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Original poster

If you make 100k+, what do you do?

251 replies

fedupofbeingbroke · 26/08/2023 19:08

I'm just curious. I have two degrees, one being a masters, studied hard, worked hard and still don't make that much money (having DC set me back but was unlikely to have made more than 60k ever). If you make 100k+, what job do you have? How did you make your wealth?

OP posts:
PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 09:48

@WhatapityWapiti it was legal tech.

I don’t want to be too specific because it actually genuinely would be outing but working as a criminal lawyer gave me a solid foundation in regulatory requirements and I saw an opportunity to provide a service around records management in specific commercial areas.

i started as an advisory service but it transitioned into the development of a platform to complement the advice. Eventually the platform superseded everything else and was where the value lay when I was acquired.

marangu · 27/08/2023 09:51

Consulting Director, single parent to teens - £160k. Moved out of pure tech role into junior management consulting role in my mid 30s, now in my 50s - so late(r)career changes with young kids, into this career path is possible….

Hoistupthemainsail · 27/08/2023 09:58

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 09:24

I’m a lawyer

I started at the criminal bar and earned £40k my first year. It was the last year before legal aid cuts really bit and I quickly realised there was little opportunity to earn more.

i became a SAHM when my eldest DC were born and then set up a successful tech company which I sold for enough for me and the family not to to have work.

I “retired” for a year but was approached about a really interesting in house general counsel role at a big MNC. I’m on my second of those roles and my total package (salary, bonus, options is around £4m)

it sounds very easy written down in three short paragraphs but it was a slog at times and I was in the midst of the sale when my 4th DC was born. It was pretty awful.

my DH has his own architectural practice but like others I couldn’t care less what DHs do. I achieved my successes without a facilitating spouse.

I would be so interested to hear how you got on at the beginning as a GC with a criminal law background - was it a huge learning curve or did you have a step in between?

Flowery123 · 27/08/2023 10:00

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ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/08/2023 10:00

Birdie8989 · 26/08/2023 23:06

The OP doesn't ask for women earning over £100k and this forum is not for the exclusive use of women. The PP who got shot down could in theory ask her husband sat next to her on the sofa to write the same detail and somehow it would be fine. For me trying to inspire young adults with careers they could work towards I don't remotely care whether it is a woman or a man's career as that isn't a deciding factor. But for women to make other women feel somehow inferior because they are 'just a sahm' is just repugnant

Show quote history

As others have said it’s very different for women than men to build these careers. I had a boss who tried to put me on the ‘Mummy’ track when I got back from Mat Leave at the same time that I had a particularly entitled male colleague arguing he should have a pay rise because he was soon to be father and had a family to support. I had to fight some really tough battles to get taken seriously and get fair treatment.

Women need to overcome socialisation that can make them reticent about asking for pay rises and promotions. Women are less likely to apply for roles where their skills might not match fully.

I have two DC now late teens and at times it was tough even with a DH who had more flexibility and does a fair share of housework. The challenge was the mental load. I had calendars, lists, systems to organise as much as possible.

XelaM · 27/08/2023 10:04

@Hoistupthemainsail I also transitioned from Criminal Legal Aid work many moons ago but to Civil White Collar Fraud litigation. Definitely the right move money-wise 😃

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:07

I would be so interested to hear how you got on at the beginning as a GC with a criminal law background - was it a huge learning curve or did you have a step in between?

@Hoistupthemainsail

the setting up, running and ultimately selling a multi million pound company was the step in between. That whole period was a huge learning curve - there are parts of it that make me cringe looking back! My first GC role was very straightforward in comparison Grin

Hoistupthemainsail · 27/08/2023 10:08

XelaM · 27/08/2023 10:04

@Hoistupthemainsail I also transitioned from Criminal Legal Aid work many moons ago but to Civil White Collar Fraud litigation. Definitely the right move money-wise 😃

So interesting- are you in house as GC?

Hoistupthemainsail · 27/08/2023 10:11

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:07

I would be so interested to hear how you got on at the beginning as a GC with a criminal law background - was it a huge learning curve or did you have a step in between?

@Hoistupthemainsail

the setting up, running and ultimately selling a multi million pound company was the step in between. That whole period was a huge learning curve - there are parts of it that make me cringe looking back! My first GC role was very straightforward in comparison Grin

Didn't they want you to have experience in practising other areas of law other than criminal? I was looking at GC roles recently and was wondering whether I had enough PQE. So good to hear other routes in. Did you have to undergo any additional legal training to get up to speed with regulatory law and risk management?

