explora journey salary

MSC Group Reveals New Luxury Cruise Brand Explora Journeys

• June 10, 2021

The MSC Group has announced the company’s entry into the luxury cruise market with the launch of a new brand, Explora Journeys.

Built by Fincantieri, the first of four luxury ships will set sail in 2023, with the remaining ships ready in 2024, 2025 and 2026. All ships will have the “highest level of service and amenities” and will utilize the latest technology to provide “journeys of discovery” through destinations “on and off the beaten path,” MSC said.

“Building a luxury brand that will redefine the cruise experience and create a category of its own has been a long-held vision of mine and my family,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Group’s cruise business and broader passenger division. “Inspired by our personal travel wishes, Explora Journeys will be an ocean escape like no other, allowing guests to relax, make memories, and cherish the time at sea with their loved ones. After all, time is the ultimate luxury.”

Designed in partnership with superyacht and luxury hospitality designers, the innovative ship will blend Swiss precision with modern European craftsmanship. With 461 oceanfront suites and residences, guests will enjoy striking views at sea and in port from their floor-to-ceiling windows and personal private terrace. Suites will start at 35 square meters, which is among the most spacious for the category in the industry.

Fourteen decks will provide ample indoor public space, maximizing guest choice and seclusion. While outdoor decks will offer more than 2,500 square meters overlooking the sea, with 64 private cabanas across three outdoor pools. A fourth pool, with a retractable glass roof, will allow swimming and poolside relaxation in any weather. Combined with various indoor and outdoor whirlpool baths on the ship’s promenade deck, the ship was designed with water as a focal point to put guests in an “ocean state of mind,” MSC said.

“Explora Journeys was designed for guests who want to stay longer, leave later, and travel deeper,” said Michael Ungerer, CEO of Explora Journeys. “Customer centricity is at the core of everything we do. We’ve commissioned research, organized focus groups, and hosted roundtable discussions with global specialists in luxury to design the perfect ship for our guests. Explora Journeys will bring a new perspective to the travel industry, reinventing the classic cruise experience for the next generation of luxury travelers.”

Guest to crew ratio of 1.25 to 1 will ensure “anticipatory service at every turn,” MSC said, while flexible dining times at nine distinct restaurants will provide “unrivaled variety at sea.”

The dining venues will focus on wholesome ingredients sustainably sourced from local partners, according to the company. Several indoor and outdoor bars and lounges will also be available.

Spacious indoor/ outdoor spa and fitness area onboard will offer treatment rooms, “state-of-the-art” fitness equipment, group workout classes, personal training appointments, tailor-made programs and more.

“Bespoke wellness experiences in each destination will make relaxation and rejuvenation easily accessible onboard and ashore,” MSC wrote.

In partnership with Fincantieri, Explora Journeys is utilizing “the latest in environmental-supporting technologies, while being ready to adapt to alternative energy solutions as they become available,” MSC said.

“The design incorporates provision for battery storage allowing future hybrid power generation, as well as the latest selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, enabling a reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 90 percent. Built with ship-to-shore power capabilities to avoid CO2 emissions while at berth and powered by marine gas oil, all four ships will be RINA DOLPHIN certified for reduced underwater noise. Single-use plastics will not be used onboard the ship, nor will they be offered during land-based experiences, as Explora Journeys is focused on leaving a positive impression on the places and people visited,” MSC wrote.

Vago said that the MSC Family knows the sea “like few others, and with that knowledge comes passion, love and most of all, a deep respect.”

“Our ships will utilize state-of-the-art technology to ensure we are leading the movement towards a more sustainable future. Together with our partners, we’re currently developing ground-breaking technologies that will elevate the status quo, not just for this generation but also beyond,” he said.

With journeys starting at seven nights, a best-in-class guest experience will ensure relaxed mornings and exciting evenings.

“Non-conventional arrival and departure times combined with overnight stays will allow Explora Journeys to offer guests exclusive access to once in a lifetime experiences. With ships that travel far north and south of the equator, itineraries in the inaugural collection will offer the ideal blend of celebrated destinations such as Saint Tropez, Bordeaux and Reykjavik, and hidden gems such as Kastellorizo, Bozcaada and the Lofoten Islands. Explora Journeys will bring guests to lesser-traveled harbors to enjoy a more authentic experience and a slower pace of travel,” MSC wrote.

