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I asked for a raise

Walk through my experience with me

By Shelby LarsenPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Photo by Reynaldo #brigworkz Brigantty from Pexels

3.17.2022, 9:06 am

I'm asking for a raise today. I have never asked for a raise in my whole life, but I recently found out I'm paid less than 80% of people with similar experience and job descriptions in my state.

My work constantly refers to me as an incredible employee, and I have heard nothing but nice things during my 3+ years here. Even annual reviews have very little on constructive criticism. This leads me to believe that I am (at bare minimum) an above average employee.

So why am I getting paid "so little" in comparison to others in my field.

My boss and I get along really well, so I shouldn't be so nervous, but I'm meeting with her in 21 minutes, and I feel like I'm going to vomit. I've received 2 raises from this company unprompted, but that has not been enough to keep up with my market value.

I don't want to sound like one of those people that's "all about money," but honestly, I work my job so I can pay the bills. If I didn't need money, I wouldn't work. Let's be honest, I would write more, cook more, take my dog to the dog park more. I would probably play more video games, paint more, clean more, and probably not fall behind on laundry seemingly every week.

I don't hate my job, but the #1 reason I do my job is so that I can afford to live. I think it's amazing that some people have turned their hobbies into money-makers, but mine aren't enough to pay the bills - so here we are. And sure, my current salary pays my current bills comfortably, but does that mean I shouldn't have a little extra to put towards a new car, my eventual wedding, or a house someday?

3.17.2022, 11:43am

Not necessarily a surprise, but my boss had to push back our touch base, so I'm just getting off that call now. My boss and I are pretty close, so I felt comfortable starting the conversation by letting her know that I was kind of nervous and asked her to be patient with me.

I went through my whole spiel, asked for a 30% increase, and ended with a line about I would love to continue taking on responsibilities and helping to grow the company (and would be capable to do so), if they continued to invest in me.

I gave her time to talk, and she started with how impressed and proud she was for having this conversation. She then continued to discuss our move towards a more corporate org chart, and discussing how when the corporate email team takes over my brands email management, I'm just a big question mark.

Now - that sounds really bad, and if you didn't know how important I was to the team, how much praise I get on a weekly basis, and the other conversations about how it would be a "shit show" if I left, you might be concerned about my job security at this point. Luckily I was not.

Instead, she introduced this new sort of project based role, that would have me filling holes where needed. She assured me it would be considered a promotion, and while I would continue to do some of the things that I do today, I would also be diving into so many other areas of the business where her and I can both learn where my strengths and passions are. It will be a more flexible role, and if I find my "perfect spot" in the company, I'll have the opportunity to grow more into that role in the future.

Now, all this is great - but what about pay? That's the whole reason for this conversation. And of course, as expected, I have no insights right now except it will be "more than I'm making now." Current timeline shows I may not have further info until the end of the month, so I'll check back in with more information then.

4.1.2022, 1:17pm

Man it feels like it's been forever since that initial conversation. I just met with my boss today, and I'm walking out with mixed feelings. They've offered me a 19% increase, but that's supposed to be including my promotion, as well as my merit increase for the year.

I was given the "that's the best I can do right now" line.

Honestly, I'm feeling a little dejected. But the other part of me is like, well maybe I'm asking for too much?

I'm also confused on what my next actions should be. Do I take the promotion as is, and keep searching for other jobs (as I have been)? Do I attempt to push it higher, despite feeling like I can't do that? I don't know.

4.1.2022, 2:59pm

After talking with a trusted friend and colleague, I decided to go back to my boss. I just didn't feel comfortable taking the offer as is without pushing back a little bit. It would have been disrespectful to myself to not at least try.

I'm already feel relieved that I did. She took the information with open ears, and gave me a new timeline on when I could expect to hear back (hopefully Monday!). There's no guarantee that they'll be able to offer me any more, but at least now I know that I made the effort.

If they can't offer me any more, my next step will be to establish a timeline on when we can discuss my salary expectations again - whether that be in 3 months, 6 months, etc.

4.6.2022, 10:45am

I just got off another call with my boss, and I'm signing my new offer letter as we speak. While they were not able to offer me any more than the initial 19%, they are giving me an extra week of PTO annually, and I will be doing another review in 6 months to see where we stand as well.

Although the 19% increase is impressive (merit increases average 3% and promotions average 10-12%), it's not exactly where I want to be. However, I do appreciate the extra time off and the receptiveness I received from the team.

Is it what I wanted? No, but it's enough for now. As always, I will keep my eyes open for other opportunities.

While it's been noted that I probably would've received a promotion if I had never asked for a raise, I don't believe my salary increase would have been nearly as high.

While I wish we did not have to negotiate to earn what we're worth, it is the way many companies in the US work right now.

Feeling underpaid? Ask for that raise. There's already a ton of advice on the internet on how to ask for one, but I wanted to walk you through the process with me.

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About the Creator

Shelby Larsen

Warning: I love messing with your favorite fairy tales.

I've loved writing most of my life. In college I made it my passion, but once I reached the "real" world, I stopped. I'm here to find my creativity and get back to my passion.

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