Highandlows · 27/08/2023 10:14

Unavaca my husband earns £400.000 including bonus. Annoying? Deal with it.

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:17

@Hoistupthemainsail I’m sure others have different experiences but what I have found to be critical is knowing one area really really well.

as a (very naive) CEO and then GC I felt in the beginning I had to know everything about everything. It’s not feasible, especially in the early days, but I did know two things really well: my product and a niche area of law that I made it my business to become an expert in.

if you have that then you have respect and you can surround yourself with good people who can fill in the gaps for you, rather than running yourself ragged thinking you need to be an expert in securities and contractual
tech transfers and employment law etc etc

Hoistupthemainsail · 27/08/2023 10:23

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:17

@Hoistupthemainsail I’m sure others have different experiences but what I have found to be critical is knowing one area really really well.

as a (very naive) CEO and then GC I felt in the beginning I had to know everything about everything. It’s not feasible, especially in the early days, but I did know two things really well: my product and a niche area of law that I made it my business to become an expert in.

if you have that then you have respect and you can surround yourself with good people who can fill in the gaps for you, rather than running yourself ragged thinking you need to be an expert in securities and contractual
tech transfers and employment law etc etc

Arh got you, so you were a GC initially in a company in the area you had set up your business? Lots of places I have looked at are asking for certain levels of PQE but perhaps I should test that a bit more.

PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:31

Didn't they want you to have experience in practising other areas of law other than criminal?

I did. In the initial stages of my company’s growth I did everything: contracting, trademark protection, patents, employment law, compliance and then later I hired a GC but was obviously very closely involved in all aspects of the acquisition, that was the basis on which I was able to move into my first GC role.

But what I really learnt and what I think is most relevant for GC roles and was therefore attractive to the organisations hiring me is how you operationalise academic analysis of fact patterns on the basis of enforcement and cost. That was my sharpest learning curve going from an external advisor to an internal decision maker and I had to do that within my own company.

Floweryx123 · 27/08/2023 10:34

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LittleBearPad · 27/08/2023 10:37

Highandlows · 27/08/2023 10:14

Unavaca my husband earns £400.000 including bonus. Annoying? Deal with it.

And what do you do?

Paq · 27/08/2023 10:43

Newname8374929 · 26/08/2023 19:16

Name changed as it's very outing. I'm a management consultant in finance, in a senior role.

How is this outing? It's literally the blandest job description ever!

Broomx · 27/08/2023 10:45

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PegasusReturns · 27/08/2023 10:51

I now do a fairly regular 8- 6 day, but there are times when a 16 hour day is not unusual, these can be routine (quarterly board meetings for multiple entities) or not (an acquisition or litigation). In the beginning I did longer days whilst I got up to speed with the business and personnel.

I have 4 DC, two of whom are still young enough to need me to attend stuff at school and sports events etc so I tend to be able to get out for that sort of stuff with relative ease. I’d generally describe it as flexible.

personally I don’t think the role lends itself to routine working from home, but there is definitely some opportunity. I do 2-3 days in the office, but I also travel every 6 weeks or so. This is significantly less than pre covid and I’m sensing some ramping up here.

edited for typos

LittleBearPad · 27/08/2023 11:08

Paq · 27/08/2023 10:43

How is this outing? It's literally the blandest job description ever!

Show quote history
Grin

There are so few of them about!

Redhothoochycoocher · 27/08/2023 11:26

FarEast · 27/08/2023 06:32

My husband would not be such a high earner without my contribution to our lives. He didn't just magically manage to have a high flying career and a family.

Lots of women manage this without having an unpaid skivvy in the background. I never respect either the husband or the wife who think this way.

God I wonder if you have any idea how offensive that is. At least you earn mega bucks and can look down smugly on high when you speak to the unpaid skivvies.

cameldigits · 27/08/2023 11:33

@Redhothoochycoocher

Sorry you found that post offensive but i think it's true

Women have been gaslighted for decades to believe this. A man can still be successful if his wife has a career

cameldigits · 27/08/2023 11:37

*gaslit!!

Broomx · 27/08/2023 11:44

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Floweryx123 · 27/08/2023 11:46

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fins2 · 27/08/2023 11:54

Not at these levels (yet!) but just to say I love hearing women's careers stories (especially those who have had children young as I did, but not exclusively!)

I wish there was somewhere we could discuss how a career developed, the decisions made, the steps etc, but appreciate that's too outing on MN! I wish LinkedIn didn't charge for private scrolling as I love looking at women's career timelines.