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How to get a raise


Here’s a list of the best personal advices I can possibly give you before you ask your boss for a raise. Some of them are common sense, but I try to focus more on the psychological and behavioral aspect of this type of interview.

- Be in tune with the market’s reality. It’s very important that you ask for a proper amount of money or benefits. If you ask for too little your request will be perceived as not worth talking about and irrelevant. If you ask for too much, you’ll be seen as either a day-dreamer or as an arrogant person. So, go to employment websites and check what employers currently offer for positions similar to yours. Discuss with friends you went to college with and ask them what their package is. If you’ve been in contact with employment agencies before, call the person who was taking care of your file and discuss your expectations with them. Have a few examples of similar job descriptions and associated packages to tell your boss about.

- What are you going to ask for? Before going to see your boss, you have to know if you’re going to talk in terms of raise percentage, net cash, side benefits… What do you want, precisely? If you know what you’re going to talk about, the confrontation will be easier. You’ll go straight to the point and you won’t be hesitant when the boss offers you something you don’t really want or need.

- Give good reasons. One you know what you’re going to ask for, you have to give the boss reasons to give it to you. Or course if you feel you’re underpaid, you can begin by saying you’ve done your research and that your salary is quite low on the income scale, compared with other people sharing your position on the market. But that won’t quite make it most of the time. So, you have to make a list of all the things you’ve accomplished in your job. Depending of your type of job, you may focus more on the files you’ve had in charge that brought a big yield to your company, or on the little things you’ve improved on a day-to-day basis that make the company much more efficient than before. Focus on all the things you’re proud of. If you’re doing better than your predecessor, say it and explain why you think your new way of doing is better (be careful to stay very respectful and humble while saying it, as people walking over others won’t be seen as combative, they’ll only come across as arrogant jerks).

- Mentally prepare yourself by rehearsing your claims, your expectations, your real life examples, your accomplishments. Ask a friend to play the boss : an extremely cold and refusing boss. The more you’ll be prepared for the worst, the easier the real confrontation will be.

- The hardest part is the start. Not much advice to give you here. Just do it. Go. It’s like bungee jumping : once you’ve jumped of the bridge, there’s nothing else to do apart from enjoying the new experience you’re living.

- Don’t focus on the outcome. If you’ve been able to live on your present income, that won’t suddenly change. At best you’ll have more money. At worst you’ll be more experienced talking to a boss. I find this point extremely important. Focus on doing the interview well, on being able to properly speak up about your expectations and your accomplishments. Be relaxed and see the interview as only a way to improve your social skills.

- Pay a lot of attention to your body language. Sit back, be relaxed. Just as if you were in a bar being served your favorite cocktail. Don’t show any sign of nervousness as it will make you look either unsure of your request, or trying to hide some form of anger or anxiety. Keep smiling and being an enjoyable company. Don’t put yourself in a state of inferiority either. It really helps if you actually don’t care about the outcome of the interview and just focus on doing it well. You will also realize that having a relaxed body language will help you actually feel and be more relaxed after a few minutes.

- Don’t let yourself be impressed by your boss. It’s not because he wears expensive suits, talks well and earns more money that he’s smarter or better than you. He’s just experienced, and he has a role to play, too. He’s an actor who’s impersonating the company. Remember also that he’s not your enemy. He’s just a guy you’re talking business with. Think about it this way : you’re discussing the value of your job. So, it’s not about you as a person. It’s about trading your time for their money. It’s a pure business thing. The discussion is therefore external to you : it is only about what the boss thinks you’re bringing to the company.

- Stay polite and respectful. You’re just trying to agree with your boss on your work’s value for the company. The boss will be thinking about figures : what you cost, what you bring to the company, and how much it would cost if he had to replace you. So, don’t take a no too personally. Your boss may think you’re not worth more at the moment in the company’s name, but that doesn’t mean he personally thinks you’re worthless as a human being. Most of the time, there’s nothing personal in his refusal and you should not feel anger toward him.

- Be aware that your boss will resort to an amazingly vivid and quite lyrical imagination to dismiss your points. Sometimes he will even give you counter-arguments that don’t have anything to do with what you’re saying. It’s just boss talk. Don’t mind him, don’t be puzzled and continue proceeding. Be prepared to point his logical flaws. If you see one point of your speech is going nowhere, jump on to the next.

- Don’t lay all your arguments at once. Keep some in reserve as it will come handy when the boss thinks a particular part of your request is over. You will also see that your boss has sometimes no idea what you really do, so wait for him to be wrong about your job tasks and kindly correct him. That will help him be more humble and listen to you more.

- Don’t let your boss direct the conversation, but don’t be too pushy either. You want it to be a person to person, equal relationship, not a subordinate to chief one. The speech should alternatively flow equally from both mouths.

- Thank your boss. If he gave you less than you expected, thank him anyway. If he gave you nothing, thank him for the time he took to see you. Once again, don’t get mad at him, there’s no point.


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