I didn’t think I had a shot. My experience was largely in the retail and consumer sectors — I hardly had any tech experience. I had also never worked in-house. But I did so much interview prep, literally reading every piece of information on their website, watching all their videos, researching everyone on LinkedIn. I basically became an expert on their company — and ultimately, it worked!
I flew out to San Francisco for my final interview round and while sightseeing on my last day, I received a call from the woman who would be my boss. When she presented the offer, my jaw literally dropped and I did a little dance right there on the sidewalk: $120,000 with a 25% bonus.
One thing I did when they asked for my salary expectations earlier in the interview process was simply not giving them a number. With all of the variables that were new to me, I had no idea what to ask for, and I was afraid of asking for too little. Instead, when they asked what I was expecting, I said, “I don’t think I have enough information at this time to give a range.” Now, nearly 10 years later, I wouldn’t suggest that move again, but it worked in my favor.
I never imagined making over six figures in the Midwest with no college degree. (I attended three years of college but dropped out to start working my first PR job. I wanted to make money and it was clear I could do that without finishing my degree.)
Working in tech was amazing. The startup culture was as clichéd as you would imagine. I spent a week in San Francisco each month. I flew first class. Our company dropped millions on customer parties that included household-name musicians. People worked hard but we all had fun and it felt like, in the least toxic sense of the word, a family.
Though my title didn’t change and I didn’t get a promotion per se (I was the most senior communications person when I was hired, so there wasn’t really anywhere for me to be promoted to), I got generous raises along the way. By the time I left this job, I was making $155,000 with a 25% bonus.
I also became a solo mom during this job — I adopted a child as a single woman. I was able to do that because I was making great money, had a low cost of living in the Midwest, and worked from home. That freedom allowed me to choose motherhood on my own, and on my own terms. If I’d known how lucrative and flexible an in-house role would be, I would’ve left the agency world years earlier.
