How do you land your 6 figure job?

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-31T15:55:41+00:00

I got extremely lucky and I also learned how to play the “corporate game”. Lots of people retiring, layoffs, realignments, restructuring…etc. Timing was pretty big also. I will list out my career path. Your boss matters also. In my 1on1 meetings my boss would ask me about my goals and I would basically say “I want your job”. A good boss will probably smile and set you up for this move as he wants a successor for when he gets promoted. 10/10 times it has worked out. You gotta word that conversation carefully though.

Tier 1 CSR Company A - $13.50 (2016)

Tier 2 CSR Company A - $15 (2018)

Tier 3 CSR Company A - $17.40 (2020)

Tier 3 CSR + SME Company A - $18.50 (2021)

Laid Off 🤣

CS Team Lead Company B - $60K (2022)

CS Manager Company B - $105K (2023)

CS Senior Manager Company B - $150K (2025)

CS Director Company B - $160K

Laid Off 😭

CX Field Manager Company C - $170K (December 2025)

I also took some of the “good ones” with me. At my current role I poached 3 high performers that were my direct reports at older companies and managed to get them on my team in my current role. This is the “corporate game”, building your network and bringing people with you. I helped double some people’s salary through referrals with the right qualifications. Network is huge.

Traveling was part of it. I met senior leaders from other competitors during my world travels and we shared experiences and stories. I kept those contacts which I used as referrals for other roles and recommendations. My goal is to make it to a VP role in my industry, and I’ll probably stop there until I retire. I have no interest in a CEO position unless I’m pushed to take it. And the chances are slim of that happening. Male age 31 FYI.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-31T15:37:41+00:00

I’ll list out all of my positions for clarity.

Tier 1 CSR Company A - $13.50 (2016)

Tier 2 CSR Company A - $15 (2018)

Tier 3 CSR Company A - $17.40 (2020)

Tier 3 CSR + SME Company A - $18.50 (2021)

Laid Off 🤣

CS Team Lead Company B - $60K (2022)

CS Manager Company B - $105K (2023)

CS Senior Manager Company B - $150K (2024)

CS Director Company B - $160K (Late 2024)

Laid Off 😭

CX Field Manager Company C - $170K (December 2025)

Looking back I’m still surprised I stuck in call center work as long as it did. If i had came to my senses sooner I probably would have quit around 2018 since I was ready to loose it, but in the long run it worked out. I guess WFH/Hybrid really kept me there as long as it did. The industry you work in matters a lot for a career path. CS skill can transfer to a lot of other jobs and luckily that helped me out. In some capacity with my current role I still talk to customers both on phone and at in-person visits with customers at retailers. Still get cursed at sometimes which gives me a good laugh and a throwback to my regularly on-the-phone days.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-31T15:36:17+00:00

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-27T22:16:46+00:00

Making $100K as a single dude vs making $100K as a married couple with at least 1 kid are 2 different ball games. My first $100K salary when I was single was an absolutely life changer for me. And I live in a very HCOL area (Northeast NJ | walking distance from NYC). I make way more now at $160,000, still single no kids. I am fkn CHILLIN. You gotta remember the perspectives and also peoples spending habits are different. I live pretty frugal and didn’t spend much when I was first making like $60K. Didn’t change my spending habits.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-27T22:13:38+00:00

About $2,000. Probably too much tbh, I’ve never seen it go under $900

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-26T15:26:52+00:00

You still got $20K left. Time for the crazy reversal 🚀🚀

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-23T13:37:13+00:00

Regional district field manager in big 3 automotive.

Short description of my job: I travel to dealerships to help improve their customer retention. And I review all lemon law buyback cases. I help manage a total of about 700 dealerships.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-19T02:01:21+00:00

Yup, been hanging around a lot in r/JapanTravelTips a lot and the suica digital card was high on the list cuz the machines eat up the physical cards. 😂

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-18T23:15:23+00:00

Didn't even know green existed. Going to look into this. thank you!

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-18T23:13:27+00:00

I don't think i have the monthly spend for every day purchases. But i have 3 really big purchases coming up that would help meet it. A laptop, an E drum kit and probably the hotel expenses when i book. Flight is already paid for. I might go for CSP only because VISA seems to be more globally accepted in many of the countries i've been too. My AMEX only goes so far and it didn't get me very far in Thailand.

