This Marketing Pro Upped Their Salary by $100K by Moving From Sports to Start-ups

Want to make more cash at work? Of course you do. For our collection The Top Up, Canadians throughout totally different industries inform us precisely how a lot they earn—and the way they navigated each elevate, promotion and job change to get it. Each month, a special government shares their journey and their greatest recommendation for how one can higher negotiate your wage, too. This month, a Toronto-based advertising and marketing director who works at an actual property start-up tells CB how they used networking and trade hopping to land the next wage and higher job.

Want to assist elevate the veil on salaries in your trade? Email us at editor@canadianbusiness.com to share your story anonymously with our readers.

Current job title: Marketing director
Industry: Tech
Location: Toronto

First full-time job wage: $30,000 in 2012 as a advertising and marketing coordinator for a software program improvement firm 

Before I graduated from Queen’s with a bachelor of commerce in 2012, I had a four-month paid advertising and marketing coordinator internship with a software program improvement firm the place I copy edited, researched opponents, constructed slide decks and reviewed RFPs. The firm employed me after I graduated, providing me $30,000 for a task as a advertising and marketing coordinator. I used to be proper out of college and didn’t really feel like I had a lot negotiating energy, so I accepted the wage. I used to be commuting to the workplace in downtown Toronto from my dad and mom’ home outdoors of the town, which was an hour and 45 minutes every approach on public transport.

Six months into the job, I made a decision I didn’t wish to keep. I needed a advertising and marketing job in sports activities, leisure or media. I’ve at all times been a giant sports activities fan—I grew up watching Leafs and Raptors video games. So I began networking, asking trade folks to espresso, and making use of for jobs.

Second job wage: $30,000 in 2013 as an account coordinator for an advert company

One of my connections referred me to an advert company the place he labored. I used to be supplied an account coordinator position. I attempted to barter my wage, however they didn’t budge. I attempted negotiating an additional week of trip, which was additionally a tough no. I requested a greater title and was shot down. I used to be upset and it was awkward, however I nonetheless accepted the job. A whole lot of advert companies deal with branding, sponsorship and advertising and marketing for sports activities and leisure firms, so I believed the position may get me nearer to my objective.

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A month in, I obtained a second job: a part-time gig on the concession stands of a significant sports activities venue. I earned $16 an hour and labored about 12 hours every week. It was so I may afford to lease a spot downtown Toronto. The every day commute had been consuming up 20 hours of my week. 

After a 12 months on the advert company, the morale of the corporate was sinking. Then two of the senior leaders resigned inside every week of one another, which solely worsened issues and hastened my timeline to go away. 

Third job wage: $33,000 in 2014 as an account government for a sports activities group

I obtained wind that the sports activities venue the place I labored the concessions was hiring a full-time workplace position as an account government, masking a maternity go away. I utilized as an inner worker, which gave me an edge. The wage bounce wasn’t excessive, so I attempted to barter. They principally mentioned, “Take it or leave it. We have thousands of applicants waiting to take your role.” It was a dream job for me, so I took it. Getting a giant title on my résumé would give me leverage down the road.

The job concerned managing accounts and gross sales for those that had bought ticket packages, and upselling. I additionally managed collections, which meant following up with unpaid accounts. That wasn’t probably the most enjoyable a part of the job, however it taught me the right way to have powerful conversations. 

“My salary was so low that I had to work two jobs to afford rent”

The group didn’t enable me to carry two jobs with them, so I give up the position within the concessions stands and obtained a special part-time job, via a LinkedIn job posting, working about 16 hours every week for a sports activities media firm doing social media and content material creation. The job paid $15 an hour. Having two jobs was tense, however my wage was so low that I needed to work two jobs to afford lease. 

Fourth job wage: $65,000 with a ten per cent annual bonus in 2015 as a social media strategist for a web based financial institution

Around the time that my contract on the sports activities venue was ending, a connection reached out to me. He was launching a brand new on-line financial institution and requested me to hitch. I believed working at a financial institution can be boring. But I used to be additionally bored with making $33,000 a 12 months. If I used to be giving up working within the sports activities and leisure trade, then I could as nicely receives a commission higher.

I requested for $65,000 they usually gave it to me proper off the bat. I used to be floored. I had been working in a low-pay position for such a very long time that I believed asking for $65,000 was like asking for the moon. In retrospect, it was most likely a standard wage for a social media position at a financial institution. My compensation additionally included an annual bonus that was primarily based on efficiency. 

