor taken advantage of. Following advice from this sub, I filled out a job app everytime I had a shit day at work. Hours and hours, years of interviews of all sort.
It's hard. After shit days, it's hard to put work into increasingly demanding applications and interviews. But it is so worth it. After years of hating my job and feeling trapped, I finally got to tell my bosses that I'm leaving, for a position making significantly more, with room to grow, better benefits, and ethical goals. The relief I feel is immense, and I feel like I might be able to enjoy working for the first time in my career.
Never settle. Do whatever it takes to boost your worth, from using flowery exaggerated language on your resume to outright lying about your income. Let your frustrations fuel you into doing more applications, get input from friends, and never let a bad boss, or any boss, set your worth for you.