Games and comics site Penny Arcade has posted quite possible the worst job ad of all time, for a "Web / Software Developer & Sys Admin" that outlines unashamedly horrid working conditions.

The ad starts by saying “this could potentially be the most competitive position we ever hire for,” and then starts its description of the job's exigencies by stating “So yes, we run lean. Most of us would say maybe a little TOO lean, but being pushed to your limit is part of the job.”

There's no way to explain the job ad from there on other than by letting you read the rest of the text, so here goes:

“If you have boundless energy and desire to work on both creative AND sometimes tedious work but in an environment that just might change your life, perhaps this is the opportunity for you. We are quite literally looking for a person that can do four jobs: Web Development, Software Development, Sys Admin, and the (dreaded) GENERAL IT for us here that need help configuring a firewall for a dev kit, etc. Sorry, I know that’s the WORST, but it’s absolutely part of the gig. So yeah, we know that’s a lot to ask of a person, but all of us here work tremendously hard to do a lot of things, and if you’d like to be at the technical epicenter of it all and don’t mind having a really bad sense of work-life balance, this is the job for you.”

The ad doesn't mention pay, but The Reg imagines it'll need to be substantial. Very, very, substantial indeed, despite Penny Arcade president of operations Robert Khoo's thought bubble that the site's audience will clamour to clamber aboard on the delightful terms he's described.

If you've seen a less-appetising job ad, do let us know. And if you apply, let us know how it goes! ®