INTJ – Salary Progression

Hi.

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?

The world is on fire and I’m sitting in my office typing this to you. I hope I can share my financial journey with you openly and transparently while I chase certain milestones.

Income

Let’s talk finances, income specifically, but first let’s provide some context:

I always had a dream of making a six-figure income when I was younger. It’s all I thought about and you would assume that a kid dreaming of money would have done things in his best interest to make as much of it as possible as early as possible. I even covered this a few years ago here.

Well, life is funny that way.

I was 17, aimless, and failing out of high-school. I had lost all interest in studying and I wasn’t going to graduate anyway, so I dropped out. In hindsight, this was not the best idea.

I studied for my GED and figured I’d do enough work to survive for a while. I loved to learn, but I did not enjoy the traditional education system and I hoped that obtaining my GED and going to University would be the best possible route for success. It turned out to be right for me, but not right away.

In the end, I graduated with my degree in finance from a public, non-target university with roughly 40K in debt. I was 24. I was absolutely broke, I was broker than broke, I was negative. It took one solid year of interviewing for anything in the finance realm to finally get an offer…

The Six-Figure Climb

I recently turned 29 and I hit my financial goal of $100K by 30.

The truth of it is; I’ve been lucky, I’ve been prepared, and I’ve been reckless.

$36K – $41K

I’m a late bloomer. I started my career solidly in my mid-20s and I always felt behind; however, everyone starts somewhere. I was handed a six-month contract at a Big 4 Accounting firm for 36K. I was ecstatic, but I was nowhere near where I wanted to be and I was essentially losing money after looking at the debt I was in.

I spent two years in public accounting and I was severely underpaid working 60+ hour weeks and after a few raises I capped out at $41K. There is something magically empty about driving to work at 7am in the darkness of the morning and never seeing the sun. I remember wrapping up my work days and walking into an empty garage to drive home after the sun had set.

I would soon realize I was too ambitious and impatient for my own good.

$65K – $67K

I was suffering in public accounting. I lived my life in spreadsheets and I was extremely bored.

I needed a change, but I didn’t think staying in accounting was the right move and I wasn’t returning to university for an MBA to reset my eligibility into high finance.

So I did what any rational person would do. I lied. I lied my ass off and attempted to pivot into business analytics. It kind of actually worked.

I was always interested in technology and working with computers and I never really capitalized on that ability. That changed when I was remote through the beginning of the pandemic and realized I could turn a few computer tricks into a career.

I started applying for Business Analyst roles and got lucky. I learned SQL in my off-time and picked up PowerBI and Tableau to be able to collate and visualize data and made small projects to increase my comfort working with as well as explaining data in an easily digestible manner.

This was very fun. I ended up as a Business Analyst at a Cybersecurity startup and it opened my eyes to understanding that my original goal of 100K was possible. It was still targeted for 30 and I was only a couple years away. I started scripting with Python here.

I was nearly a year into my tenure, I had hit my stride, I was up for Senior in the next few months.  

I would soon realize I was too ambitious and impatient for my own good.

I knew, from working a high-profile project with a VP, that typical promotions were only paid out at around 10% with year-end adjustments falling at 3%. This would leave me in the mid-70s and while that was an excellent increase and salary, it wasn’t going to allow me to coast to 100K by 30.

In my mind, I had no choice. I needed to make a move.

$85K

So, I did.

I used everything I learned in my public accounting career and my stint as a Business Analyst to land a role as a Business Intelligence Engineer. This was the defining moment in my career. I had reached a certain level of mastery with SQL and PowerBI that I was now a Subject Matter Expert or SME.

I calculated that if I could work diligently for the next two years that I would barely hit my goal of $100K by 30 through regular annual raises and a promotion. I started off really well and delivered a few automations and improvements. This did not last long.

I was fired after about six months.

I became complacent and started lagging behind in my projects due to distractions like the pandemic, working entirely remote for the first time, and generally not paying any attention whatsoever. It was a wonder I lasted as long as I did.

