“‘Pursue a serious that you simply’re captivated with,'” she says an advisor instructed her and her friends. “Good for her that her profession labored out, however I do not assume that was very useful recommendation for somebody like me who was a global pupil.”Lee started finding out political science, which she was serious about, till she thought-about the way it might have an effect on her earnings and skill to get a job down the road. As an immigrant from South Korea, Lee was already desirous about her potential to remain and work within the States, which might require an employer-sponsored visa. In her thoughts, that might be troublesome to realize with out a job in a extremely aggressive discipline. She did not assume a bachelor’s diploma in political science alone would lead her there.”I do not assume it is mutually unique to pursue cash or pursue ardour, however I do assume you’ll be able to’t not take into consideration cash as a result of loads of us have to help [a family] or haven’t any household to help [us],” Lee tells CNBC Make It. She wound up double majoring in political science and economics to broaden her job prospects, and the choice appears to have paid off. Sora Lee is the international head of product advertising for TikTok.Mickey Todiwala | CNBC Make ItNow 34, Lee lives in San Mateo, California, and earns a base wage of $320,000 a 12 months as the worldwide head of product advertising at TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance. This 12 months, she’ll obtain $80,000 in restricted inventory items, which brings her complete compensation as much as $400,000. She began at TikTok in 2023. That 12 months, she acquired $48,000 in RSUs and a $50,000 sign-on bonus along with her base wage.That wasn’t her solely compensation. Cash from a severance bundle, inventory gross sales, renting out a room, promoting a home and dealing her facet hustles introduced her 2023 revenue to about $840,000.Lee did not know she would go into tech. Her first job out of college in 2012 solely paid round $46,000. However she’s championed for herself in negotiations, realized how you can succeed at work and utilized these classes with every profession transition she’s made alongside the way in which.”It is onerous to dream of changing into one thing that you’ve got by no means heard of or been uncovered to,” Lee says. “I strive in my life to indicate that there are these profession paths, however going into tech was probably not a objective I had in thoughts. I simply sort of fell into it.”Being in Berkeley helped Lee get publicity and jobs at startups within the space that had been prepared to rent worldwide college students. After incomes her bachelor’s diploma, she began working at a small video analytics startup referred to as TubeMogul. Whereas working at TubeMogul in 2012, she grew to become conscious of Netflix because it was starting to take off. TubeMogul was competing for an advert tech partnership with Netflix, so Lee realized in regards to the firm’s personal know-how and tradition.”My coworker mentioned, ‘For those who’re pissed off in regards to the working tradition [at TubeMogul], you must learn this deck,'” Lee says of a Netflix firm tradition assertion. “I assumed it was so refreshing, simply sort of pondering it is one thing that might occur to me far, distant sooner or later.”She would not have to attend lengthy. A Netflix recruiter reached out to her that very same week.Lee began working at Netflix on its digital advertising programmatic shopping for staff in 2014, incomes a wage of $110,000. She stayed there till 2016, and took as a place at WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, in January 2017. She stayed at Meta for six years in a number of completely different roles for Fb, ultimately incomes over $200,000 a 12 months.By this level, she knew she might command a big wage and loved the advantages of working at extremely regarded tech firms. However her satisfaction did not primarily come from the free lunches.”I believe the largest perk is attending to work with a few of the world’s smartest, most competent folks and studying from them,” she says. “We are able to discuss in regards to the workplace meals, journey and all of the glamour that comes with it. However on the finish of the day, I believe that is the profit that every one firms ought to try to offer.”Lee continuously travels for work, primarily to New York, Austin, Texas and Los Angeles.Andrew Evers and Lisa Setyon | CNBC Make ItBy the tip of 2022, Lee felt she was outgrowing her function at Meta, and had begun on the lookout for new alternatives. However the ultimate choice to go away wasn’t totally hers. “It was really excellent timing that I acquired laid off,” Lee says of being a part of Meta’s November 2022 job cuts. “I acquired laid off on Wednesday, acquired my supply from TikTok on Friday, and had one other supply from one other agency on Monday as a result of I had already been interviewing,” she says. “I negotiated between the 2, and I acquired this TikTok function and I used to be capable of get the [Meta] severance and begin my new job.”She started in her present function at TikTok in January 2023. By now, Lee’s annual revenue has grown practically 10 occasions from what she earned contemporary out of school. And whereas she’s loved her wage development, her more moderen pay will increase have not felt as candy as getting her first huge verify did.The leap from incomes $46,000 a 12 months to $110,000 when she began at Netflix was enormous. “[I] felt like I made it,” she says. “That is once I purchased my first designer purse.”Now working alongside senior executives and administrators “making tens of millions,” Lee says she does not really feel as rich as when she first joined the six-figure wage membership. Whereas she needs to proceed rising her wage, cash alone is not sufficient. She needs her work to really feel significant and difficult, so she would not essentially take a better-paying job until it happy these psychological wants.”You spend so many hours in every week [at work], why spend it on one thing that you simply’re not excited by?” she says.Lee did not at all times have the monetary cushion she has now. She opted to graduate from faculty in three years with a view to lower your expenses, and whereas she was a pupil, she donated her eggs thrice for money to pay her tuition.”I do not remorse it,” she says of that call. “I believe it was a great way to assist fund my schooling [and] on the identical time, give youngsters to households who wished their very own youngsters.”In 2019, she had a toddler of her personal, Jackson. She shares custody of him along with her ex-husband after their marriage resulted in 2021.Lee enjoys spending time along with her 5-year-old son, Jackson.Andrew Evers and Lisa Setyon | CNBC Make It”I wasn’t tremendous ready for the divorce although I had initiated it,” she says. “I