BootsnAll Travel Community

OK,

So I've been at my current job for a year and I'm grossly underpaid by New York standards. So I'm asking for a raise. Which means more money to save for travel. I'm pretty sure it will work out well....
A) My boss loves me
B) I had lunch with him a week ago and reviewed my preformance over the past year.... he had no negative comments
C) I've taken on extra responsiblity, not only for him but for his boss as well.
D) His area of concern when he hired me was my computer skills...I've since taken online course in word, Powerpoint and Excel.
E) He just got promoted and said I'll be taking on added responsible, which I should be compensated for.

I just sent my boss the following e-mail

Dennis,

I'm not sure what your schedule is for next week, but before your calendar fills up, I'd like to set up some time next week for us to meet and discuss my compensation. Let me know when you have some availability.

So, now there's no backing out...

My question is has anyone else done this? And how did it go for you? What kinds of things did you say?

Good for you, Rachel!

I guess my basic advice is to think about it from the point of view of your boss. Why should he give you more money? The question you need to ask yourself, and you have to be brutally honest with yourself about this, is how easily replacable are you (at your current salary)? Put yourself in his shoes and come up with a list of all the things you do that make you worth more money. Then make a list of other things you might be willing to take on (if there are any) that would make you even more worthy of raise.

Just because you've been there a year, or you "need" more money doesn't do the trick. In a previous life I had to decide who got raises and what amount. The people who deserve raises get them, the people who don't, do not.

Good luck! And beware the 80-hour work week!

rachel,

i think you should point out how you have taken on more responsibility, and how you are a more valuable employee with your skills, talk about how you like working with him and the company, etc. also to do: check out what the average salaries of in nyc are for whatever it is that you do...and contact your local library if you are having trouble finding that because they can help you (or radical reference also offers free reference assistance--so that way you can say, "i really enjoy working here and love my position. i have noticed, however, according to NY magazine [or whatever] that the average topless office dancer makes $30 an hour, and i only make $20. would you consider the possibility of an increase, especially as i have taken upon greater responsibility and consider myself a valuable asset to the company?" blah blah blah, but you know what to say.

How did you know I'm a topless office dancer?

Nothing drastically new to add to this, but the advice you've gotten thus far is good. Particularly, looking to see what compensation for similar positions inside (if you can) and outside your company is important.

I had this same basic conversation with my manager early this year. My situaton may have been a bit different in that it had been longer since I'd gotten a "good" raise outside of our annual review process. I went in with the knowledge that I was doing a job equivalent to a grou of people with a different job title and level within the company and that I should be there with them.

Very conveniently, I had also had a job interview the week before outside the company (I alays keep my resume out and up to date even though I've been with the same company for over six years). Not only had I interviewed for a job out of left field, I got an offer with a raise. There were about a dozen reasons I didn't want to take the new job, not the least of which was an added commute that would have eaten up some of the salary increase and my time. But I felt comfortable (IN MY CASE) with my manager telling him about this and being clear that I wasn't looking actively for another job and had no plans to take their offer, but I considered it more proof that I deserved a raise. They matched that offer and then some.

Good luck with yours!

Did you get it?

i asked for a raise recently too...

i had my resume on monster.com and got some calls about positions similar to what i do now. well they said i was underpaid for someone with my experience and education so i scheduled an interview. the interview went well (phone interview) and they invited me to visit their office for another round of interviews next week. so i went to my current company and told my boss i am underpaid and want a raise to bring me current with my market value. so i guess if that other company gives me a job offer i can go somewhere for significantly more money. or if my current company decides to give me a raise i can stay where i am. and the worse situation is that nothing happens on both fronts!

i am in the automotive industry and everyone knows how shitty it's going. but one way to get a raise is to show that your market value is higher than your current pay. annual raises are NOT happening here so you can only get paid more if someone else is willing to pay you more....that's the only leverage i have.

i'll know more next week. wish me luck