I was 28, without a job, not going to hit my goal by 30, and needed to figure out what to do next.

This may have been the first time I truly failed and I’ve always been afraid of failure. I failed when it mattered, but could I also be successful when it mattered?

I was lucky. I had been released into a labor market that was beaming with opportunity for a person with my skillset and I was receiving interviews and offers that were beyond my expectations and I became reckless.

I was jobless. I had no right to be picky, but I had money saved and knew I could make it, if a bit lean, for a few months. I began screening phone interviews and throwing out ridiculous numbers; I won’t interview for less than $95K, next call? $105K, call after that? 115K.

And then it happened.

$120K+

I was deep into interviewing, in the final stages with a number of companies, in negotiations with a few others. I saw a Sr. role in a Fortune 500 company that aligned perfectly with my data skillset and my finance background.

I turned down a company I’d been chasing for years to get into at an astonishing $95K offer with a signing bonus + up-front end of year bonus that would have totaled somewhere in the low $100s.

I turned down another Sr. role at $105K.

All while pending an offer from the Fortune 500 role. And then they called and gave me a verbal offer, and I thanked them and declined. It wasn’t enough. I was reckless. I turned around and called the recruiter and thanked them for the offer, for the opportunity, but I wouldn’t take less than $120K.

The next hour was the longest of my life. I was an idiot. I turned down sure-fire $100K roles and negotiated with nothing as real leverage while I was out of job and my cash reserves were running out. I do not recommend this strategy.

It was 4:50pm. Their office closed at 5 and I figured I was done, that was it, I blew my chance by being too greedy. Could I call the other companies back that I was in the offer stage for? Would they even want me?

And then she called.

And they agreed to bump the offer to $120K.

—

I went from making $36K to $120K in three years and it taught me a lot. I hope my career progression has been interesting to you. I am going to continue this finance-centric content and share my other buckets; expenses, savings, and spending soon.

My goal for the next two years is to hit $100K invested.

Thanks for reading!

eReaders & currently reading

eReaders

I am not a Luddite – I understand the use of technology and generally embrace it – but neither am I classified as an Innovator or Early Adopter on the Law of Diffusion of Innovation scale. I’m skeptical with new technology; not for an irrational fear of it becoming sentient, but because early editions of technology have bugs. I tinker with things – systems – and if I had purchased one when it released I would have been too preoccupied with improving it. In any case, the advent of eReaders went largely unnoticed as I have a preference for actual books, and while I still do not own one, I can understand the convenience of such technology.

I’m a frequent flyer and voracious reader, so when I created the perfect need to want to space to weight ratio that could fit inside a weekender bag it did not include the eReader variable. My natural inclination to improve systems would lead to the logical conclusion that the purchase of an eReader would drastically alter the formula. My weight would significantly decrease consequently allowing more space due to the removal of physical books (never more than two). The rough estimate of a hardcover a smidgen under 500 pages would be a bit over a 1lb plus a second book, normally paperback, that is around 350-400 pages is roughly 17 ounces.

The ‘best’ eReader on the market is $119 and 7.3 ounces. The average total cost of both the hardcover and paperback is $47 and would round to 2lbs. However, the eReader allows for infinitely more books independent of physical space while actual books would hamper space and weight. Thus, as any INTJ would, I have weighed the benefits and the true cost to own as well as the long-term worth of such a purchase.

The eReader’s use would only be when I am flying – which is every 3 months – and in the end would cost $119 + $30 (case) + $20 (removal of ads) + 16.99 ( hardcover ebook) + 9.99 (paperback ebook) =  $196 the first day. The weight saved is around 1.5lbs which is admirable, and the space is negligible as it has been accounted for by the eReader in it’s case. 1.5lbs alters the threshold for tangible weight difference which could result in less strain from 9lbs to 7.5lbs when carrying it through terminals. However, I am a creature of habit and once I begin a book I must finish it, and that would mean having to purchase two of the same book – physical copy and an ebook – every few months in order to continue reading while I am absent.

