本文讲述了Dawn Choo如何通过不懈努力和策略性职业转型，最终在金融行业转入科技领域，并如愿进入Meta（Instagram）担任数据科学家。她曾为了进入科技行业，不惜接受40%的降薪和职业上的“后退”，但凭借对职业前景的判断和出色的项目领导能力，最终获得了梦寐以求的职位。Choo强调了敢于为自己下注、不怕短期牺牲的重要性，并提醒人们职业发展并非一蹴而就，需要耐心和坚持，同时也要避免与他人过度比较，专注于自身的成长和价值实现。

🚀 **坚持不懈，终达目标**: Dawn Choo为了进入心仪的Meta（Instagram）数据科学家岗位，经历了长达七次的申请和数次面试。这种持之以恒的精神是实现职业目标的关键，即使面对多次拒绝，也未放弃对梦想的追求。

💼 **职业转型与价值投资**: Choo为了从金融行业转向科技领域，接受了40%的降薪和职位上的“后退”，转任亚马逊的业务分析师。她将此视为一项长远的“投资”，看重的是公司平台和未来发展潜力，而非眼前的薪资和职位。这种战略性的职业选择，即使短期内面临挑战，也为长远发展奠定了基础。

💡 **主动学习与自我驱动**: 在亚马逊的业务分析师岗位上，Choo发现工作内容重复且学习机会有限，但她并未因此停滞不前。她主动将工作中的重复性任务自动化，这个“宠物项目”最终得到了高层认可，并促使她晋升为业务智能工程师，展现了其强大的自我驱动学习能力和解决问题的能力。

🌟 **拥抱变化，无惧挑战**: Choo的经历表明，职业转型往往伴随着阵痛，包括薪资的暂时下降和对新环境的不适应。然而，她始终相信自己有能力掌控职业方向，并从挑战中学习成长。她将对自己的“下注”看得比对失败的恐惧更重要，这种积极的心态是应对职业不确定性的重要武器。

⏳ **耐心等待，理性比较**: Choo提醒，职业发展的“回报”可能需要时间来兑现，并且每个人的节奏不同。她曾因看到同期入职的年轻同事获得更好的发展机会而感到失落，但最终认识到不应与他人比较，而应专注于自身的成长路径。这种成熟的心态有助于在漫长的职业生涯中保持积极和专注。

Dawn Choo took a 40% pay cut to pivot from finance to a tech job at Amazon.Choo's transition involved moving from a quant role at Bank of America to a business analyst role.Her career shift eventually led to her dream job at Meta, after applying around seven times.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dawn Choo, the 34-year-old founder of Interview Master, based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her identity, employment history, and salary have been verified by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I interned at Facebook in college, and my dream was to get a data scientist job at Instagram — but I didn't get an offer.

I took the first offer I got in college because I had interviewed so many times at so many different places. Finally, I got a finance offer from Bank of America, and I took it because I needed a job to stay in the country, even if it wasn't exactly the industry I wanted.

It was a quant role, but it wasn't very data-heavy. I did backend work, like building models to help predict if companies that took a loan from us were going to default on the loan. I was there for three and a half years, but I started applying for tech jobs about a year and a half into the job.

Again, I tried so many times. I was not the best at interviewing. I applied to about 100 places, interviewed at maybe 10, and then finally I got an Amazon offer in 2017.

I took a roughly 40% pay cut and a step back in my career

The Amazon job was for a business analyst role, and it was a really big pivot.

When I applied, I knew I was taking a step back in my career given the scope of work, but I didn't realize I would be taking a roughly 40% pay cut.

I was living in New York City in a one-bedroom with a roommate, so that 40% really made a big difference.

Despite what felt like moving backward, I could see the upsides of taking the job. Amazon's a big company, and I knew it was a step toward where I wanted to go. I had to make some adjustments, like eating at home more. But I also felt like it was a step back in my career because I suddenly stepped into a service-desk role.

I didn't love the work I did at Bank of America either, but at least I was building models and writing extensive documentation. At Amazon, I felt like I wasn't really learning much, and many times, I wondered, "Why did I take this pay cut? Why did I make this transition? Should I just go back?"

At times, it didn't feel like the right move, but I recognized that I had agency over that decision. I chose to be there, and it was a privilege for me to be able to make that choice.

Things got better

The upside of the work being very repetitive and simple was that I could automate it. The automation project started as a pet project — I randomly came up with the idea and pitched it to an executive. He loved it so much and kept pushing me to do it that eventually, I did.

I was promoted from business analyst to business intelligence engineer. What was initially my site tech project became a full-staff team of five business intelligence engineers.

I worked for Amazon for two years before getting my dream job as a data scientist at Instagram.

I interviewed at Meta so many times previously. After my internship, I applied about seven times and interviewed maybe four or five times. I almost canceled my final round of interviews because I couldn't get rejected again.

I think my experience working in tech and product changed my application. I also had a lot more leadership experience since I spearheaded a project. Plus, I matured around interviewing and presenting myself.

I worked at Instagram for about three years and three months. The office was beautiful. The people I worked with were incredible and made me feel challenged. I made a lot of good friends, and we went through COVID together. They were part of my pod.

Bets take time to pay off

For others thinking about making a career transition, I would say take the pay cut if you have to. I've always feared regret more than failure. I knew if I didn't take the Amazon job, I would be upset for not betting on myself.

It's also important to recognize that some of these bets take a long time to pay out. It took me two years, which wasn't that long, but I know other people where it took longer to get that payout.

Sometimes, even after the payout, you see other people in your situation and you think, "Wow, this person got this data science job at Facebook right out of college." So, at that point, I was about eight years older than this person doing the exact same thing. And it didn't feel great. So, maybe don't compare yourself to other people.

I will always say take the bet on yourself — and I'm doing it again. I pretty much took a 100% pay cut this time. I went from my comfy corporate job with insurance, travel perks, and stability to work for myself, and I hope the payout will come soon.