To ask women for the steps you took to get to 100k

[madasawethen]

If you're a woman making 100k or over, what steps did you take to get there.

Job title(it can be general like manager, solicitor)
Training
How long it took?
Any tips or advice for others who want to get there?

Degree got me a grad then learned by doing, mainly moved around to get the big payrises but internal promotions are great when you don't have the experience for the next step.

Director for a consultancy - construction/property.
Degree (Hons) from a prestigious art school.
Felt lost when I graduated, tried a career in fashion but I wasn't cool/pretty/coked up enough for that so Travelled and fell into a very customer focused role in an unrelated industry. Realised that the degree and stint in fashion had given me really good transferable skills, confidence and I willingness to try anything outside my comfort zone. But I had to learn a new industry. I said yes to everything, never apologised and got myself known. Moved jobs to get to the next ladder. Constantly put myself in uncomfortable situations where I had to step up and prove myself, always getting out of my comfort zone.
Salary climb looked a little like this
£48k
£65k
£72k
£85k
£120k
£150k
£180k + shareholding.
I have an amazing husband who pushes me, my friends are supportive and inspirational women. But the hours are long and the stress is high, I sometimes come home and cry after another huge day. But right now it's where I am but not sure it's sustainable.

That also should say, lots of terribly paid/unpaid jobs as a grad and in my early/mid 20's
First 'big' salary was £48k, then it started to climb in big jumps.

Great thread OP I'm not earning 100k but wld like to interject if I may. I think it's easy to lose sight of your value if you stay in one organisation too long. My advice would be to stay 1-2 yrs unless you can see progression, but whilst there, soak up as much as you can and take opportunities, seek opportunities to leave with as much ammunition to command a much bigger salary. I stayed in civil service for 12yrs in a niche area, left, went to fintech which paid me 40% more to 60k because my expertise was crucial to them. Stayed there 6 months then moved to a bank which honoured the same salary. Income is supplemented by BTL income which probably brings it closer to that figure. Also..... please don't be put off if you cannot tick all the boxes. There will be other skills you have which compensate for the one you don't. Good luck

PURELY on the basis of this thread, i did apply for a new job today and i added a few k onto the salary expectations than i would have done otherwise. So thank you! On my way to 100k 😆 (if i get it)

Associate Director

I got a STEM degree. I messed around for a few years but eventually settled into IT. I saw career progression mainly by moving (including abroad). I made a couple of duff moves in that time but mainly every move saw a big salary increase and more responsibility. I was good at getting things done (project management) and fairly diligent so tended to see results.

I spent a lot of my own time staying up to date - reading, courses, conferences to stay on top of IT in my sector. And I participated in forums and as a speaker at conferences so I had an easy way to expand my network, which helped with job hunting.

Lawyer in the City.

I had a degree in the humanities but knew I wanted to go into law. I didn’t have the funding for it so I did the conversion course part time whilst working full time. Similarly I did the legal practice course part time whilst working full time. It was tough and took up a huge chunk of my life.

I applied for training contracts but was not having any luck. I then started applying for paralegal roles and worked as a paralegal in a couple of places. I was always clear that I wanted to be a solicitor and I was fortunate enough to work in a company which trained me as a lawyer.

After I qualified, I applied to roles in private practice in the City as I knew that’s where I wanted to be. Took a few months because I had trained in house with many firms looked down on but I was eventually offered a role with a lower tier firm.

After a couple of years I moved to a mid tier firm and have been promoted within it. As soon as I thought I’m ready for a promotion, I made a lot of noise in the year running up to it (promotions are once a year) so that I could work on anything that could work against me. I now work 4 days a week after returning from mat leave but am still on a 6 figure salary. It took me longer to get to where I am than my peers, but it doesn’t matter in the end.

@shoebag @Herani
There are already a lot of threads on breaking into tech on MN if you use the search function, with plenty of recommendations.
CodeFirst Girls has fully sponsored programs that place you in a job

Basically, get in to tech. I don’t earn that salary but it’s not uncommon in the sector. Contractors would regularly be on that salary. Engineering manager is a standard £100k+. You can get share options if you go to a start up which is the route to real wealth. Not guaranteed obviously but know a few lucky people.

Five years in the market gaining credibility and skills and then the next step and magic £100,000 is self employment - contracting because I can pick and choose the projects that suit me I work outside by IR35 and I pretty much charge three times what the permanent staff are employed for.

.You don’t always have to code either! Project managers, business analysts, there are many options. Not to mention generic ‘business jobs’ like sales, finance, marketing you can make also make a pretty packet working for startups.