The Explora Journeys logo was designed by Alexa Aponte-Vago, CFO of the MSC Group, daughter of founder Gianluigi Aponte and wife of Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago. According to the press release, the logo was inspired by the mandala.

“With roots in spirituality, the pattern represents a journey of personal discovery and fulfillment. Illustrations of the lotus flower symbolize purity of body, speech, and mind, while a nod to the fleur-de-lis represents humility and a connection to European heritage. A sophisticated typeface alludes to the subtle curves of the sea,” MSC Group wrote.

On the morning of June 10, Explora Journeys hosted a steel cutting ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

“A long-held maritime tradition, this moment celebrates the commencement of the building process for the first ship from Explora Journeys, Explora I, which is scheduled to set sail in 2023. Mr. Vago and Mr. Ungerer were both in attendance, alongside representatives from Fincantieri’s management team,” MSC Group said.

Bookings for the 2023 Inaugural Collection will open in fall 2021.

Cruise Industry News Email Alerts

• Breaking News

Get the latest breaking  cruise news .  Sign up.

54 Ships | 122,002 Berths | $36 Billion | View

Highlights:

• Mkt. Overview
• Record Year
• Refit Schedule
• PDF Download
• Order Today

• 2033 Industry Outlook 
• All Operators
• Easy to Use
• Pre-Order Offer
• Advertising
• Cruise News
• Magazine Articles
• Quarterly Magazine
• Annual Report
• Email Newsletter
• Executive Guide
• Digital Reports

Privacy Overview

Search Travel Market Report

• Packaged Travel
• Hotels & Resorts
• Destinations
• Retail Strategies
• Niche & Luxury
• Training & Resources
• Brian Israel
• Briana Bonfiglio
• Dan McCarthy
• Dori Saltzman
• Jennifer Arango
• Kelly Fontenelle
• Keri-Anne Slevin
• Louis Intreglia
• Sarah Milner
• Tom McCarthy

Explora Journeys Will Enter the Market with Rolling Commissions for Advisors

Explora Journeys, the new ultra-luxury cruise line from the MSC Cruise Group that will debut in 2023, is also providing its advisor partners with their own ultra-luxury experience. 

Explora’s chief sales officer Chris Austin at Virtuoso Travel Week on Tuesday told Travel Market Report that Explora’s travel advisor policies will include a first-in-class rolling commission structure that will allow advisors to get paid quickly. 

With the structure, Explora will first pay their advisor partners on client deposits, which are 25% of the final payment, seven-days after the deposit is made. Explora will then pay advisors commission on the rest of the final payment amount, 7-days after its made, and then on any add-ons clients make during a sailing shortly after. 

According to Austin, the structure makes Explora, which revealed this week a new preferred partnership with Virtuoso, “the first brand to pay that commission that quickly,” which is a significant part of the cruise line’s plan to make a splash in the ultra-luxury cruise market. 

“We want business to be joyful for travel advisors,” Austin told TMR. “Doing this was incredibly joyful, it was an opportunity to really deliver to the travel advisor policies that support their financial health,” he said. 

“We’ve really given most favored nation status to the travel advisor, they are the key to our future,” he added. 

Explora is also now offering advisors an appointment reservation with one of its ambassadors to get to know the brand. The appointments include a confirmed date and time that will allow advisors to speak with an ambassador without a wait or hold, another major COVID pain point for the advisor community. 

Those appointments, aside from the introduction to the brand, will also open up an opportunity for advisors to wait-list suites for their clients on Explora’s early sailing. The wait list doesn’t include any obligation for clients, so advisors can simply not confirm, and the suite is released with no penalty. 

“How powerful is it to say that I’m introducing you to a brand you never heard of and I”m also wait listing you for a suite?” Austin said. 

It’s another policy and sales tool that’s specifically designed to accommodate travel advisor partners. Those policies, coupled with “an amazing brand” and no NCFs onboard, will hopefully differentiate Explora when it does launch in a couple of years, Austin said.

