With 2017 coming to an end, it won’t be long before you turn your attention to the new year. This can mean many things to you both on a personal and professional level.
As an employee, you may have one thing on your mind at this time: earning more money in 2018.
While there are many ways to reach this goal, one of the best is to simply ask for a raise. There is no guarantee your employer will comply, but it’s something you should strongly consider.
If you come to the conclusion that you want to ask for a raise as 2017 comes to a close, these three tips will put you in position to succeed:
• Speak with the right person. You don’t want to discuss a raise with someone who doesn’t have the power to make a final decision. Instead, get in touch with the person who can say yes or no to your request. This will save you a lot of time and stress.
• Be reasonable with your request. It’s one thing to ask for a $5,000 raise. It’s another thing entirely to request $50,000 or more. When you’re reasonable, there’s a much better chance that you’ll get what you ask for.
• Back up your request with reasons why you should receive a raise. It’s not good enough to simply request a raise. You need to have a list of reasons why you deserve it. For example, you could compile data showing that you’re one of the top performers in your department.
These are just a few of the many tips you can follow if you want to ask for a raise at the end of 2017.
Final note: the worst that can happen is you are turned down for your raise and you then have to consider your other options.
Do you have any experience asking for a raise? Were you successful? What approach did you take? Share your personal strategy in the comment section below.