Late last year, Kimmy Scotti finally took the plunge: She asked her boss for a raise and promotion at the New York marketing firm where she works. In the end, she scored a new title and a six-figure salary.
But nailing the talk took months of preparation. Ms. Scotti made a spreadsheet of her duties and showed how she had actually been doing tasks of the higher-level role for months. The 27-year-old also outlined how she'd saved the company money by switching vendors and renegotiating contracts. She added to the firm's coffers by bringing in new clients.
'You have to tie yourself back to the bottom line at your own company,' says Ms. Scotti.
With the economy continuing its shaky recovery, 20-something workers may feel that it's finally time to ask for that raise or promotion they've been hoping for. And with some research and planning, they could end up with a new gig or higher pay.
First, you'll want to figure out if it's reasonable to be asking for a raise or promotion at all. If you've been working at a company for only a few months, it's probably best to not ask if you haven't proven yourself yet, says Jim Hopkinson, author of 'Salary Tutor: Learn the Salary Negotiation Secrets No One Ever Taught You.'
If there's something outside of work岸say, high rent or a big student-loan burden岸that's driving you to ask for a raise, but you don't feel that your performance merits one, you should hold off. You want to have measurable accomplishments you can point to.
If you do think your recent work merits a raise or promotion, sleuth out what is appropriate to ask for in terms of pay and new duties. 'Don't just waltz in there without being prepared,' says Hallie Crawford, an Atlanta-based career coach.
If you feel it's appropriate, ask mentors or confidantes at work about the typical salary for others in your position and what the usual next step up the career ladder is, says Mr. Hopkinson.
If you're looking for an appropriate salary figure, utilize sites like Salary.com, Glassdoor.com and Indeed.com to see the typical salary for positions across your industry, says Ms. Crawford. Glassdoor may have salary information that's specific to your company.
If you're seeking a new position, read internal job descriptions and colleagues' LinkedIn profiles to see what responsibilities people in the roles directly above you have. You'll want to show your boss that you're already fulfilling some of these responsibilities or that your experience would help you do so in the future, says Ms. Crawford.
If the budget allows, bosses may be willing to promote you to a position that's not advertised as open, she adds, especially if you're already doing most of its tasks岸though larger companies likely have less flexibility to do this.
Next, determine the best way to approach your manager. A performance review is a natural place to have this discussion, says Mr. Hopkinson. But if your review is months away or your company doesn't have one, approach your boss in person and ask to set a time to discuss your performance.
When you sit down with your boss, 'be armed with 'Here are the reasons I deserve it.' They need to be tangible points,' says Ms. Crawford. Have metrics that attest to your work, like an amount you saved the company through cost-cutting measures or the number of clients you've brought in.
Be direct about your merits and leave personal reasons out of it. 'It's a business transaction,' says Mr. Hopkinson. 'You're not going to get a raise because your rent went up or because you want to move out of your parents' house.'
If budgets at your employer are still tight, come up with a date, say, in six months, when you'll follow up about your performance. And ask what you can do in the interim to stand out.
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