For advisors who aren’t yet familiar with Explora, Austin described the brand as the “top of the pyramid” of the luxury cruise market. The first ship, Explora 1, will debut in 2023. That will be followed by three more ships, each launching in consecutive years through 2026.

MOST VIEWED

• Four Spots Onboard the All-New Sun Princess We’re Not in Love With
• Delta Air Lines Is Changing the Way It Boards Flights
• Op-Ed: Why I Won’t Use Costco for Travel Again
• Testing the Waters with Dori: The NCL Stranded Passenger "Fiasco"
• Margaritaville at Sea Offers Advisor-Only Pricing
• Lufthansa Strike Update for Monday
• Here's What Each River Cruise Line Includes
• Taiwan Earthquake Update: Train Services Resume, Flights Operating Near Schedule
• Amex GBT Agrees to Acquire Carlson Wagonlit Travel for $570 Million
• Horseshoe’s Jubilee Tower Becomes the Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas
• Major Cruise Changes Could Come After Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses
• The NCL Stranded Passenger “Fiasco”: Your Replies

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

The ship will officially sail starting in April 2025. 

News and notes from A&K’s 100 Club Event, including what's coming from the brand. 

Muckermann is departing Silversea Cruises after 14 years "to pursue other opportunities."

AmaWaterways has postponed operations on the Magdalena River until early next year.

The first, all-new, ship will join the fleet in Dec. 2025. The second in Dec. 2026.

The company also revealed its first-ever 59-day "Ultimate Europe Cruise & Land Journey." 

Explora Journeys: Offers for All Types of Travelers

Explora Journeys , the luxury travel brand launched by the Msc Group to redefine the concept of luxury cruises, presents its offers to meet the needs of every type of traveler.

To accommodate those who prefer to plan their vacations well in advance, Explora Journeys offers the Explora Early Booking Benefit , designed to assist guests in this planning phase.

With the Explora Early Booking Benefit , by settling the cruise cost upfront, the traveler can enjoy an additional 5% discount. This discount applies for departures up to 180 days before departure when staying in an Ocean Residence, or up to 105 days before departure in other Suite categories.

This discount also applies in addition to the benefits provided by Flexible Journeys, Extended Journey, and Grand Journey bookings, Journeys for Solo Travelers, as well as reductions for additional guests and young travelers.

Another enticing proposal is the Extended Journey and Grand Journey, offering guests the opportunity to receive up to a 10% discount and explore even more by combining multiple trips or sailing longer towards dream destinations.

The Extended Journey allows extending the adventure by combining different itineraries, enjoying a reduction of up to 5% compared to booking individual trips. Meanwhile, booking a Grand Journey offers a 10% discount.

A highly appreciated promotion is the Flexible Journeys , allowing travelers to plan a trip with the flexibility needed in case circumstances change, without worrying about potential price fluctuations.

The conditions of the Flexible Journeys option vary based on the booked cabin category: for Ocean Suite, the travel date can be changed up to 120 days before departure, for Ocean Penthouse up to 120 days before, and for Ocean Residence up to 200 days before departure. This offer can be combined with the benefits and reductions provided for Explora Early Booking Benefit, Journeys for Solo Travelers, and reductions for additional guests and young travelers.

Infinity pool

Journeys for Solo Travelers is an interesting proposal for those who want to travel alone, allowing them to book any suite with a single occupancy supplement starting from only 15% and up to a maximum of 75% more than the standard individual rate. Port taxes and fees are paid for a single guest, and the solo traveler policy applies to all suite categories, without exceptions, on all journeys, while the single occupancy supplement varies depending on trips, booking dates, and suite category.

This offer can be combined with the benefits and reductions provided for Flexible Journeys and Explora Early Booking Benefit.

Holding hands

Additional guests and young travelers : On board Explora Journeys ships, guests of all ages are welcome. Infants aged between 6 and 23 months travel for free, while children and teenagers aged 2 to 18 are entitled to an additional discount of up to 50% off the price. Adults traveling as third guests can receive a reduction of up to 25%.

