How I Started Making $8,500 a Month With No Prior Experience or College Degree
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Levi Leidy
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When Maya Johnson landed a part-time job at an organic skincare store after dropping out of college, she had no idea it would launch her into a successful career in marketing. Although she enrolled in community college after high school, life threw her some curveballs that forced her to put her degree on hold.
“I was juggling multiple jobs and struggling to keep up with my classes,” she said. “I never really made the decision to put my education on hold, it just sort of happened.”
Little did she know at the time, but her customer service skills and genuine passion for skincare would open up an unexpected pathway to prosperity.
Learning the Ropes
Johnson recalled her initial sales associate role primarily involving ringing up customers and stocking shelves. However, she quickly found herself drawn into in-depth conversations with shoppers about their needs.
“I wasn’t just cashing people out and stocking the shelves,” she said. “I really listened when customers talked about their skin issues and helped match them to products that would actually help. I read all the brochures and materials to learn about how the ingredients worked. It was interesting.”
By turning her sales associate role into an opportunity for self-guided education, Johnson laid the groundwork for her later success. Her key takeaway: always be open to learning.
Transition Into a Marketing Role
Johnson’s store manager, who had witnessed her dedication to customers and passion for the brand, encouraged her to think about other opportunities with the company. The idea of moving into the corporate side of the business initially seemed daunting to Johnson considering her background was solely in retail sales.
“I didn’t know anything about marketing. But my manager believed in me, so I decided to just go all in on teaching myself what I needed to know.”
She began enrolling in online courses and workshops to build her knowledge.
“I signed up for every online class and webinar I could find about marketing basics and digital ads. I was like a sponge, just soaking up everything those senior marketing folks knew. I even asked if I could shadow some of them to see how they did things.”
Unexpectedly Qualified
Johnson said that when she decided to throw her hat into the ring for an entry-level marketing coordinator role, she initially felt underqualified. However, as she began actively studying marketing principles and branding strategy, Johnson made a surprising realization.
“As I started taking marketing courses and learning about branding campaigns, I was shocked by how much sounded familiar,” she said. “Supply chain logistics, analyzing sales metrics, studying ingredient sourcing and production costs… These were things I already grasped from conversations with our store vendors and regional managers.”
Turns out, Johnson had already gained immense insider knowledge during her years as a store sales associate. “I couldn’t believe how much insider knowledge I had absorbed as a retail employee,” she said.
If you’re thinking about transitioning careers, don’t underestimate what you’ve already absorbed, Johnson said. “Don’t assume you need to start back at square one just because your background doesn’t match the role you want word-for-word,” she said. “You might know more than you think.”
Rising Up the Ranks
Johnson’s drive to succeed paid off quickly. Within just a few years she worked her way up from an entry-level marketing coordinator to taking on a senior marketing analyst role with increased pay and responsibility.
“Coming from that sales associate job at the store to being the one analyzing sales data and planning big branding campaigns… it was crazy,” she said.
Today, Johnson manages an entire team of marketers, overseeing key initiatives from branding to campaign analysis. “I’m responsible for crafting brand narratives, analyzing trends and developing campaigns,” she said.
Not only has she found professional success in an unexpected career, but her income now allows her financial freedom as well. “It feels surreal to be in this role, considering my journey started with no college degree and a part-time job at the company’s store,” she said. “But I eventually found my niche at the right company.”
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