I live in southern california, and I was a parent, so I knew that I’d have to earn a healthy salary to enjoy life.

But after graduating in 2015, things got off the rockiest start possible.

But over the course of the following two years, I was able to work my way through the ranks to finally land that 6-figure salary.

Here’s how I did it:

The Timeline:

Here’s a breakdown of how I went from being unemployed, to earning a 6 figure income (And 4x’ing my income) in roughly two years:

Job 1: July 2015–6 Weeks After Graduation, I was Unemployed

I had accepted a position with small startup company that was run by one of my college professors.

I had worked in digital marketing through college, and he was looking for someone to help him get his website and advertising together.

6 weeks after starting, I was let go because they “couldn’t afford to pay me”.

I Started to Apply for Jobs Like Crazy

I was applying to jobs like it was my full time job.

I had just signed a new lease for my apartment, and I was a single dad with a son to provide for. So being unemployed for an extended period of time just wasn’t an option for me.

I’d wake up in the morning, and would work at creating resumes, cover letters, and follow up emails for each specific job I applied for. The hard work paid off.

Job 2: August 2015 — Within 4 Weeks, I Received Three Job Offers

Before the month of July was over, I had gone a several interviews and received 3 solid job offers.

2 of the offers were for marketing related roles, and the third was a sale position.

I opted for the sales role, even though it was a new industry, because it was the shortest commute, and it had the highest earning potential.

Job 3: September 2015 — Six Weeks Later, I Accepted Another Position

After six weeks in the sales role, I resigned to accept another marketing role (going back to my roots).

Luckily, a former boss of mine had moved to a new marketing agency, and because I had impressed her when we worked together, I was the first person she reached out to when a spot opened up on her new team.

I ditched the sales job and was happy to start a new role in an industry that I knew.

Job 4: December 2015 — Six Weeks Later, I Accepted ANOTHER New Position

While at Job 3, I quickly received two job offers. Each came with a raise. The first offer was a 44% increase in salary, and it was a marketing position. It was also a promotion as the title and responsibilities were far greater than my current role.

The second job offer was in a completely different field (supply chain management), but it came with a 63% increase in pay.

I was hesitant to again leave the marketing field, but I figured I was earlier enough in my career (6 months out of college) where I could experiment with different fields.

Plus, the second job offer had a more defined path to career advancement.

So I accepted the second job offer.

Job 5: August 2017–18 Months Later, I Accepted ANOTHER, ANOTHER New Position

I stayed at Job 4 for about year and a half, and during that time I was approached by several different companies looking to hire me. But I said no to most.

With Job 5 being a new industry for me, I was laser focused on just getting really good at my job.

I was fortunate enough to work in two separate departments, lead 4 different teams, and work on some pretty impactful projects.

I will be forever grateful for the time I spent with this company.

But eventually, I was recruited for a position with one of the world’s most innovative company, in a role that capitalized on my unique strengths, AND offered me the six figure salary I had been looking for.

You Can’t Be Afraid to Job Hop

Job hopping has a stigma in society. “Job Hoppers” have been painted as people who aren’t loyal, or maybe aren’t good enough employees to hold down steady work.

While there are definitely people who fit that description, I never encountered my job hopping as an obstacle.

And I believe the reason why, was because I was able to speak to each job move intelligently and logically.

I could very cleary walk the interviewer through why I left one job for another, and I did it in a way that left no question unanswered.

But I can definitively say that it would’ve been almost impossible for me to 4x my income and land a six figure salary without all of the job movement I had.

The average employee can expect an annual raise of 3% , but it’s even less once you factor in inflation.

So if you’re goal is to rapidly increase your income, staying at the same job won’t get you there.

On the other hand, the average raise an employee receives for job hopping is between a 10% to 20% increase in salary. If you do this a few times, it’s easy to see how you can 4x your income and quickly reach a six figure salary.

You Can’t Be Afraid to Change Industries

I went from marketing, to sales, to marketing, to supply chain management.

Some people fear changing industries, or even applying for jobs in different industries, because they’re afraid they may not be qualified.