To avail these special offers, infants, children, teenagers, and interested adults must be registered as the third or fourth guest in the same suite, while the first and second guests are not entitled to reductions, regardless of age at the time of travel. This offer can be combined with the benefits and reductions provided for Flexible Journeys and Explora Early Booking Benefit.

¡No te pierdas las próximas actualizaciones, novedades, experiencias a bordo y reseñas en Cruising Journal con fotos, videos y cruceros en oferta!

Saskia Pacifico

Latest reportages, azamara pursuit: the south africa intensive voyage, ponant: expedition cruising a la francais, vista’s maiden call on new york, cfc: renaissance makes its debut and impresses, on crystal symphony: the return of crystal cruises.

Dining Service

Waiter assistant - explora journeys.

JOB NUMBER: JB02278

VACANCY NUMBER: ADV02502

SHARE: https://www.careers.msccruises.com/vacancy/ADV02502/waiter-assistant-explora-journeys

ORGANIZATION: MSC Malta Seafarers Co. Ltd (on board job)

BUSINESS AREA: Hotel

LINE MANAGER: Waiter/ Assistant Maître d`Hotel/ Maître d`Hotel

An exciting opportunity exists for a world class Waiter Assistant to join our newly created luxury travel brand “Explora Journeys”. While establishing a friendly relationship with guests, the Assistant Waiter supports the Waiter in providing excellent and professional dining service to guests.

JOB PURPOSE

Key accountabilities.

• Help the Waiter in the assigned station at any restaurant, including the buffet area;

• Possess full knowledge of the menu of the assigned venue;

• Offer and refill water, bread, butter, and beverages;

• Possess ability to describe and serve the food selection on the assigned venue;

• Carry ordered dishes from the kitchen to the station;

• Carry back the kitchen dishes, glassware and silverware;

• Maintain cleanliness and sanitation of the Waiter’s station, tables and chairs, carpet and fixtures;

• Place all chinaware, glassware, and silverware in the station;

• Report immediately any problems and guests’ complains to their direct supervisor;

• Perform Room Service duties when requested by supervisors;

• Participate in a training program to develop skills and to prepare for future promotion;

• Be aware of all events and activities on the ship and be able to communicate to the guests.

QUALIFICATIONS (skills, competencies, experience)

• Fluent English, oral and written. Any additional European language is considered an advantage (Italian, Portuguese, German, Spanish and French); 

• Experience in 4/5 star restaurant, hotel or resort is an advantage;

• Good interpersonal skills, positive attitude and willingness to learn;

• Passion for hospitality and customer service driven;

• Cruise industry experience is an advantage.

VISA REQUIREMENTS (if any)

Possess a valid passport and seaman book.

In the course of our recruitment and selection process, we may make your Personal Information available to third parties such as recruitment agency, intermediaries and other business partners.

Explora Journeys is the new luxury lifestyle travel brand launched by the MSC Group with the ambition to redefine the luxury cruise category. The concept: Vibrant, cosmopolitan, relaxed European luxury at sea. Instead of cruises, we create journeys - of the mind, and across the oceans of the world. Visits to places on and off the beaten track. On board: Spaces that offer guests relaxed luxury, creating a home at sea. Restoring life’s essential balance with a combination of discovery and appreciation for wellbeing and nature. With the founding family as passionate about preserving the sea as they are exploring it, each ship will feature all the latest environmental supporting features. Over the next years, we plan to employ over 5,000 people worldwide, onboard and in our offices.

Estás utilizando un navegador obsoleto . Actualiza tu navegador para mejorar tu experiencia. Aquí están las instrucciones para actualizar tu navegador web .

Para utilizar las funcionalidades completas de este sitio es necesario tener JavaScript habilitado . Aquí están las instrucciones para habilitar JavaScript en tu navegador web .

About explora

Destinations, conservation reserves.

• Echo Society
• Patagonia National Park
• Torres del Paine
• A journey to Tierra del Fuego

Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

• Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

Desert & Altiplano

• Atacama & Uyuni
• Easter Island
• Puritama Conservation Reserve
• Torres del Paine Conservation Reserve
• why explora
• Our commitment
• Explora Experts

Work with us

Our purpose inspire our values..

