In this new article you’ll learn how to ask for a raise. If you feel that you are underpaid, you have to make strategies to solve your problems. In the beginning, you may accept a low paying job, but later you may realize that this is not right for you. You may feel uncomfortable asking for a raise; but you will still want your boss to understand that you need a raise.

You will get some ideas about how to ask for a raise and how to deal with the situation, if your boss says “no.”

How To Ask For a Raise At Work

Why Do You Deserve a Raise?

Would you like to continue with your current salary or do you think you deserve a raise? The answer to this question is clear: who would not like to get a higher paycheck?

How do you determine the right time to ask for a raise? You cannot get a raise simply because you desire it, but your boss will take the decision only after considering other factors. How will you convince your boss that your raise will not affect the company negatively, but will actually make a positive impact?

You have to sit down and do some homework to find out your proper value or how other people with the same experience and qualifications are treated in the market, and how much they make compared to your current salary. You have to find out your real value first before going to your boss and asking for more money.

You have to present your raise request with some solid proof. You have to specify the reasons you think you deserve a raise. You have to make a list of all the accomplishments that you have achieved in the recent months. This way, you will have a quick reference for the discussion with your boss and you will come to the exact point that you are trying to get across to him/her.

You have to show what extra work you are accomplishing. Prove to them that not just anyone can do your job, that it is not in the best interest of the company to just hire a new worker for the same work for less money. You have to discover the cost of your actual work for the company, so that you may identify fair compensation from your boss.

Look at your initial salary and make sure your paycheck is worth your qualifications and experience. Like I said before, you have to do some research to find out the market rate for your qualifications. For example: You know someone in marketing at People Magazine and they are making $50,000 per year, as opposed to what you are making, which is $40,000 per year.

Use this as a reference to your boss when you go to ask them for a raise, and explain to them that other people in your field are making “this much,” and explain why you think you deserve to make that same amount.

Another factor that you should consider before asking for a raise is the time frame for which you have been working with the company. If you have been working there for a long time and you haven’t received a raise in the past few years, then it is your right to ask for an annual increment, if they haven’t already given you one.

It is not good to ask for a raise if you have only been working with this company for a few months. You have to spend some time in the company to show your experience, hard work ethic and value.

You have to make your case stronger by collecting all data and information before asking for a raise. You have to make a detailed list of all the work that you have done and also about the company’s achievements that resulted due to your hard work and contribution. It is important to collect all of this information, so that you may present your case with full confidence. You will have to discuss the raise with your boss, in detail, to get a fair compensation.

How Much Money Are You Asking For?

Another question that is important for an employer, when asking for a raise, is: how much money are you asking for? To find the correct answer to this question you have to work to find out the right raise as per your qualifications and experience. You have to ask for the raise that you actually deserve.

Some people ask for too high of a raise, more than they should, and they don’t receive a good response from their boss. Some people know the actual worth of their work and they make the right demand in hope of getting the best from their company by not asking for a more substantial amount that is irrelevant.

You also must find out what other people in your company have received as a standard raise. The best thing is to ask for a little more than what you want, because you can negotiate to get the worth of your work. An example of this: if you want a 5% increase in your salary, ask for a 10% increase. Your boss may say, “I can’t give you a 10% increase, but what we can do is a 5% increase.” And that’s what you really wanted in the first place.

You have to keep calm and optimistic to get an answer from your boss. How will you face the situation if they say no? You should not accept “no” from your boss. What if you have done your homework, presented your case in an effective manner, and they are still not ready to give you a raise? You should directly ask your boss: what does he/she expect from you to give a “yes” next time?

Ask your boss to give the specific reasons why they said “no.” Do not lash out and say anything that you are going to regret. If your boss states some important areas in which you need to improve, then take it as a challenge and prove to them that you can do this job better than anyone else, and prove to them that you deserve to make more money.

Do not feel ashamed if you get a “no,” because there are ups and down in life and this may be a step that will take you towards success and push you to work even harder to prove to them that you can do this job with excellence.

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When Is the Best Time to Ask For A Raise?

Many people do not have to make an extra effort to get a raise, but some people get stuck asking for a raise. It is a difficult process for some people to ask for a raise,but asking for a raise is an essential part of moving forward in anybody’s life or career. When a person works for a company and works to increase the reputation and position of the company in the market, then it becomes his right to get a good compensation for his work.

