Inside the $600K Journey of Google’s Sundas Khalid. Image credit: Medium/ Amazon.
(The Post News)– Sundas Khalid manages a successful content creation company with about a million followers. She did that while working as a principal analytical lead at Google.
She never imagined that her profession would combine content development, narrative, and data analysis into a six-figure success. Her online outlets and corporate job together bring in over $600,000 annually. Her route to success was everything but straightforward.
Before starting her career, Khalid, a first-generation college graduate, faced a six-year gap between high school and college. She began working as a data engineer in 2014 and made $77,000 in her first year. Over the next ten years, her income would triple.
Sundas Khalid Turns Her Passion for Data and Storytelling into a Six-Figure Career.
She was introduced to the field of data science and analytics in a business school class. This experience marked a turning point in her life. She remembers, “That became my aha moment.” “One of the greatest career decisions that I’ve ever taken was learning to code on my own.”
Khalid’s pay increased from $77,000 to $130,000 following her promotion. Her income rose once more once she moved into a data scientist role, this time hitting $230,000.
Instead of relying on luck, Khalid used strategy and knowledge to consciously mold her profession. To make wise professional decisions, she examined wage data and market trends. She says, “I looked up compensation ranges online. I matched my career with my interests. I considered the best return on my time.”
When she joined Google, her strategic approach also paid off. She negotiated about $100,000 more than Google’s offer with a rival offer from Microsoft.
Beyond technicalities, Khalid emphasizes the importance of visibility for professional growth. According to her, “making sure the right people know about your impact is more important than just working hard. You can work hard, but it’s hard to advance if no one notices your efforts.”
In an effort to find a sense of belonging and representation, Khalid started producing content. Early in her career in technology, she was the lone woman on her team. She was also the only person with her background. She states, “I intended to get acquainted with individuals who experienced comparable memories and whose appearances were like mine.”
She started posting professional insights and minor triumphs on Instagram, which soon gained popularity. She extended to YouTube, producing in-depth instructional videos on data science, technology, and professional advancement. After the platform’s one-minute video limit limited her capacity to instruct.
Over 900,000 people follow Khalid on social media today, turning what started off as a pastime into a successful company.
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