Like the cultural landscapes in which we are immersed, Explora is an interaction of experiences and people. Each of our teams - hospitality, administration and exploration - brings together individuals from diverse areas and paths, united by a commitment to conservation and environmental protection, as well as excellence and dedication to their craft or profession. As a leading company in the exploration and hospitality industry, we offer a multicultural and high-paced work environment, articulated around constant innovation and attention to detail - both fundamental characteristics in anyone wanting to join our team.

Our values define the behaviors that we must put into practice in everything we do.

• Care for the journey
• Close attention for travelers
• Passion for exploration
• Conservation for the future
• Pursuit of excellence

Given our remote locations and the outdoor nature of our operation, all-rounded care is of upmost importance throughout everything we do. This includes, first and foremost, caring for the people we work with, guide and encounter, ensuring their wellbeing from beginning to end. In doing so, we each commit to mastering, applying and sharing Explora’s safety protocols, as well as preventing and foreseeing any hazardous situations which may jeopardize others’ wellbeing, as well as our own. Lastly, we commit to taking care of the company’s infrastructure, equipment and assets allowing their future use and minimizing waste.

We see ourselves as the extension and personification of the Explora brand and, as such, we strive to embody the company’s core values by providing travelers with warm, empathetic and enthusiastic assistance throughout their journey.

This includes meeting travelers in person, anticipating and understanding their needs through dedicated attention, as well as providing additional suggestions related to their interests. As a team, we understand the enormous difference a single detail can have on a traveler’s experience, which is why we review, update and share their needs and specific requirements in a timely and efficient manner.

Exploration is the heart and soul of Explora. It’s role in our travelers experience is of upmost importance, which is why we encourage our travelers to discover new layers of exploration throughout their stay with us, both outside as well as within, using their five senses to go deeper into the territories they find themselves exploring. While encouraging them to go deeper, we also remain aware of each travelers rhythm, pace and interests, suggesting new options as well as respecting their individual interests, time and space, celebrating their personal achievements and serving as witnesses to their encounter with the great outdoors.

We understand that our privileged locations come with the responsibility and commitment to preserve their wellbeing, protecting them into the future through heartfelt and effective conservation.

This corporate commitment is embodied in each and every person in Explora, as nature and the communities living in it are our brand’s resources, heritage and responsibility.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

Our passion requires appropriate guidance. We are not satisfied with simply offering passive contemplation from a distance; we want things to happen. Our guides are a fundamental part of us.

HOSPITALITY & MANAGEMENT

Learn more about the different oportunities at our lodges or at our central office in Santiago.

Here's how much money I made as a software engineer at Meta, Apple, and Oracle

• Sandeep Rao is a software engineer who has worked at Meta, Apple, and Oracle. 
• When he first started his career as a new graduate, his compensation was only $15,000.
• He explains how, thanks to high performance and negotiation skills, he now makes nearly $700,000. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sandeep Rao, a 32-year-old software engineer based in San Jose, California. Business Insider has verified his income with documentation. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

My salary journey in Big Tech has seen my total compensation — which includes base salary, bonuses, and stocks — increase from $15,000 in 2012 to $685,000 in 2024.

I'm a staff software engineer and have worked at three different tech companies, moving from Oracle to Apple to Meta. Over my career, I've led the development of successful software apps and features from scratch that are used every day by millions of people across the world.

While I have made my career moves primarily based on which areas of software engineering I'd get to work on, compensation is also important to me, so I've been strategic and negotiated for higher salaries with each move.

Tech companies use tools like additional equity to retain high-performing employees. In my experience, if you're consistently a top performer at your organization, it's certainly possible to keep your pay at or above market level and have a rewarding career within your company.

I took a low-paying job to get my foot in the door

While I got my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering , I realized midway through college that software engineering was my passion and pivoted to pursue a career in software instead.

My first job was as a software developer at Oracle in India. While Oracle isn't generally low-paying in the tech industry, my salary of 850,000 rupees, or $15,000, was low compared to what new grads were making at that time in competing Big Tech companies like Microsoft or Amazon because it was a "take it or leave it" new grad offer.

