Asking for a salary increase at work is never easy, especially when you’re just kicking off your career. However, when monthly expenses start to grow and your paycheck is feeling stretched a little too thin, we’ve got tips on how to get that pay bump!
When the time comes to ask for a raise, it can illicit anxious feelings, stress and fear. Fortunately, we’ve got a few things you should take note of to help you keep your cool before you take the leap and ask for the salary you think you deserve.
Understand Your Worth
Before you ask for a higher salary, it’s important to be able to show proof that you’ve earned it. If you’re going into work everyday being a general complainer, doing the minimum requirements, not being proactive in learning new job skills, avoiding more responsibility and loudly declaring how you live for the weekend, your request for a raise is already in the toilet. Increase your chances by knowing what you’ve done to earn it.
Every time you pass a small milestone on the job, or receive positive feedback on your job performance, write it down! Having solid points of reference to back up your salary request will do two things: they will verify to your boss that you’ve been doing work people take notice of, and it will show your investment and desire to excel within the company.
Figure Out A Realistic (But Fair) Number To Ask For
Knowing what you should be asking for can be confusing. You know what you want, but is it over or under valuing yourself? You can find that salary sweet spot by asking around your industry what someone in your position is earning. You might not get a specific answer from every individual, but you’ll at least be able to narrow down the pay range.
It’s also not a bad idea to hop online and check out PayScale’s calculator to determine what the low, average and high end salary earnings are for your job description. You’ll have a clearer idea on what salary to now ask for, that will not only satisfy you, but not be a complete sticker shock to your boss.
Don’t Accept Their First Salary Offer, Negotiate!
It’s common practice for most companies to have a standard raise they give all employees at their yearly review. They’re secretly hoping they won’t come back with a counter offer, and, for a lot of millennials they don’t. Those types of employees will accept the standard and go back to their desks wishing they were getting more.
Don’t be like those people and make sure that, when you ask for your raise, it’s a salary specific conversation and not just part of a general review. This is keeps your employer’s attention focused on salary only, which will ultimately have a better outcome for you.
Just keep in mind that if you’re asking for a lot more than the company standard, your boss will likely want to see a breakdown of how you came to that number, along with examples to support it. But, if you’ve done your homework and prepared for this moment, you’ll be able to breeze right through it!
Dress To Impress
On the day of your salary review, kick up the style factor and dress for the salary you deserve. Showing up in a clean, well-fitting outfit with nice grooming goes a long way — especially when you’ve taken a little extra time to pay attention to the details. It also serves as the next step in your career, so make sure you look the part for the role you want in order to keep climbing the career ladder.
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