This 34-Year-Old Marketing Professional Went From $100 A Day To $100k A Year In 10 Years
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In our series My Salary Story, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions, and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into how to advocate for themselves — and maybe take a few risks along the way.
Been in the workforce for at least eight years, and interested in contributing your salary story? Email us here.
Previously, we talked to a 31-year-old IT professional who got an $8,000 raise with a counter offer, a 31-year-old managing director who quadrupled her salary in nine years and a 29-year-old senior product marketing manager who was denied a raise based on her age.
Age: 34
Current Location: Detroit, MI
Current Industry: Marketing & Advertising
Current Title: Director, Marketing Strategy & Brand Management
Starting Salary: $6.40/hour (2006)
Current Salary: $100,000
Number Of Years Employed: 12
Do you have student loans? No, I received a full academic scholarship for undergrad.
Biggest Salary Jump: $22,000
Biggest Salary Drop: "$31,000 — I left a job that I was bored with after a year and thought I had gotten everything I could out of it without a back-up plan (young person mistake). I figured it would be easy to get a new job. (It wasn't — always easier to get a job when you have a job.) I ended up substitute teaching in the interim while looking for a permanent position. It paid the bills, but it wasn't a steady salary. "
Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "When I was younger, I didn't negotiate at all. I truly didn't realize it was a thing. I assumed that if you wanted to job, you took what they were willing to pay. I'm sure I could have made more in my early years if I didn't just accepted what I was offered. It was also a time when the economy wasn't great, so if I was offered a job, I took it."
Best Salary-Related Advice: "Do your research on the industry, your areas of expertise, your location and years of experience. Know what number you want and what number you will settle for. Always try and ask for their budget before giving your wants. If you do tell then what you want, state it and stop. Don't continue to talk because you are uncomfortable."
Current Location: Detroit, MI
Current Industry: Marketing & Advertising
Current Title: Director, Marketing Strategy & Brand Management
Starting Salary: $6.40/hour (2006)
Current Salary: $100,000
Number Of Years Employed: 12
Do you have student loans? No, I received a full academic scholarship for undergrad.
Biggest Salary Jump: $22,000
Biggest Salary Drop: "$31,000 — I left a job that I was bored with after a year and thought I had gotten everything I could out of it without a back-up plan (young person mistake). I figured it would be easy to get a new job. (It wasn't — always easier to get a job when you have a job.) I ended up substitute teaching in the interim while looking for a permanent position. It paid the bills, but it wasn't a steady salary. "
Biggest Salary Negotiation Regret: "When I was younger, I didn't negotiate at all. I truly didn't realize it was a thing. I assumed that if you wanted to job, you took what they were willing to pay. I'm sure I could have made more in my early years if I didn't just accepted what I was offered. It was also a time when the economy wasn't great, so if I was offered a job, I took it."
Best Salary-Related Advice: "Do your research on the industry, your areas of expertise, your location and years of experience. Know what number you want and what number you will settle for. Always try and ask for their budget before giving your wants. If you do tell then what you want, state it and stop. Don't continue to talk because you are uncomfortable."
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