If you are ready to ask for a raise, then it is important to choose the right time. The right time will earn you your desired raise. There is no hard and fast rule to select an appropriate time to ask for a raise. You have to work hard to find out an appropriate time to achieve success. If you have been working for the company for a short period of time, then it is not the right time to ask for a raise. You have to wait a little while to show your worth and capabilities.

If you have been working with the company for two or more years and you have taken up more responsibilities than required of you, then you may go ahead and schedule a meeting to ask for a raise. If you have a good track record and work hard to bring laurels to the company, then you may ask for a raise.

It is important to choose the right day to ask for a raise, as well. Plan to ask for a raise earlier in the week. It is not good to ask for a raise in the later part of the week, when everybody is planning to go home for the weekend, because they can easily forget or simply not be focused on your request. Come in early on Monday or Tuesday morning and ask your boss for a good time to have a meeting with him/her.

Another important thing is to schedule the meeting with your boss before lunch, if possible. You should make it a one-on-one meeting with your boss especially to discuss your raise. because if there are other people around then that might impact your boss’s opinion. Do not talk about your raise if the meeting has been scheduled for some other time, just tell them you would like to speak with them about a personal matter, that way they won’t think about what they are going to do before you have been able to bring up all of the reasons why you think you deserve a raise.

Another important consideration is the growth of your company. If the business is growing more after you joined the company, then it is a suitable time to ask for a raise, but if your company is not working well and lagging behind, then it would not be a good time to ask for a raise. Collect the information about the financial situation of your company before asking for a raise. If the company is losing business, your boss will not be ready to give you a salary increment.

Asking for a raise at the right time is an art. It is best to ask for a raise during the month of November, because after November your company will get busy planning the budget for the next year. During the month of November, companies examine the performances of different employees. You can also recap your achievements during the end of the year. You can clearly tell your employer about your achievements and contributions that benefitted the company.

Another key consideration is to gauge your boss’s mood. If you feel that your boss is in a good mood, you should plan a meeting. Do not plan a meeting to ask for a raise if you see that your boss is not in a good mood. It will negatively affect your request and your request may be rejected immediately if your boss is in no mood to talk about any more increases in the company’s finances.

You may also wait to ask for a raise when you have proven your worth recently. Even though you may have been doing your work well in the past, the best time to ask for a raise is when your fantastic work is fresh in your boss’s mind. If you have recently saved the company from a big blow of financial hardship or saved them a significant amount of money, then you might ask for a raise.

Hardworking people are assets of a company and if your request is genuine, then a good boss will keep you happy and give heavy consideration to your request for a raise.

How Will You Handle Things If They Say “No?”

Previous, you learned about the right time to ask for a raise. It is a crucial situation and you may be eagerly waiting for the answer. Here we will discuss techniques to handle things if your company says “no” to your raise request. It is very difficult for an employer to give a raise to an employee. He/She has to consider many factors before saying “yes.” How will you handle the situation, if your boss says “no?” I know it is not easy to accept a “no” when you really deserve a raise.

There are some things that you have to keep in mind before you approach your boss when asking for a raise. Never share your financial difficulties to your boss. The company does not have anything to do with your financial difficulties. The company is only concerned about the work that you are doing for them.

If you are working hard and doing well, then you should discuss your contribution with your boss and ask for a raise in your salary. Never talk about your increased standards of living, because your boss will never give you a raise simply to solve your financial problems. They will only give you a raise if they see you have been helping them by making more money for the company.

You must prepare yourself for the amount of increase that you want in your salary. If your request is reasonable, then you are likely to get a good answer. If you do not prepare yourself properly before facing your boss, than more than likely you will get a negative response. Also, you must calmly handle the situation, if they say “no.” You have to politely ask your boss to give the reason(s) for not giving you an increment, or you may ask him/her to state the things that he/she would expect from you to justify your salary increase.

If your boss specifies some of your mistakes, then give him/her a particular time frame to improve yourself and tell them that you will come back with improved performance. You have to show your worth to get a raise. Your boss may not have recognized your capabilities in the past, but when your boss specifies your negative points, then try your best to improve yourself in every field so that you may earn the raise that you deserve.

If you feel that you have been giving your best work to the company, but your boss says that there is no chance to increase your salary, then you may want to leave calmly, because it is not the right time to flatly refuse or give your resignation. You might want to go home and start searching for a new job. As soon as you get a new job with a higher pay scale you may give your resignation. Don’t quit without having a back-up plan.