haven’t got any regrets. I used to be at a degree the place I’d be nice, even when my internet price begins at zero.”She earned greater than her husband on the time and was ordered to pay spousal help for a 12 months after the divorce was finalized. Moreover, she needed to pay hefty lawyer charges and promote two of the properties they owned collectively, one at a loss.”My ex was managing all of the funds, so I used to be fairly oblivious to something like private investing,” she says. “I did not know how you can do something, which sounds sort of humorous as a result of I am the one with an MBA diploma.”Here is a have a look at Lee’s spending in March 2023:Housing and utilities: $2,787 for her portion of the hire, cut up along with her present associate, plus Wi-Fi and utilitiesDiscretionary: $4,445 on a necklace she purchased herself, a digicam, family items, cleansing companies, books and presents for friendsChild care: $2,339 for Jackson’s pre-KSavings and investments: $2,326 towards her 401(ok) and versatile spending accountsTransportation: $1,203 on her automotive cost and charging feesSubscriptions and memberships: $487 for Pilates courses, Netflix, a water filtration system, ChatGPT, Audible and an indoor playgroundFood: $427 totally on groceries; her associate buys meals after they dine outStudent mortgage cost: $246Gifts: $200Insurance: $125 for well being, imaginative and prescient and dental insuranceLee’s solely excellent debt is round $36,000 for her Tesla and simply over $3,200 in pupil loans from her grasp’s diploma. She has a mortgage in her identify for a house in Lake Tahoe, however her ex-husband makes the funds.Lee’s firm covers her cellphone invoice, and she or he pays for automotive insurance coverage bi-annually, so she did not make a cost in March.Although she does not recurrently contribute to financial savings, she has over $21,000 in money throughout a number of private and enterprise checking accounts and over $8,000 in company-sponsored versatile financial savings accounts. Moreover, Lee has $755,283 invested in retirement accounts, a 529 financial savings account for Jackson, and crypto and common brokerage accounts. All instructed, her internet price is round $843,000.Between her son, her job — which regularly has her touring cross-country — and her burgeoning facet hustle as a content material creator, public speaker and creator, Lee has a full plate. In consequence, she at all times appears to be like for tactics to optimize her routine and take advantage of every day.”I solely have [Jackson] half the time and I need to be actually current once I’m with him,” she says. “After which when I haven’t got him, I additionally need to go full-in on my work and my different endeavors.”In consequence, she pays for a home cleaner to come back twice every week and is completely satisfied to spend cash on experiences along with her son, like an indoor playground membership. Lee says these particular actions and high quality time assist hold her grounded.I solely have [Jackson] half the time and I need to be actually current once I’m with him.Sora Lee”I nearly really feel like God or some kind of larger being gave [Jackson] to me so I can take a pause and revel in life versus continually desirous about how I can do higher and be extra, and feeling anxious about how I’m not doing sufficient, and the way I am not making sufficient cash,” she says.Lee says she struggles with anxiousness round whether or not she’s making sufficient, or if her house is “good sufficient,” which stems from how her dad spoke about cash when she was rising up. “My father continually talked about cash and he would place worth on folks primarily based on the place they dwell or what sort of vehicles they drove,” she says.She hopes to show her son to view cash in a more healthy manner.Lee and her son, Jackson, take pleasure in internet hosting buddies for dinner events and play dates.Andrew Evers and Lisa Setyon | CNBC Make It”I like having grownup discussions with him,” she says. For instance, Jackson can determine sure automotive manufacturers like Porsche and is aware of they’re costly, however she’ll inform him issues like, “Simply because somebody has a pleasant automotive does not imply that they are rich.”She is aware of a 5-year-old could not absolutely grasp the idea of a depreciating asset, however he can begin to perceive that having costly issues does not at all times imply somebody is wealthy.The way forward for TikTok within the U.S. stays unsure, however Lee is not apprehensive about her profession.In truth, after showing on a Netflix actuality present, “Love After Divorce,” she noticed her social media following start to develop and realized she had a possibility to leverage the viewers to raise her profession another way.Her rising follower rely helped her safe model partnerships and talking engagements, “which gave me loads of pleasure as a result of I do love sharing how you can change into a more practical worker and how you can navigate company careers,” she says.On her TikTok, YouTube and Instagram accounts, Lee shares profession and way of life recommendation primarily based on her experiences. At talking engagements, she offers related recommendation on how girls particularly can climb the company ladder. Final 12 months she introduced in over $8,000 by these avenues, and she or he expects to usher in over $19,000 this 12 months, due to extra occasions and a ebook deal.Lee enjoys {golfing} in her free time.Andrew Evers and Lisa Setyon | CNBC Make It”I really like creating partaking or instructional content material to assist others,” she says. “It has been actually enjoyable and actually rewarding, so I need to see how far I can take this.”Lee encourages her followers to get comfy speaking about cash as a result of it is helped her find out about private finance after her divorce. “Do not be embarrassed about how little you make, or do not be embarrassed that you do not know how to do that,” she says. “We’re all figuring this out collectively.”For revenue earned in South Korea, conversions from South Korean Received to USD had been accomplished utilizing the OANDA conversion charge of 1 Received to 0.00077 USD on December 31, 2023. All quantities are rounded to the closest greenback.What’s your price range breakdown? Share your story with us for an opportunity to be featured in a future installment.Wish to be a profitable, assured communicator? Take CNBC’s new on-line course Turn into an Efficient Communicator: Grasp Public Talking. We’ll train you how you can converse clearly and confidently, calm your nerves, what to say and never say, and physique language strategies to make an amazing first impression. Join as we speak and use code EARLYBIRD for an introductory low cost of 30% off by July 10, 2024.Plus, join CNBC Make It is publication to get suggestions and methods for fulfillment at work, with cash and in life.