2. You Deserve a Raise Because . . .

Why do you deserve a raise?

What are the special skills that you have, the new responsibilities you have been given, and the exceptional results that you have produced that warrant an increase in salary? If you have a sense of your boss’s goals, how your boss defines success, and the results required for success in your position, you are prepared to make your case.

You will want to ensure that you are being evaluated against your current job description and on the basis of results delivered, and you will want to demonstrate a valid business reason why you should be paid more. Create a list of your accomplishments, including any of your ideas that resulted in cost cuts, increased sales, time savings, and creativity. Give specific examples with numbers (facts) that show your achievements.

As you create your list, organize your accomplishments logically so that you are familiar with them and are comfortable recalling them during your meeting. This will help you to develop a follow-up memo to your boss confirming your discussion (see item 9). Prepare a clean copy of this list to hand to your boss during your discussion.