I stumbled across Blind two years ago in an Instagram ad. At the time I was working in a pretty toxic environment and making 150k tc, which Glassdoor suggested was the top of the pay scale for a web designer. As our family's main breadwinner, I felt trapped. It didn't seem like there were any job options that would increase quality of life without sacrificing income. Also, I was pregnant. It felt like the worst time to make a career pivot. I started researching the tech industry, and when Blind targeted me with an ad, I checked it out. Finding honest and open convos about income and negotiation was kind of mind blowing. I had no clue that people with pretty much identical skills and experience to mine (but with job titles in product design or UX) were making a lot more than I currently was. And bonus, those jobs sounded way more suited to my interests than the marketing and web design world I’d been in. I started pulling together my portfolio and writing case studies, read a million posts on blind, googled things like “what is an RSU” and “difference between web and product design,” and kept a long doc of notes, things to learn, and companies I was interested in. I steeled myself for a lengthy job search that I planned to start during my maternity leave, and decided I could compromise on money or title if that’s what it took to get my foot in the door. Then stuff got worse at my job, and a sympathetic friend connected me to a referral and last minute interview for a product design job at Salesforce, one of the companies on my shortlist. I figured no way I’ll get it, I wasn’t ready, but it will be good interviewing experience. By then I was in my third trimester (which I disclosed to the hiring manager and recruiter). It was the first time I’d formally interviewed for a job in 10 years. And somehow in spite of all that, they gave me an offer (after negotiation) at just under 300k, double my previous tc. One month before my due date. That was a year ago, and it’s been life-changing. I had a generous paid maternity leave focused on my family instead of job searching, my teammates are amazing, I love my work, I’m spending more time with my kids, and we have enough extra money that we’re now in the process of buying a bigger house, something we didn’t think we’d be able to do for years, if ever. So I wanted to thank the Blind community for providing a stepping stone and a window into what’s out there…I don’t think I would’ve ever known this was a path available to me without it. And huge shoutout to Salesforce and my manager for their focus on inclusive hiring and supporting working parents. I can’t say enough good things. Hoping this can encourage anyone else out there who feels trapped or unsure of their next step. TLDR: Went from 150k to 300k tc in one year while pregnant after discovering Blind and transitioning from web design job I wasn't happy with to a product design job I love.
par·a·graph /ˈperəˌɡraf/ noun a distinct section of a piece of writing, usually dealing with a single theme and indicated by a new line, indentation, or numbering.
Congratulations OP. Way to go girl 👍🏻👍🏻
Too many words.. why not split into paragraphs..
Tldr?
Yes please tldr;
Happy for you and glad you're enjoying UX at Salesforce!
Congratulations!! 👏 Please use paragraphs. I couldn’t read beyond the first 12 lines
tldr: Learned about product/UX design and TC for those roles thanks to blind. Interviewed and hired by Salesforce in her third trimester. Doubled her TC from 150k as a web designer to 300k as a product designer.
Sorry for the long single paragraph — I wrote on the blind app and it doesn’t allow hard returns when posting for some reason. I’ll edit on my laptop in a bit
Congrats! Happy for you OP. I also stumbled upon Blind ads on Instagram before joining the app. Their ads are 🔥
Congrats brother and welcome to Salesforce. ✊🏻
Sister
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