I got a tech job and quadrupled my salary to $400,000 after leaving law. You don't need a traditional tech background to succeed in the industry.

Jonea Gordon changed careers and grew her salary. She earns more than $400,000 a year working in tech as a data privacy program manager at Cruise.

• Jonea Gordon is a data-privacy program manager at Cruise, where she earns more than $400,000 a year.
• She started her career as a lawyer and pivoted to real estate and recruiting before data privacy.
• Her advice to others looking to grow their salaries is to come in prepared and confident.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jonea Gordon, a 35-year-old year data privacy program manager based in Philadelphia. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a data-privacy program manager with a background that includes roles at Meta, Google, and Cruise. Transitioning from law to data privacy and income growth from $90,000 to over $400,000 in five years marks my journey in this field.

I share my experiences on platforms such as X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram, where I focus on informing and inspiring others, especially those from underrepresented groups in tech. I emphasize that you can succeed in tech without a traditional tech background. Here's how I got where I am today.

How I started my career

I graduated from law school in 2009 and became a litigation attorney. I soon realized the mismatch between the demanding nature of legal work and my personal values, and I desired a more balanced life. Despite the prestige and potential success in law, I wanted both fulfillment and flexibility.

I ventured into real estate with my networking skills and initially found success selling houses to lawyers in my network, but I soon felt the same dissatisfaction that I had in my legal career.

Once again, I was on the lookout for my dream career, which led me back to law, but this time as a legal recruiter.

This position was instrumental in expanding my network and exposing me to various career paths, including data privacy. I hadn't encountered this field in law school and was increasingly drawn to it, especially since my clients at the time demonstrated a growing demand for privacy attorneys.

How I pivoted to data privacy

During my maternity leave in 2018, I focused on networking and conducting informational interviews with professionals in the data-privacy sector. These interactions were crucial in understanding the necessary skills and certifications for a career in this field. I also asked the university where I did my undergraduate if I could audit their data-privacy courses for free, which I then put on my CV.

The first role I secured was a consulting position with a starting salary of $90,000, a cut from my previous recruitment earnings. But this move was strategic because I discovered the lucrative potential of data privacy in tech, which far exceeded my initial expectations.

In 2020, while still in that role, a recruiter at Meta approached me because I'd positioned myself as a thought leader with expertise in the field and regularly posted about data privacy for my 7,000 LinkedIn followers. I was hired and my initial total compensation was $190,000.

Google then approached me in 2022 with a significantly higher offer of about $360,000 in total compensation including a sign-on bonus. The interview processes at both companies were thorough and involved multiple rounds and extensive preparation.

I took the role at Google as a privacy-program manager, and I worked cross-functionally with various teams to manage privacy risks in product development. This role was a perfect blend of my desire for creativity and a dynamic work environment.

My legal background was invaluable for understanding and applying complex regulations. Half of the privacy-program managers I met were also former lawyers.

My layoff experience at Google

One day, eight months into my job at Google, I couldn't log into my system — and this was how I learned I'd been laid off. Despite the initial shock, I realized that the impact was not as profound as it could've been, considering my short tenure there.

The experience was a blessing in disguise, allowing me a valuable period to recharge, focus on personal growth, and adopt healthier lifestyle habits.

I cannot overstate the role my network played during this period. After sharing about my layoff on LinkedIn, I was overwhelmed by the responses: Offers of assistance and job opportunities poured in.

I received offers from many big companies, including Boston Consulting Group, but I chose to turn them down because they were lower than my salary at Google had been and I knew I could do better. This experience underscored the invaluable safety net the network I had built at top tech companies created, akin to the benefits and connections one might gain from attending a top business school.

My highest offer yet

Just a few months after my layoff, I got an offer from Cruise with a total compensation of over $400,000. When it came to the negotiation table, I approached it as I always do with job offers — with confidence and clear expectations.

I successfully secured an additional $10,000 on top of their initial offer, which was a testament to my understanding of my market value and the importance of self-advocacy in career advancement.

Advice for others

My advice for those new to tech, particularly in data privacy, is to start in consulting. Big Four accounting firms — Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young — actively seek privacy consultants and offer good salaries and training.

Utilize resources such as Levels.fyi and Blind to find accurate and current salary information and build your network and negotiation skills. Drawing from my experience as a recruiter, I've learned that assertive negotiation rarely leads to retracted job offers. It's crucial to confidently state your salary expectations because companies typically expect and respect this part of the job-offer process.

Ultimately, I encourage individuals to think carefully before assuming something's unattainable. I recently asked my Instagram followers about their income aspirations. Many expressed a desire to earn $100,000 annually, but I urge people to aim for a target such as $300,000 or more per year. With the right strategy, achieving this in a few years is possible.