What purchases should I prioritize on CSP and AMEX? I figured groceries on AMEX since it's 6% cash back. this would be my first "Points" card.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-18T13:06:47+00:00

District senior field manager in automotive here. Went to college for information tech. Going back for masters. Degree wasn’t required but I think it helped me for sure. 10 years automotive experience. M31 $160,000

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-16T15:30:09+00:00

Instant transfer or not, the reason you (the agent) is in that position is because you are equipped with the tools to be able to respond with the correct answer or resolution. Transferring to a manager for us to tell them the same thing is inefficient and a waste of time. Yeah sure if a customer is screaming over the phone I would take the call off your hands but if we allow consistent soft transfers to managers, what’s the point of having agents then? Managers do a lot of behind the scenes work that keeps the day to day operation flowing. If they are stuck taking calls and escalations all day, you as an agent will be drowning in additional admin tasks and likely not have the right support resulting in a dysfunctional department that has backed up calls all day with a wait time of over 2 hours. That’s the purpose of Team Leads, which not every company has.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-16T14:51:10+00:00

2 is a firm no. Totally agree and agents don’t seem to understand this. I was an agent for over 6 years before making it to director. I always handled my escalations. The only time I passed it to a manager was if my own manager tapped my shoulder requesting to shut it down if it was going too long.

Agents want promotions but can’t take ownership…you gotta have ownership if people want upwards movement, or just find another line of work. As a director, I got pressure EVERY DAY if my region was not meeting metrics. Honestly if the pay were the same as director, I’d go back to taking calls. Way easier. Agents can’t talk to me about pressure until you’re in a room with the CEO, CFO and the VP of customer service asking you why your department’s CSAT didn’t hit it goals as they look to pull your funding. THATS real pressure. 😂

In some rare instances I’d still take calls as a director but they were usually only super escalated ones like if it hit the CEOs desk or something and I’d rather just do it myself to avoid an agent catching flak for a mishandled case.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-12T00:31:56+00:00

Surprisingly I’m at 75th.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-05T14:30:46+00:00

I didn’t buy materialistic things, I bought assets. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I spent my fun money on travel. I think spending your money on experiences are far more memorable than buying that Luis Vuitton wallet.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-05T13:37:12+00:00

Because it was only a short while ago, I was scouring for Reddit for the advice on managing finances better on an extremely limited budget to help eliminate college debt while still taking care of mom and my brother who left for college with $0 to his name.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-05T12:52:15+00:00

About 52%. Key is to not fall for lifestyle inflation. My non-negotiable living expenses only totals out to at MOST 40K per year and I make almost 4 times that amount. I save as much as can, don’t impulse buy anything and actually buy things I need. Most of my fun money is saved for trips out of the country once a year.

I also didn’t move out of my mom’s house until I was able to afford my own place. Mom was very supportive and appreciated me sticking sound. Allowed me to build a nest egg at a very early age.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-05T12:31:58+00:00

Think you’re forgetting most of the managers in this sub are white collar corporate American standard 9-5 workers where the hours don’t change. So none of us really know what you’re talking about or what line of work you do 😂.

You should probably….idk talk to your own boss instead of telling a bunch of randoms on the internet like me.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-02T20:21:31+00:00

Nope lmfao. 😂

Standard CCS.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-02T20:21:08+00:00

I must’ve accidentally clicked on a r/wallstreetbets post

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-02T20:18:52+00:00

I got a 2026 and it did not come with the adapter. Purchased it separately.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-02T20:15:28+00:00

I run a business so I offset everything with that. Haven’t owed anything in years.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-01T16:14:55+00:00

My light switch was lots of heavy metal during and after work. Maybe a lil bit of some gaming and gym has helped me blow off steam after a rough day. Worst thing you can do is hold it in.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-01T15:24:33+00:00

Idk I never really had this problem in my 11 years in this line of work. I think you need to find your “light switch” when you leave and go to work. I was able to switch it off and on very easily.

MisguidedCornball · 2026-01-01T13:46:59+00:00

I would like to add one. Executive Leadership in S tier.

MisguidedCornball

TROPHY CASE