Is there any other way? If I designed it I would create a seamless ISBN transition from physical copy to eBook with the only stipulation being the inclusion of a receipt of purchase. It’s simple, easy, and excludes pirating.

Would an eBook be worth it? In short, no.

The length of the trip + the cost of eBooks + the horrible formatting I constantly hear from book ports + no audio-book functionality +  I prefer actual books.

 Currently Reading

My introduction to Haruki Murakami’s work came on a whim – a rare impulse purchase at the bookstore – with Kafka on the Shore. I enjoyed it, and as the title suggests it was very much Kafka-esque. Essentially a contemporary rendition of Oedipus mixed with Murakami’s quirky sensibility and other-worldly story-telling. Kafka on the Shore led me to The Windup Bird Chronicle which was paced a bit slower, and continued the multi-dimensional, otherworldly style that I enjoyed with the previous work of his I read. Finally, I landed on Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. 

An odd journey to say the least. I am not revealing any plot points or going to discuss the book in detail – but, I’d advise you to take a look at his work. It is a departure; and that is the most apt way to summarize his work in four words or less.

What now?

Now begins (or I re-enter) the world of the Dark Tower – Stephen King’s self-proclaimed Magnum Opus spanning 8 books of epic scope, depth, and proportion. The release of the Wind Through the Keyhole prompted a re-read of the entire series; here is the breakdown.

Have read:

The Dark Tower l: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower ll: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower lll: The Waste Lands
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass

Currently on:

The Dark Tower IV.V: The Wind Through the Keyhole

Up Next:

The Dark Tower V: Wolves of Calla
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower Vll

Related:

Little sisters of Eluria (short story)

I may or may not read the prequel short story, but in all likelihood, I probably will. Closure, and all that.

Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons, & Machines

The proliferation of INTJs within the impending Singularity – and why you should care.

Before I get ahead of myself, I would advise you to skim over these terms as a few may be unfamiliar to you. Also, there are specific definitions that I am operating within in order to keep this post clear of any confusion.

Glossary of terms

Mitochondrial DNA – An ancient form of DNA found outside of the Nucleus, within a cell, that is only successfully passed from mother to children.

Neanderthal – An extinct species of human existing circa 120,000 to as recently as 35,000 years ago.

Cro-Magnon – Anatomically modern humans of which we are descendants.

(Technological) Singularity – A future where computers become self-aware and progress their intelligent design to further cognitive abilities until humans are obsolete.

Biological Evolution – A series of genetic changes inherited over generations through selective pressure from a number of (changing) factors.

Moore’s Law – The observation of a doubling in computing power (approximately) every 18 months.

***

What did the Neanderthal say to the Cro-Magnon?

Nothing at all. Even though Neanderthal’s possessed larger brains than Cro-Magnons’, they never developed language despite the (assumed) vocal capacity. It is not a fault of their own, but an environmental causation which affected their mental ability greatly. The Neanderthal brain has a different infrastructure compared to that of early modern humans.

Evolution focused, rather, on the desirable traits that contributed to the preservation of self (and their immediate family). Such preservation consisted of developed musculature resulting in stockier bodies to combat the harsh elements of the Ice Age. As well as a larger visual cortex that enabled Neanderthals’ range of sight to increase. It makes logical sense; Neanderthal’s were around before Cro-Magnons, and did not create language because it was not necessary for survival… Yet.

Having said such, it is debatable whether or not Neanderthal’s utilized an early iteration of language, but I doubt it. Neanderthals’, through study, were assumed to have an idea of symbolic language, but it is unproven if they harnessed such symbolism to communicate with one another effectively. Entertainment of the thought is necessary, but it’s foundation is highly improbable and therefore inconclusive.

The extinction of Neanderthals’ follows a logical pattern; Cro-Magnons’ arrived, likely with disease that Neanderthals’ weren’t equipped to handle. The inability to survive disease because of a faulted immune system and lack of numbers thinned them out. Not enough to kill them off, but enough to keep them at bay to which Cro-Magnons’ then continued to produce a large number of offspring, build villages, and institute social hierarchies. Neanderthals’, again, were beyond their means as they were not focused on the facilitation of a larger than necessary tribe and were content to operate within small groups.

