How I Landed My First Six-Figure Salary—And What I’d Do Again in 2025
From the outside, it probably looked like a BIG break.
A tech leader sent me an InMail…then another…and then his partner sent me one more.
I responded. I interviewed. I got an offer. Then negotiated a $20,000 increase—and said yes to my first six-figure salary.
Bing. Bang. BOOM. 💥
But behind that moment was a hell of a lot of strategy, work, and a whole lot of intentional moves you never saw. And when this happens…it’s usually not random or luck. It’s momentum. Built up. Over time.
And I want you to know: if you’re in the thick of it right now? If you’re applying, interviewing, or trying to figure out what’s next?
THIS CAN BE YOU.
But it won’t come from guesswork, panic-applying, or relying on outdated advice.
Real quick: I'm Tessa. Former Tech Recruiter and Talent Program Manager, turned Career Strategist. I've hired over 1,000 employees, built recruiting programs from scratch, worked directly with exec teams, and reviewed well over 15,000 resumes.
Now I help professionals land interviews and negotiate higher-paying offers.
And here’s exactly what I did to land my first 6-figure salary—AND what I’d do again if I were job hunting today.
Because yeah, the job market is different.
But strategy? That still works.
1️⃣ Took Inventory Before Applying Anywhere
I’d been in recruiting for a long time and had dipped my toe in the project and program management space. And loved it. The last thing I wanted was “just another recruiting job.”
I was looking for the right one.
So instead of panic applying, I sat down, got quiet, and asked myself what I actually wanted.
Not just title or salary, but…
The kind of work I desired
The impact I aimed to have
The type of org I could grow with
And what my version of success looked like
Most people skip this step entirely. But without taking space to answer these clarifying questions, your focus strays to the shiny objects in the outside lanes…(*cough*panic applying to 50 jobs you’d hate*cough).
Without honing in on what I actually wanted, I’d have wasted a bunch of time and effort on jobs and activities (60-min-hacks, anyone?), that were never going to serve me—and potentially settled for less than I deserved.
And so will you.
This step was the foundation for everything that followed.
👉🏽 What I'd do today: Start by getting brutally honest about what you actually want next—not just what’s available. Map out your must-haves, deal-breakers, and growth goals before you apply to a single role.
2️⃣ Optimized My LinkedIn—and Stayed Strategic
As a Recruiter, my LinkedIn was always up-to-date — keyword optimized, no gaps, completely filled in...the works.
And in a world where we’re all chronically online and platforms like LinkedIn can make or break your candidate brand…so should yours be.
But a current job title and photo wasn’t enough. Not then. And definitely not now.
So when a COO saw my profile and messaged me about an opportunity to build their Talent Org, he already had a good sense of what I brought to the table—
My career journey and growth
Specific projects I led
Along with the impacts and outcomes I delivered
🌟Fun fact: I didn’t see his first message right away, so he followed up with another. He even had his partner send me an InMail. They weren’t playing 😅. They were sourcing before posting the role, and they found me.
And that doesn’t happen by accident—take it from someone who’s hired thousands of employees, many directly from LinkedIn.
It happens when you’ve positioned yourself intentionally.
👉🏽 What I'd do today: Update your LinkedIn with keywords that align to your target roles, then engage 3–5x/week with content that reflects your expertise. Visibility is super strategic in 2025 and activity boosts your profile to the top of the pile—where recruiters can see it.
3️⃣ Only Pursued Aligned Roles
Once I took inventory of what I really wanted, I stopped wasting time on “let’s just see how it goes” interviews.
You know the ones. The job’s sort of close…the company seems fine…but it's meh and you already know it’s not actually what you want. And if that's how you feel when applying, you're gonna show up that way. It bleeds into how you prep and how you show up.
I didn’t have time for that (neither do you, btw). And I didn’t need to panic-apply just to stay busy.
Because my LinkedIn was updated strategically, recruiters were coming to me with roles that already hit the mark.
And because I’d taken the time to get clear on my values, strengths, and career direction—I could say “no” quickly to anything that wasn’t aligned.
That freed up so much more energy for the right stuff like…
✅ Sending tailored, high-quality applications
✅ Writing targeted cover letters
✅ Prepping for interviews I actually wanted
✅ Building relationships with people at companies that mattered to me
The TLDR: Less noise and distraction, meant more traction.
👉🏽 What I'd do today: Use your energy wisely. Only apply or say yes to interviews that align with your criteria. Then use that freed-up time to actually tailor your materials and prep like your offer depends on it—because it does.
...and here's why...
4️⃣ Negotiated a $20k Salary Increase
The company made me a solid offer. But it still fell below my target—and under what I knew my experience and expertise was worth.
So I countered:
I brought facts and receipts to the table
Articulated the full value of my expertise
Stated my number (not a range)
And then stopped talking.
No rambling. No over-explaining.
And I landed a salary increase of $20,000—up 75% from my previous job, where I'd been underpaid for years.
💰 Pro Tip: Learn from me and negotiate liquid cash FIRST. I chose more cash over stock—the company wasn’t public, and monopoly money doesn't pay bills. That move paid off. A year later, they did layoffs and that stock was worthless. But I was able to keep every dime I’d earned.
It’s why I say: Negotiate liquid cash—salary, hourly rate— first. Always. (then move to your plan b, if necessary)
👉🏽 What I'd do today: Research your range, know your number, and don’t flinch when it’s time to ask. The offer process is still part of your strategy—so own it and ask for what you deserve.
The Non-Overnight Success
Here’s the inconvenient truth: None of this was luck, and it definitely didn’t come from a quick fix or hack.
It was a combination of being intentional, strategic, and willing to do the work—even when it felt slow or uncomfortable. That six-figure offer didn’t come from a viral resume template or some magical algorithm shift.
It came from stacking smart move on top of smart move, over time.
Trial and error taught me how to:
Position myself as the obvious choice
Communicate my strengths in a way that actually resonated
And negotiate like someone who knows I'm the prize (because...obviously 😏)
And I LOVE sharing everything I've learned.
If you’re in that in-between season right now—actively applying, looking for your next move, and wondering when it's going to click—I see you.
You’re probably doing a lot right already. And with a little more strategy? It will be your time, too.
Want to talk through what that could look like for you?
👇🏽 Book a free Clarity Call with me 👇🏽
We’ll talk through where you’re stuck, what’s working, and how to move toward the job (and salary) you actually want.