But the truth is, you never know what kind of skill set the hiring manager is looking for. Even though you may not have the ideal technical skills or business knowledge, maybe your soft skills and intangibles are exactly what the company wants.

There’s no downside to applying for roles outside of your current industry.

However, the upside is huge. Expanding to new industries makes your more marketable down the road. And the hiring you move up the ranks, the less your industry matters.

You Can’t Be Afraid to Say “NO” to Bad Offers

I turned down more job offers than I accepted during this process, and that made ALL the difference.

During my time at Job 4, I turned down three different job offers before I accepted Job 5.

The first offer was a marginal increase in pay from my salary at Job 4.

The second offer was a 25% increase in pay. And believe me, I was tempted to accept this offer. But I countered for a 47% increase (I know, it was pretty gutsy of me).

The company didn’t necessarily rescind their offer, but they said that the number was way out of their range and wished me best of luck in my job search.

Know What You Want to be Paid

I almost regretted asking for more money, but I had a number in my head that I knew I needed to leave Job 4.

Because the truth was, I was happy in that role, so I wasn’t going to leave for anything less than what I wanted, which was a 6-figure salary.

And I also knew what my unique skill set was valued at in the marketplace.

The third job offer was a 20% increase in base bay, but offered a huge signing bonus that would push my first year compensation to about a 40% of of Job 4’s salary.

But again, I knew that I wanted a base pay increase of 47%. So I turned that job offer down as well.

Had I accepted that second or third job offer, instead of having the confidence and faith in myself that I’d eventually find the right role that would pay what I knew I was worth, I would’ve left 10’s of thousands of dollars on the table.

So, know what your value is…

It’s okay to have a specific dollar amount in mind that you want to make…

BUT, you have to have the courage to say no when you’re being offered what you know you’re worth.

Never Stop Networking and Marketing Yourself

Each of the jobs above, except for Job 2, I was recruited for. Meaning… I didn’t apply for the job out of the cold.

Instead, I was approached by someone at the company who told me that they wanted me for the role.

Having someone pull you into the application process, as opposed to trying to push yourself through the process, gives you a lot of leverage as the candidate.

When the company is reaching out you, you know that they already believe you’re a strong candidate.

But in order to get in front of the decision makers, recruiters, and hiring managers at other companies, you need to network and market yourself.

It may sound like a daunting task, but it’s really not.

It’s as simple as working hard in your current role and making a solid impression on your peers (because you never know who’s going to leave the company and possibly bring you with them).

And it’s about having a solid online presence, specifically on LinkedIn.

Make sure your profile tells a compelling story about how you are, and how you can benefit your next potential employer. Lastly, make sure that you’re connecting with people at the companies you’d like to work for, that way, when they’re looking for a competitive candidate, you show up in their search.

So the natural question follows…

How Did I Make Myself Such a Strong Candidate?

I made sure that my LinkedIn Profile told a very compelling story about who I am as candidate.

Here’s what my LinkedIn Profile Summary showed when I was offered Job 5.

Here’s the summary for a random person I found on LinkedIn that’s in the same industry:

Which one tells a more compelling story of what the candidate is capable of?

Which candidate would you be more willing to reach out to if you had a dire need to fill a position?

Hopefully the answer is obvious.

My Results May Be Extraordinary, But They’re Realistic

I didn’t go to a prestigious university with a ton of name recognition: I went to a local, public, state university.

I didn’t have any inside connections at most the companies that hired me: But I was able to get my name in front of the right people at these companies.

I didn’t have a ton of experience: I was only two years out of college before I snagged my six-figure salary, and it was in a field I didn’t have a ton of experience in.

I didn’t get a technical degree: I got my degree in business management, where the average starting salary is $50,000.

I say all that say this… You can follow my footsteps and see similar results.

Can I guarantee that you’ll 4x your income and land a six figure salary? Of course not…

But I’m pretty confident that if you follow what I did above, you’ll at least land 10% — 20% raise with your next position.

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• Market yourself so you stand out among other candidates and recruiters come looking for you
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