QuoteReplyTopic: Have you ever asked for a raise at work? Posted: September 02 2003 at 10:10pm
Grrrr. I was so looking forward to moderating this forum, and now I can't remember what all I wanted to talk about. Please feel free to start threads galore!
Here's one: Have you ever asked for a raise? If so, how did you do it? What were your reasons for deserving it? Did you ask for a raise based on inflation rates, or did you ask for a larger chunk of money than that?
Not relevant to my career at the moment, but I thought it might be an interesting conversation piece.
"Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32"
It's a long story but here goes... A few years ago I used to design software for telephone switches down in Texas. I asked my boss for a raise and a promotion when I had only worked at the company for eight months. He told me I needed "more experience" and to try again next year. A few weeks later I met with a company director about my going on an emergency trip to Japan to fix a serious problem with one of our products. During the conversation he told me how relieved he was that I had agreed to go since my name was the one that kept comming up in meetings as the "expert" in the area that needed fixing. So I used that opening to mention my previous conversation with my boss and his "lack of experience" response and pointed out that it didn't make sense that the company was sending me to Japan if I really lacked experience. The director agreed that it didn't make sense and promised to look into my situation. I got my promotion and a big raise about two weeks after I got back from Japan :).
No long hair back then, I was still orbiting between a military style and a brush cut but I did grow a big bushy beard! I really enjoyed living in Texas and the job was great until a rival company bought us. The new company said we could all work together, nothing would change... and I said la-la-la I'm not hearing you... la-la-la I'm looking for a new j-o-b... la-la-la...
demodoll
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Many years ago I found out that other people doing the exact same job as me with the exact same credentials and experience were making more money. I went to my boss armed with this information and he got mad and said I should have talked about my accomplishments and merits rather than whining that everyone else made more. I then went out and got two job offers at other companies for much more money (doing the same job). He came up with the money. And I am still working there although that guy got fired 10 years ago.
I don't know if that is a good way to approach it but it worked for me. Now however, I get tiny raises due to the economy. I am not going to complain though. I have a great deal!
"It is better to look marvelous than to feel marvelous" Billy Crystal
and I said la-la-la I'm not hearing you... la-la-la I'm looking for a new j-o-b... la-la-la...
LOL!
That's good, Demodoll. How did you find out the others were making more? It's kind of a hard thing... you can never be sure if the others are telling the truth, and if you have documentation in your hand, then you've likely been snooping, which is bad. Unless you work in payroll or something and have an excuse.
"Hair is a part of you. It is not a part of me, because I am a frog." - Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street1b/N/ii ~ ??"/27"/32"
demodoll
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Well, I kind of put two and two together with one of them. I knew what she was making before she came to the company and she said something about not leaving for less than X amount of money. My other friend just flat told me. So, since I had more experience with the company and software that we were working on I got mad. It all worked out and now I don't care as much about the amount I make as I do about the quality of life I have and the amount of free time I get. Priorities change as you get older I guess. Back in those days I was still very into the whole career thing (mostly the clothes though).
"It is better to look marvelous than to feel marvelous" Billy Crystal
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