However, Neanderthal’s did survive for thousands of years beyond the arrival of Cro-Magnons’ which raises an interesting question; did they interbreed? Possibly. The thousands of years of overlap between the two species of human, living in relative proximity to each other, would suggest more than a platonic relationship.

Studies have been done, but the results are marred in conjecture as the evidence is paltry. Mitochondrial DNA or MtDNA, is only .3% of our DNA which is a negligible amount already. The results are even less impressive when you understand that MtDNA from the father is destroyed upon fertilization of the egg. Only the mother’s MtDNA survives which means there is no quantifiable data to measure our link to Neanderthals’.

It is quite possible that Neanderthal man and Cro-Magnon women bred, but that would leave no traceable data. In either case, it is still being studied.

So, they co-existed, and possibly bred, but the ‘lesser’ iteration of human became extinct due to a lag in biological and cultural evolution. The window of optimal language acquisition was lost upon the Neanderthals due to lack of conditional learning and scant numbers.

The machine who happened to be human

Why is the relationship between Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon important? Because it follows a similar theme to modern humans and machines.

The human body is a biological machine rot with mechanical inefficiencies and plagued with vestigial tissue.

• Appendix – It’s function is to digest a largely herbivorous diet, and thus contains toxins within its pouch that is lethal to humans if burst. Hey, evolution, it’s been hundreds of years since this was necessary; remove it.
• Wisdom Teeth – Modern mouths are smaller, and again, evolution, we do not need it to help us eat tough, fibrous plants.
• Tail-Bones – We have tails! Kind of. It’s controversial, but since becoming bipedal, largely vestigial.
• Tonsils – They ‘stop’ pathogens. Sometimes, but mostly, they increase our chances of infection, and are not necessary.
• Third Eyelid – Yep. It’s there in the far corner, and was used to shied our eyes from debris, and moisten them. Evolution… Bring these back.

***

Evolution is an aimless process; a continuous change due to retention of that which is not detrimental enough to be removed and the fixation of that which gives a selective advantage.  However, selective pressures are completely different from that which influenced the evolution of Neanderthals’ and Cro-Magnons’. Selection pressures are not environmental, nor predominately physical anymore, but more so social, psychological, and sexual.

Biological evolution is too slow, taking upwards of 200 generations to show any significant change, while according to Moore’s Law, every 18 months computing power doubles. There is simply no natural way to compete with the evolution of technology and it’s subsequent self-awareness, but what if we did not have to evolve?

What if, working under the assumption that personality is genetic, a random permutation of evolution was uniquely suited to take advantage of changes in the environment, and existed already, within a niche in the population, then expanded?

That unique permutation would be the INTJ; a stoic, logical, emotionless (Not really, but suspend disbelief) vessel of information, reason, and action that could live among sentient machines. INTJs could transcend the Technological Singularity, and live undetected among machines due to their ability to control emotion, and value of competency. However, INTJ males are a scarce bunch while INTJ females are virtually non-existent – meaning the proliferation of INTJ kind would be quite difficult.

Even if INTPs and INTJs interbred to create an Über-lineage of offspring to combat the Super Computers of the Technological Singularity – it would not be enough. In all honesty, INTJs and INTPs could dwindle in size further due to the differing selective pressures and the computer’s want to replace human intelligence with technological convenience. Thus, eliminating the evolutionary need for intelligence…

Beyond harnessing genetic mutation, would there be any other way to counter-act the Technological Singularity?

<FunFactoid> This post was written largely using the analogy model, with a bit of first principles thrown in for good measure</FunFactoid>

—

This post, while littered with scientific data, facts, and logical theories, is just a fun thought-provoking, and future-entertaining exercise. Yep. I’m a nerd.

—

Machines are already in the world, active, communicating with humans, and fooling them.

Interesting additional information:

• Talking to Machines