Kennie Bukky, co-founder at The Pivot Place.
Courtesy: Kennie Bukky
Kennie Bukky, a millennial skilled, made a six-figure wage in 2024 and attributed her excessive earnings to 2 key methods: constructing an viewers on social media and studying high-paying expertise.
Regardless of being underneath 30 years previous, Bukky balances a number of jobs and earned simply over £100,000 (roughly $130,000) in 2024.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t at all times this manner. When she graduated from college in 2017 with a bachelor’s diploma in forensic science, she felt her prospects regarded bleak.
“Straight out of college, I used to be fairly involved about cash, wanting on the salaries, it simply wasn’t that nice,” she informed CNBC Make It in an interview.
However she knew she needed a excessive wage — and so set about making that occur.
“I used to be very intentional about what profession paths I used to be happening and the way I used to be exchanging my time for cash,” she defined. “Cash’s at all times been a difficulty … [and] I spotted that it is essential to go for high-end careers in order that I can mitigate that,” she defined.
This angle noticed Bukky pivot into the monetary companies sector the place she noticed there was cash to be made.
She skilled to be a compliance officer and has labored on this position for firms together with KPMG and Visa. Now, regardless of being on a break from the 9-to-5 for the previous yr, she’s commanded six figures as a full-time content material creator, in addition to by her work as a digital youth engagement officer, profession coach, and public speaker.
Bukky selected to maintain her authorized identify and age non-public for privateness causes, and CNBC has verified her earnings by way of bill statements.
‘I felt like I had a lot worth to share’
Bukky mentioned that constructing a private model on social media was key to incomes a excessive earnings.
She has practically 130,000 followers on TikTok and over 35,000 followers on Instagram and creates content material round profession recommendation and wealth-building for her demographic of largely younger, bold girls of coloration.
“I simply needed to share my profession and private finance data, as a result of I felt like these are issues that I would mastered at fairly a younger age and actually do properly at,” she mentioned.
“I felt like I had a lot worth to share, and that not directly become me constructing a private model.”
Because of her rising viewers, she’s been in a position to collaborate with manufacturers like LinkedIn, Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, ACCA, Bing, and HSBC on social media.
Changing into a social media character gave Bukky the momentum to co-found The Pivot Place in 2023, a enterprise that helps folks construct expertise to switch into non-coding tech roles.
‘Abilities pay the payments’
Bukky mentioned she’s in a position to cost increased charges for the companies she gives as a result of she invested in upskilling.
“I’ve fairly a giant perception that whenever you put money into your self, expertise, and data, that may have an excellent excessive ROI [return on investment] when it comes to simply how a lot you’ll be able to earn as an individual, which typically is greater than the inventory market will ever pay you,” Bukky defined.
When she was 23 years previous, Bukky was working as an onboarding analyst at RBS on a £28,000 wage. She then jumped to a managerial position that paid £40,000.
“I used to be very intentional about figuring out that I needed an enormous soar. I did not need to simply be right here and obtain a 3% increase each couple of years,” she defined. “What that concerned was going for a task that was much more senior than what I used to be on, and studying to confidently promote myself for roles that have been fairly senior.”
Though she struggled with imposter syndrome on the time, Bukky needed to problem her notion of what she was able to. To organize for the position, she did quite a lot of self-study utilizing free on-line assets.
She suggested younger people who find themselves making an attempt to hit a six-figure wage to search for methods to construct “high-income expertise” that can enhance how a lot their time is price. Bukky beneficial taking programs, becoming a member of communities or boot camps, and even beginning a facet hustle to do that.
“Abilities pay the payments. You must construct high-income expertise. You must not stay stagnant when it comes to how a lot your time is price,” she added.
Source link