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Are You Willing to Compromise?

Previous, we have discussed how to deal with your boss denying your raise request.. After knowing your boss’s answer , the next few steps will depend on you. You have to make a decision. You will have to decide if you are willing to compromise with the situation or walk away and find a job that will pay you what you would like to get paid. Most people attempt to compromise with the situation. However, sometimes, there are circumstances when it becomes difficult to compromise. Here you will learn what steps you can take in different situations.

There is a possibility that your boss may give you a smaller amount of a raise than what you have asked. Suppose you are asking for a 5% increment, but your boss is ready to give you a 3% raise in your salary. What will you do in this situation?

Are you willing to compromise, or are you going to stand your ground and refuse to take “no” for an answer? If your boss agrees to give you the desired raise in the future, then you may wait for some time. You may directly ask your boss about the particular time frame in which he/she is ready to give you the full raise so you may gauge if he/she has fulfilled his/her promise.

Negotiations are not easy. You have to make a great effort and do solid research to find the right job. Start doing your research and find out the market-rate salary for your position. If you believe that you can get a higher pay in another firm, then start searching for a new job. You have to consider many things before looking for another job.

Consider your work environment and staff of your current company; if it is a good workplace with a cooperative staff,, then it may be best to compromise, especially if you are happy working for them. However, if you have problems with the other employees and your employer, then it may be better to move on to another company. Certainly, it is very difficult to find a company that matches all of these ideal criteria, so be sure to weigh your needs in case you need to compromise on one thing or another.

When you say “yes” to any job offer, it is very important to recognize the responsibilities that you have to carry commensurate to the offered salary. If you think, in the long run, you would like more money for all the work that they are going to give you, then don’t take that job unless you can agree on proper compensation. Keep searching for the right position that you think is compensated fairly for the amount of work required of you.

Have You Proven Yourself Worthy of a Raise?

The best way to improve one’s financial condition is to ask for a raise. You must meet with your employer to get a raise for your current salary. Certainly, you do not want to irritate your boss when you ask for a raise, so the most important thing to do, in order to get a raise, is to prove your worth. How will you prove your worth? This is an important question for people who are seeking to improve their financial situation. You will get an answer here. Some tips to help prove your worth will be given here.

Do not think that you will simply get a pay raise for the time that you have spent at the company. Your experience does not matter much for a company to give you a raise, the work that you do counts more. You have to work hard honestly to prove yourself. You must prove that you are taking on more responsibilities than your colleagues. This will help you prove yourself worthy of a raise.

You have to find new and effective ways to create your value. You have to look ahead to find new ways to enhance your value. For this, you have to take up more responsibilities and produce excellent results. If an employer issues a project several weeks before and it still has not been completed yet. Then, it is time when you can prove your worth by completing the work on time.

You must take initiative to do the project, which has not been completed by anybody else. Never give false promises to your employer, because it will affect your position. Always take up the responsibility that you can perform without any hesitation and difficulty. Your confidence and determination to do work will count more and will add up in proving your worth.

By taking up extra responsibilities and a heavier workload, you can prove your worth. The new project that you take up should be completed quickly, and you should put your best effort to complete this project. If you receive a compliment from your boss or the client, then get it in writing, so that you have solid proof of your work, as well as to show them how hard you have worked on this project.

You have to make a list of the work that you have completed recently. You should make a list to show the performance of the company before you have joined and after you have started working. If you have any appreciative emails or remarks from your boss, save them to show in the future when you have to ask for a raise. Your boss’s remarks will prove that you are worthy for a raise. You have to prove that you are working constantly to improve the company’s position in the market.

You should also collect the information of the clients, which are satisfied with your performance and have helped in raising the financial standing of the company. You have to make cordial relations with clients, so that they may write some good words in your favor. Client compliments will help you receive a raise from your boss by proving your worth, and showing your company how great you are with customer service by showing them your customers positive feedback.

If any of your colleagues have left the company recently and you have taken up more work onto your shoulders, then you may tell your boss that you are taking up extra work and you have the capability to multi-task, or that you have been working longer hours to get all of the work finished on time. This helps to show your value to your boss and he/she may give you a direct raise, since he/she will not want to lose you. Thus, by knowing your worth and proving it to your boss, you can surely earn a raise in your salary.