The caveat : you must know how to play the game and it’s cyclical. Depending on the company’s funding structure. When a lot of money is being pumped In firms hire like crazy, as headcount is seen as a growth indicator.

When said growth fails to materialise they’re equally quick to show people the door. Unless you’re one of those successful ones. If you know how to review financial statements, how VC firms and the industry works you’ll be able to work out what’s happening.

Similar with contracting you’re always on the hunt for the next job.

Thank you - will look them up

Contractor in tech but jobs which require a level of vetting because of the environment I work in.
Typically involved in change management and project management and some level of leading teams.
Salary before any taxes is around 150k.
At various points I've held multiple roles so you could add another 80 to 100k on but tax kills this!

Started as an EA many moons ago but went to work for an IT services company where they put their EAs on career paths of choice. I saw others making big bucks and wanted in but didn't have the skills. Volunteered alongside my EA job until I had some skills then started applying. Earned 37k then. Got a job with a consultancy as a £45k plus 600pm car allowance. Next move was 68k plus lots of benefits. Move after first child was contracting at £600pd. I've been doing that for almost 5 years now. Just been offered a larger lead role at around the 150k mark today.

Also, forgot to add that my DH has always encouraged and supported each move. Helps more with childcare and doesn't feel threatened by my success.

Well done and good luck

I didn't add the steps I took to get to my current position - I've been a CEO for 20 years.

The main thing in the early years was to work hard, not moan, help promote positive solutions, volunteer to sort out tricky projects and be very willing to learn. Be willing to speak up and ask questions and be good to work with - a great team player. I'm known as being smart, analytical and good at comms and nice to work with fun, honest and not into office politics. It means that when people are looking for someone to help out or partner with they pick you. I've also always avoided being hierarchical and talking down to anyone - you can learn from anyone. It's not the bosses who make things tick.

Hello, I hope you don't mind me asking OP, but for those of you with 2 postgraduates, how did you pay for the tuition fees? I'm considering taking out a loan for a mediation and dispute resolution.

I've got one postgrad in HRM, but I'm a single parent to 2, one with SEN and I just can't seem to make a leap up the ladder.

@TeaWithFlorence that is amazing, go you!

Thank you! Me either but I'll try 😂

£200k pa base salary, am late-30s, 8am - 6pm, 5 days a week. Work in a 'hot' bit of asset management so room for more career and salary progression.

Started in a very different industry on a salary of £16k pa. Moved frequently - was an unusual candidate for nearly every job, but was usually recommended by industry contacts to the recruiter. Maths-y MSc.

Tips:

• Learn to love networking
• Work on your public speaking/presentation skills
• Be kind and generous to people who need your help (unless they are dickheads) - you never know when you might need a favour in return
• find your 'niche' skillset (the sweet spot in your skill/experience Venn diagram) and promote it like mad

This thread is both inspiring and depressing me if that's even possible!

Our company would pay for that if they felt it was gonna add value to the persons role, saves hiring somebody which would cost them more than 20 grand in uplift and recruitment phase.

Doctor.

I don't earn £100k but I used to.

Burnt out from all the crap and the hours.

Now work less hours (nominally half time which still means approx 36 hrs a week) and earn less but can just about see myself making it through to retirement...

Self funded through years of exams, paying £100s each time...

Worked terrible hours (i was one of the ones who got 96 hour a week contracts back in the 90s).

Used to get some work satisfaction - now very little...

And totally could only really manage because my dh took a back seat with regard to his career. We moved around the country for my job. He's now moving up in his career but for years he really held things together at home with the children. I'm grateful but also at times I wished I wasn't the breadwinner and could feel less responsible.

Asking for wage is a bit crass but I am well over £100K with a lot of benefits, I'm the data anaylist doing the grunt algorythim and db work as I combine petabytes of data into datasets that the point and click data analyists use, work for one of the big 2 tech gaints.

Didn't go to uni, started as vb developer and agressively moved jobs for a few years upskilling through the languages when I was younger to increase my skill set, then it was a case of being head hunted, I now regularly screen cv's for data anaylists/devs and have to turn down a lot of people who use Qlik and think they understand the role, I;m mid 40's now and my office location is based in the US, my paid for flights to the office are business class all inclusive.

I worked fucking hard for the role, I enjoy it.

My bf has never been to uni and did a trade, she is touching around the 100k mark, and now out earning a few of her local mum friends who seem to have an issue with her because she is earning quite a lot.

There is no easy way to it, it requires hard work and determination