Getting the Raise You Deserve
By Nicole St.Martin
When was the last time you asked your employer for a raise?
People take two roads when it comes to wage increases. They
either never ask for a raise and just accept their 2 or 3%
annual increase, or wait until they are extremely frustrated and
ready to walk out the front door, in which case you'll probably
find yourself back in the employment searching and
interview game
Neither of these strategies will get you any closer to the money
you want to be making. The secret to getting the raise you
deserve is all in the planning you do in advance.
Research Salaries
Researching average salaries for your industry will give you a
good idea of what you should be making and just how much wiggle
room you actually have to negotiate. Keep in mind average
earnings can vary from state to state, so make sure your salary
research is appropriate for your area. Make copies of any salary
information you find. Additionally, if you suspect your salary
is low within your organization, your human resource department
may be able to provide a salary scale for your position. These
two documents will help support your request for a raise.
Show your Value
Salary research documentation won't get you that raise alone. It
is important that you are able to illustrate your contributions.
Raises aren't just handed out; a company wants to pay as little
as possible for you. Whenever I start a new job, I start
documenting my accomplishments immediately - but it's never too
late to start. I suggest keeping a weekly journal of things
you've done to improve the bottom line.
* Have you creating new revenue opportunities or discovered a
cost saving?
* Did you help meet or beat a deadline?
* Did you improve processes?
* Do you complete your task ahead of schedule?
* Do you arrive to work on time, work extra hours?
Having a list prepared with your recent accomplishments and
contributions is absolutely essential. Without this you have no
negotiating power.
Get your Strategy Together
Think about how you're going to approach your boss ahead of
time, take time to rehearse your "raise pitch". The worst thing
you can do is walk into your boss's office thinking that you can
wing it. With copies of your salary research and company pay
scale information you are able to quantify that your request for
raise is reasonable. Additionally, you'll be able to back that
information up with a list of accomplishments that demonstrate
your value.
Remember preparation is the key to getting the raise you
deserve. Besides you have nothing to lose; the worst that can
happen is they will deny your request, and hopefully provide you
with advice on what you do to improve your eligibility.
Nicole St. Martin is the founder of SEMGirl.com, a search
marketing company. With over 5 years of search experience,
Nicole has developed a successful pay per click and organic
search strategy for several companies including DigitalRiver,
FindLaw, HotGigs and most
recently Minnesota
Healthcare Jobs
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