A young woman who leapfrogged from an apprenticeship to a huge salary by the age of 23 has explained exactly how she made it happen, insisting that anyone can follow the same path.
Amy Reynolds managed to nearly triple her earnings in just three years, rising from a £30,000 salary at 20 to taking home £85,000 plus bonuses by 23.
Now 25 and working at associate director level, she regularly shares career and financial advice with her growing TikTok audience, helping young professionals learn to navigate corporate life in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
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Her working life started modestly with a part-time job at Skechers when she was 16, while she was completing her A Levels.
After taking a gap year to travel, she chose to bypass university altogether and enrolled in a degree apprenticeship at a major UK bank at 19. She says this decision completely changed the direction of her life.
She said that choosing the apprenticeship route meant graduating with four years of hands-on experience, zero student debt, a strong network inside the company and a visible track record.
According to her, this foundation helped her progress much faster than if she had followed the typical graduate route.
Since then, she has moved through several internal hiring processes and applied for roles externally.
She notes that job-hunting has become more competitive, with stricter expectations and slower career movement. She has experienced both successful promotions and missed opportunities.
She explained that her biggest advantage has always been her response to feedback. She actively asks for it, writes everything down and makes real changes.
By continuously refining her CV, improving her interview examples and developing her skills based on what she learns, she says she has always been able to find roles that suit her long-term goals.
Speaking to Instant Offices, Amy broke down the strategies that helped her rise from apprentice to associate director in under six years.
Treat your career like a long-term project
Amy created a plan outlining where she wanted to be in three to five years, including job levels, expected salary ranges and the responsibilities she wanted to take on.
She said that having this roadmap meant every decision she made had intention, rather than letting her career drift.
Keep an impact log
From her earliest days as an apprentice, she kept a running document tracking everything she achieved. She wrote down projects, measurable results such as performance improvements or increased adoption rates and any praise she received, including shout-outs, feedback from senior leaders and awards.
When she entered promotion rounds or salary discussions, she could present a clear story about the value she brought to the business, rather than vague claims about working hard.
Reverse-engineer the next level
Amy asks for the competency requirements for roles above her position, highlights the criteria she already meets and then focuses deliberately on gaining experience in the areas where she falls short.
Over-deliver where people can see it
She took on projects that offered visibility to senior leaders, making sure her work produced meaningful business outcomes and demonstrated strategic thinking rather than just completing tasks. At the same time, she protected her boundaries, emphasising that success comes from high-impact work, not working excessive hours.
Build genuine relationships
Amy said that having supporters matters more than simply being liked. She made an effort to form real working relationships across different teams by being dependable, curious and consistent in delivering strong results. This meant senior leaders became aware of her abilities and advocated for her even when she wasn’t in the room.
She also prepared thoroughly before any conversation about pay or progression. She rehearsed her case, researched salary benchmarks and ensured her requests were based on evidence, not guesswork.
Be open to moving on
She has always believed that if her value isn’t recognised where she currently works, she will look for opportunities elsewhere. Even when she stays, knowing her market value boosts her confidence during important discussions.
Promote salary transparency
Amy believes in speaking openly about pay with trusted colleagues to stop people from being underpaid without realising it. She discusses salary ranges, responsibilities and role expectations with peers at all levels. She says removing secrecy helps prevent people, especially women and those from non-traditional backgrounds, from being underpaid.
She added that your earnings should reflect the value you bring, not just the time you have spent in a role. Once you start thinking that way, everything changes.