The work was unappealing to me because it didn't align with my career interests — I didn't want to continue building expertise in that specific area of software engineering — but I took it to get my foot in the door of a Big Tech company and build credibility.

I knew I eventually wanted to end up where all the action is — Silicon Valley . I worked at Oracle from 2012 to 2014, and during this time, I applied to graduate schools in the US because I felt a formal computer science degree would help me compete with the talented people in the Valley.

I got accepted into a graduate program in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. I left behind my family and friends in India and moved to the US with nothing but a suitcase and $65,000 in student debt.

Grad school was hard, but the doors it opened for me made the struggle worth it.

I was ecstatic to get a job at Apple

I finished grad school and got a job as a software engineer at Apple in Cupertino, California, where my base salary was $115,000.

I was ecstatic to work at one of the best companies in the world and felt my dreams were coming true. But I realized I wanted to work on more direct user-facing applications rather than on technology that ran under the hood.

Initially, I considered looking for new opportunities within Apple, but between high taxes, the high cost of living, and my student loans, I felt more compelled to switch companies, given that I'd likely receive a significant salary bump .

I had gotten a very small cost-of-living raise on my base salary at Apple, but it wasn't significant; not getting a bigger raise wasn't a big motivator in my decision to change companies, but it certainly made my choice easier.

My negotiation skills helped me get a 10% salary increase

At the end of 2017, I moved to Meta (then Facebook) in Menlo Park, California. I wanted to experience the culture of younger internet-based companies whose products are used by billions of people.

When I received my offer, I did my research to get a clear understanding of what my market value was and what salary I wanted to land on. I also learned what parts of my total compensation are negotiable, such as stocks and the sign-on bonus, and what is non-negotiable, like base salary and annual bonuses.

I was prepared to negotiate and walked away with an offer of $140,000, which was 10% more than their original offer.

In 2021, I landed a large-scale project at Meta that added a lot of value to the Messenger app and worked with several cross-functional teams across engineering, design, data science, and legal.

My accomplishments, such as this one, and high performance at work got me the promotions, visibility, and leverage to negotiate for higher pay and a successful salary journey.

Every year between 2018 to 2023, my base salary increased — as did my total compensation — through a combination of performance-based yearly stock refreshers, additional boosts from promotions, and stock market appreciation.

Related stories

Compensation in a tech career usually gets more and more equity-heavy than salary-heavy, so base salaries don't increase as quickly as equity, but my salary and total annual compensation steadily rose:

2012-2014: $15,000 total compensation

Grad School

2014-2016: $0 total compensation

Student loan debt: $65,000

2016: $130,000 total compensation

2017: $165,000 total compensation

2018: $230,000 total compensation

2019: $240,000 total compensation

2020: $350,000 total compensation (promotion)

2021: $510,000 total compensation

2022: $375,000 total compensation (promotion, but total compensation dropped due to stock price drop)

2023: $545,000 total compensation

In 2024, I'm projected to make $685,000 through a combination of base salary, bonuses, and stock.

Five strategies for increasing my compensation package

Over the years, I learned five salary strategies that helped me grow my salary and overall compensation:

1. Always do your homework about market rates for your role, level, and location — especially when you switch jobs.

Switching jobs is a good way to increase your income.

Even if money may not be the primary motivator for a job switch, I always make sure to be conscious and strategic about my compensation by doing salary research to avoid leaving any money on the table.

When I started doing salary research during my switch to Meta, I found out my market value was much higher than what I was making at Apple at that time. This helped me start my negotiations with Meta at the market rate rather than the salary I was making.

I used Levels.fyi , Blind , and Glassdoor to find salary information and clearly understand my market value. Keep yourself updated on these benchmarks even if you don't plan on a job change anytime soon, so you know you're on par with the market, and any salary difference is offset by other factors such as better work-life balance.

2. Never let your bad salary "baggage" carry over to your new job.

If your salary isn't up to market standards right now, don't let it affect your pay at the next job. Otherwise, it'll lead to a cycle where you'll be underpaid for the rest of your career.

Employers and recruiters could use your salary history to give you only a modest raise, while your actual market value could easily be double or triple your most recent salary.