First elevate: $25,000 with a 15 per cent annual bonus in 2018 because the senior supervisor of the financial institution’s contact centre, bringing wage to $90,000

I joined the financial institution pondering I’d solely stick round for a 12 months. But it was truly a extremely fascinating trade to be in. It’s not on a regular basis that you just get a behind-the-scenes view of launching a brand new financial institution in Canada. But I’d realized via all my networking that in social media, there’s a restricted path ahead to getting seniority and massive raises. I believed there was higher incomes potential in communications, so I pivoted to an inner communications position, incomes the identical wage. I labored side-by-side with the customer support name centre, creating scripts and briefs to advise brokers on what to say. 

A 12 months later, two senior folks on the contact centre left. The director advised me to use for a senior supervisor position. I didn’t really feel certified for it, however I obtained the job, which had the next wage. I feel they preferred that I advised them about my targets—extra duty, extra direct studies and extra pay.

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This was my first position with direct studies and I had 10, which was very tense. They have been continually asking questions, leaving me zero time to get my very own work performed. A couple of months after beginning the job, I used to be in a position to rent a supervisor to work below me and the direct studies went to her. That freed me up to consider technique and plan our subsequent strikes. 

I appeared for heavier-hitting, meatier initiatives that gave me extra visibility into the senior management workforce. I needed to ensure I used to be engaged on initiatives that had excessive significance to the underside line of the corporate. If I may present my affect, I may negotiate a elevate.

Second elevate: $15,000 with a 15 per cent annual bonus and $10,000 in fairness per 12 months in 2019 as a senior advertising and marketing supervisor, bringing wage to $105,000  

After a year-and-a-half of working within the contact centre, I used to be feeling burnout. I advised my supervisor how I used to be feeling, and he advised me a few position on the advertising and marketing workforce, which I utilized for and obtained. They supplied me $105,000, which I believed was truthful. This was a lateral transfer from my earlier position, however I’d have a direct line of contact with the vp of selling. 

This place got here with fairness that vested in two years. It’s a powerful incentive to stick with the corporate, however I didn’t consider that fairness as a part of my revenue. I operated prefer it didn’t exist and it didn’t issue into my resolution to take the job. 

Third elevate: $6,000 with a 15 per cent annual bonus in 2021 as a senior IT product supervisor, bringing wage to $111,000

After two years within the advertising and marketing position, I felt like I’d realized all the things I may and was on the lookout for a brand new problem. I had one other sincere dialog with the identical one who helped me transfer from the contact centre into advertising and marketing. He was engaged on the IT workforce and introduced me on as a senior product supervisor in inner communications, the place I’d assist employees on the financial institution be taught new collaboration instruments, like Slack and Microsoft Teams. 

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We had very clear pay bands and I used to be on the decrease finish of mine. I figured I’d ask for one thing on the midpoint, which was $115,000. They got here again with $111,000. 

Fifth job wage: $120,000 with two per cent fairness in 2021 as a advertising and marketing director for an actual property start-up 

I’d solely been within the IT position for 5 months when somebody in my community approached me about working for his or her actual property tech start-up as the pinnacle of selling. I’d be overseeing buyer acquisition and engagement, PR and managing artistic assets. I used to be very in opposition to it initially as a result of it felt dangerous: It was a bootstrapped start-up with simply 4 folks. I had simply bought my first property and had my mortgage to think about. 

“If you don’t ask, the answer is automatically no”

But I felt being on the start-up would speed up my studying. I used to be very comfy on the financial institution, however I knew that doing scary issues is so essential. I figured that within the worst case, I may re-enter the job market utilizing my present community.

Based on market charges and my prior work historical past, the start-up supplied me $120,000, plus two per cent possession within the firm if I stayed with them for the subsequent three years, which I accepted. It was absolutely distant, which was one other bonus. I’m nonetheless on the start-up now and it’s grown to twenty folks. During my first annual overview, HR supplied me a cost-of-living elevate, bringing my wage to $130,000.

Best negotiation tip: Shoot your shot

When it involves negotiating wage, at all times shoot your shot. If you don’t ask, the reply is routinely no. The hiring supervisor is aware of there’s an expectation for negotiating. I do know pals which have gone via their complete careers with out negotiating, which implies they’ve left cash on the desk.