Life Lessons in How My Mentee Secured a Manager-Level Role and a 35K Salary Increase

I have another amazing case study to inspire you today. ✨

Let me introduce you to my mentee Dearra. 

She came to me as a marketing professional with several years of experience.

However, Dearra felt that she was lacking the ability to move up in the industry, unable to position herself as an expert, or to command the kinds of salaries that she desired. 💁🏾‍♀️

But you know that isn’t where Dearra’s story ends.

After working with me through the Mentor Me Accelerator and by applying the strategies that she learned in the program, she was able to secure a management-level role, even as a newer professional, and a $35,000 salary increase. 💰

Let’s back up a little. To understand the success that Dearra earned, you must first understand what she was going through. 

In Dearra’s words, she felt like she was going backward. It had been a year since she had been laid off from her former full-time role, right at the height of COVID. There was a lot of anxiety and feelings of frustration about where her career was going. 😩

And then Dearra began having the doubts of, “Am I going to be able to get back or advance beyond the level that I previously held?”

Her job at the time was a contractor position, nothing more and nothing less. It definitely was not the role that she was looking for. So Dearra started thinking maybe she did need a mentor. She knew that people in marketing were hiring, especially with everyone being forced to move their businesses online, but she felt stuck in securing a new role alone. 🙅🏾‍♀️

Shortly after these thoughts, Dearra stumbled across my Instagram page. And she kept seeing my stories, posts, and reels. She shared later that her thought was, “If Ashley shows up this much for free on social media, how much more value can she add if I choose to invest with her?”

Dearra had previously worked with a mentor. She explained that she would meet with the mentor, share the issues that she was having, talk through them, and then not make an action plan. In turn, Dearra felt that she should be content with where she was, and be grateful for the current position that she had. 🤦🏾‍♀️

She found Mentor Me to be different. Mentor Me really opened her eyes and her mind to a new way of job searching. She wasn’t just applying for jobs that she had 100% of the job skills for, but rather 70% (something she learned in Mentor Me). This really helped to create confidence in her skill set. 

Dearra definitely went through the necessary mindset shift that so many of my mentees talk about (check out my testimonials 😉). She began to focus on the professional values that she desired in a position. She began to implement real strategy into her job search, into her interviewing, and into her negotiating. 🤓

Dearra made the decision to invest in herself and her career at a time when many would say she couldn’t afford it, it wasn’t the right time, or she should stay where she was, etc. But she chose to make the investment—both financial and time—to secure the role that she wanted, and also truly deserved. 

And today, she is seeing the benefits pay off in ways she never dreamed possible. 💲

I hope that Dearra’s story can inspire you. Inspire you to make a decision today, to reflect your expertise, and attract employers who recognize your value and are eager to offer you high-paying, high-impact positions. 

Learn more at mentor-me.org or schedule a Mentor Moment today. Don’t stay stuck. Let me help you secure that salary increase you’re looking for, let me help you secure that new position you deserve, and let me help you make a real impact in your career. Don’t wait. 🚫