In California, labor laws make it illegal for employers to ask you about your current salary and salary history. You're also allowed to ask potential employers for the pay range for the position you're applying for.

If your state has similar protections, just being aware of this law can help you make any corrections to your pay during negotiations. This helped me start offer negotiations from my market value instead of my current pay.

3. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith to make that 10x impact on your career.

That could involve switching from a non-tech job to a tech job or taking a short-term hit for long-term gain. For example, I picked Oracle for my first job despite the low pay and unappealing work so I could build credibility to get into a Tier 1 grad school.

I also took a loan of about $65,000 to pay for Carnegie Mellon, even though I could have chosen to go to a cheaper public university.

Deciding to work at Oracle and attend Carnegie Mellon cost me a few years and a lot of debt, but doing so opened doors unlike anything else, and I haven't looked back ever since.

4. Negotiate to keep your base salary from falling behind

It's inevitable for your salary to fall behind as you stay longer at a company, especially in tech due to restricted stock unit (RSU) "cliffs."

Most RSU packages offered to new employees in the tech industry have a two- to four-year vesting period. Unless the employer offers a significant pay bump along the way, total compensation usually takes a drop after this vesting period. Many companies also offer annual performance-based stock refreshers to lower this salary gap, but they're usually not as large as the initial grant. 

If you love working at your company and feel forced to move just to get a raise, you can ask your senior leadership to make a "correction." After all, it's much more expensive and time-consuming for employers to hire new people than to retain good employees.

Most Big Tech companies have employee retention programs like additional or discretionary equity. Additional equity programs are mainly used to retain high-performing employees, so they're usually highly selective.

This is how I was able to keep my compensation at or above market level despite spending six years at Meta. When I was reaching the end of my vesting period in my fourth year, I had a conversation with my senior leadership to see if there was any room for a pay correction so I could go back to focusing on my work 100% without worrying about salary.

Being prepared with my predicted compensation drop and market data greatly helped me build a cogent narrative going in. If you're consistently a top performer at your organization, it's certainly possible to keep your pay at or above market level and have a rewarding career within your company.

5. Don't assume people will reward your work or anticipate your needs — ask.

Always ask for what you want , whether it's a raise or that interesting project that just came in. The worst that will happen is you'll get a "no." If you don't ask, nobody will know, or even worse, people may assume that you're happy with what you have and move on. 

I used this strategy when I heard of a new company initiative and asked to be a founding engineer because I was looking to create more impact in my role. Despite the high risk and ambiguity involved, I successfully delivered on the projects, which eventually led to a promotion. None of this would've been possible if I hadn't asked. 

At the end of the day, you're your biggest advocate when it comes to your salary and career journey. There's no substitute for hard work, but being strategic about how you achieve your goals can go a long way. Sometimes, you have to take big risks and step out of your comfort zone to get that high-paying dream job.

If you want to share your career progression and salary journey, email Jane Zhang at [email protected] .

Watch: Nearly 50,000 tech workers have been laid off — but there's a hack to avoid layoffs

• Main content

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Doctors condemn suspension of retired GP over UK climate protests

British Medical Association says decision to take Dr Sarah Benn off medical register for five months ‘sends worrying message’

Doctors groups are calling for urgent consideration of the rules for medical professionals who take peaceful direct action on the climate crisis, which they say is the “greatest threat to global health”, after a GP was suspended from the register for non-violent protest.

Dr Sarah Benn, a GP from Birmingham, was taken off the medical register for five months on Tuesday by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the disciplinary arm of the General Medical Council (GMC), over her climate protests.

The tribunal said Benn’s fitness to practise as a doctor had been impaired by reason of misconduct. Benn, who is retired, has taken part in a number of peaceful protests since 2019.

Benn received conditional discharges after being convicted for taking part in peaceful protests, including two offences of obstructing a highway. In 2022 she was jailed for 32 days for breaching a civil injunction at Kingsbury oil terminal as part of a Just Stop Oil campaign.

Doctors groups were united in condemning the suspension from the medical register. The Doctors’ Association said: “Not all doctors subject to a custodial sentence having broken the law have been sanctioned by the MPTS. The MPTS can use its discretion.”

