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I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I worked for the nonprofit sector for eight years.
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I wasn’t paid much, had limited benefits, and had no financial safety net going into my 30s.
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I pivoted to the private sector and landed a job at Google that instantly tripled my salary.
When I graduated from university, working at a Big Tech company wasn’t part of my plan.
I have a bachelor’s degree in history and international relations and a master’s in human rights. I wanted to address complex social problems and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.
That’s why I spent nearly eight years working in the nonprofit sector. I reported on civil rights violations, advocated for women’s rights, and worked as a researcher, project manager, and policy advisor for global human rights organizations.
The organizations I worked for had limited financial resources, usually lacked benefits, and required frequent relocation, often with minimal logistical support.
As I neared my 30s, the pressures of everyday life — like rent and bills — started piling up. So, I decided to pivot and explore opportunities in the private sector.
When I shared my plans to transition, the responses were far from encouraging. Some said, “No one will hire you — you don’t have the right experience,” while others suggested I start with an internship.
One mentor advised that my best option was to accept a junior role with a steep pay cut and fewer responsibilities, and then work my way up.
The problem was that after nearly a decade in low-paying nonprofit roles and without a financial safety net to fall back on, I couldn’t afford to take on unpaid or underpaid work.
I threw myself into networking. I attended events, reached out to people on LinkedIn, and applied to roles that felt slightly out of reach.
I also tailored my CV and cover letters to highlight transferable skills: stakeholder management, cross-cultural communication, strategic thinking, working under pressure, and navigating complex environments across time zones.
I applied to many roles across Europe, ranging from startups to scale-ups to mission-driven companies. Most of the time, I heard nothing back, and when I did, it was usually a rejection.
Three months into my job hunt, an email from a Google recruiter unexpectedly landed in my inbox.
Five interviews and a written assessment later, I was offered the role of policy advisor to help engineering, product, and legal teams design policies for user safety across Google’s products.
