I Broke Into Big Tech and Doubled My Salary to $250,000 at Age 36

I was 36 when I changed industries entirely. For the first 13 years of my career, I worked as a copywriter at agencies and on in-house marketing teams in Los Angeles.

My last few years in copywriting were spent in complete misery, despite a decent salary of $120,000. I was over everything about the job.

I hit rock bottom in 2018 after getting fired by a manager I didn’t agree with.

Now, I’m a senior recruiter at Airbnb, making over double my old copywriting salary.

After getting fired, I reassessed my career

I applied for unemployment, and then I asked myself a sincere question: Do you hate your job or hate your career?

You might hate your job because of a micromanager or a brutal commute. Finding a new job can fix that. Hating your career? No new job can help.

I knew the title I badly wanted of creative director would never happen. I didn’t have what it took to get or succeed in the job. I always fell short, and my self-confidence fell even further.

It’s tough to admit you aren’t good enough, especially after 13 years of trying.

I decided to try something entirely new

I could stay the course and make a decent living, but picturing myself as a 55-year-old copywriter arguing with a much younger social media manager over punctuation on an Instagram post was downright depressing. I had to change careers.

To start, I identified what was important in my next step:

• I wanted to increase my earning potential in Big Tech
• I didn’t want to go back to school
• I didn’t want to be in a field where my work was subjective

I set my sights on becoming a tech recruiter. No courses were required for entry-level positions, and I’d be judged by hires, not by somebody randomly liking one of the dozens of taglines I wrote for a product I didn’t care about.

I considered program management and corporate learning and development. Most of my options centered on my strengths as a people person who enjoys guiding others. Ultimately, I felt it was only fitting to become a recruiter: I could help others in their careers after agonizing over my own.

Targeting a specific career was a critical next step

People contemplating career changes often ask me, “What do you think I could do if I’m a (insert job)? Or they’ll send a résumé and say, “I’m open to anything you think I’d be a fit for.”

That’s not an efficient approach — not knowing where you want to go can lead to wandering. As I was closing in on my 40s, I didn’t have time to try out different things.

I tailored my résumé to highlight the professional achievements I felt would be valuable as a recruiter: pitching and managing clients and working under tight deadlines.

Additionally, I searched LinkedIn to find recruiters at companies I admired and noted the responsibilities they listed on their profiles. I then filled out my résumé with similar responsibilities I had as a copywriter.

I contacted recruiters who had found me work as a freelance copywriter and asked if they were looking for trainees. I applied to agencies accepting entry-level applicants. I cold-emailed recruiting managers at companies I liked to see if they took interns. I wrote cover letters for the first time in a decade.

I also set realistic expectations

Many people who want to change careers are unwilling to take significant pay cuts, or they only target dream companies. It’s fair to have standards, but starting over takes sacrifice.

I was fortunate enough to have a working partner support me and some severance from my last job — I recognize these are luxuries many don’t have.

After a few months of searching, I landed an associate role at a tech recruiting agency called Binc for $60,000, half of my previous income.

I built trust quickly

I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed, but I quickly learned age and experience can be huge advantages.

Many of my peers I trained with were 10 to 15 years younger than me. They were all awesome recruiters, but I had an extra decade-plus of experience managing projects and relationships.

I was comfortable working with client engineering managers as I had been dealing with demanding advertising clients for years — being around their age helped build and maintain the relationship.

My mental health drastically improved

I was excited about work and learning new skills daily for the first time in years. Despite my pay cut, I couldn’t have been happier.

Luck was also on my side: I pivoted right before tech growth went parabolic, and my very first agency provided top-notch training while letting me gain experience at startups like Affirm and Robinhood.

I cracked 6 figures in 2 years

After just two years at Binc, I was making $100,000. I couldn’t believe I was making almost as much as I was as a copywriter with nearly 15 years of experience.

In another stroke of luck, Binc was acquired by Robinhood in 2021, and I became an employee of one of the hottest tech companies in the Bay Area. Since the pandemic was still fresh, Robinhood was remote, and nobody was required to relocate.

I got restricted stock units for the first time, and my compensation approached $200,000. I even got to experience Robinhood’s IPO and the infamous Gamestop short squeeze from the inside.

Now, I work at my dream company

In 2022, I landed a new role at my dream company, Airbnb, where I’m now a senior recruiter. It’s been nearly eight years since I started this journey, and my total compensation is over $250,000 a year.

The alternate version of my life — the one where I turned into a 55-year-old copywriter writing Gen Z slang posts for a much younger social media manager — will never manifest. I made sure of it.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not represent Airbnb.