The suspension of Benn showed that the GMC would impose sanctions on doctors for raising serious concerns about the risk to public health from the greatest threat to global health the world had seen, the association said.

“Climate change, its effect on the planet, weather patterns, future health and even the survival of the human race is evidence-based,” it added.

“The profession has not been undermined by her actions, and the public is not concerned about one doctor trying to protect them and the planet but more by the inadequate response of the government and organisations, including the GMC, to our overwhelming and unprecedented climate crisis.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) said many people would find it very difficult to understand that a doctor’s ability to practise medicine could be suspended because of peaceful actions they take in protest of the climate crisis.

It called for urgent consideration of the rules, which it said meant a doctor was suspended for a punishment they had already received for taking part in a legitimately peaceful protest.

“This ruling sends a worrying message to other doctors about the regulation of matters not directly related to patient care or their clinical skills, and raises serious questions about the rules behind the handling of such cases,” the BMA said.

“The climate crisis is also a health crisis and as such doctors are understandably concerned.”

Benn’s case will be reviewed before the five-month suspension ends, when she could be struck off. In her submission to the tribunal, Benn included a statement by the UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, Michel Forst, who earlier this year condemned the UK’s crackdown on environmental protest.

In his most recent statement Forst said the professional tribunals of medical doctors taking part in peaceful direct action suggested the situation in the UK was deteriorating. “It is important for me to stress that professional sanctions can definitely be considered as a form of penalisation, persecution or harassment,” he said.

Benn told the tribunal that as a doctor she had a “moral duty to take action”.

after newsletter promotion

She said: “The climate emergency is a health emergency; not a potential future one, but here and now. If I know all this and I choose to stay quiet, I am failing in my obligations. I am breaching the guidance in good medical practice to make my patients’ health my first concern.”

But the tribunal found the “overwhelming majority of the public would not condone breaking the law in the repeated way in which Dr Benn did, especially given the impact, on the final occasion, to the wider public resources involved”.

Benn was the first of three GPs facing disciplinary action by the GMC for peaceful protest on the climate crisis.

In a letter to the GMC this week, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, which includes the royal colleges of medicine and medical journals, said there was widespread dismay among doctors at Benn’s suspension from the medical register for Just Stop Oil protests.

“Doctors cannot understand how a doctor can be punished for taking action to mitigate the damage to nature and climate, the major threat to global health,” the letter states.

“There is also dismay that Dr Benn is among the first doctors to appear before a tribunal after protesting and that the finding will set a precedent for other doctors who will be following. Many in the GMC must recognise that they are finding themselves on the wrong side of history.”

A GMC spokesperson said: ‘Dr Sarah Benn was referred to a hearing at the MPTS not for protesting about climate change, but for multiple breaches of a court order which resulted in a custodial sentence. Like all citizens, doctors have the right to express their personal opinions on issues, including climate change. There is nothing in our guidance to prevent them from doing so, nor from exercising their right to lobby government and to campaign, including taking part in protests.

“However, patients and the public rightly have a high degree of trust in doctors and that trust can be eroded if doctors repeatedly fail to comply with the law. Our fitness to practise investigations consider cases which are referred to us and where doctors have broken the law, not their motivations for doing so. It is not the role of regulators to determine UK law – that is a matter for parliament.”

• Environmental activism
• Climate crisis

Most viewed

Lorem ipsum

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER IS JUST BEGINNING...

We have sent you an email to confirm your registration.

NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

Join our journey. Receive exclusive news and updates from Explora Journeys.

By clicking on Register you consent to the processing of your personal data for Marketing, as indicated in our  Privacy Policy

I consent to the processing of my Personal Data for Profiling purposes, as defined in Section 3 of the  Privacy Policy

RECEIVE SPECIAL OFFERS

Stay informed and inspired – join our newsletter for the latest offers and destinations.

Thank you for joining us Our journey together is just beginning...

Newsletter sign up.

[optional] I consent to the processing of my Personal Data for Profiling purposes as defined in Section 3 of the  Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT 2024 EXPLORA JOURNEYS