Asking For A Raise Isn’t As Scary As It Seems, Thanks To These Expert Tips

POV: You graduated college recently and are working at your first or second real job. Your workload is high, having taken on as much as you could to impress your boss and advance in your career. Except you’ve been at the job for awhile now and you don’t feel as if your career is advancing as it should… financially, that is. You know you’re doing an amazing job and have contributed a lot to the company. Still, you don’t know how to go about asking your boss for a raise — or if you should at all.

Asking for a raise at any point in your career can be intimidating — sometimes even more so than negotiating your first salary. And when you’re early in your career, you may have some self-doubt — but you don’t have to have 10 years of experience under your belt to be qualified for a raise. Still, many young professionals, especially women, may let this stop them from asking.

“Women often struggle with feeling unworthy of asking for more money or a promotion, and these feelings have been found to be more prevalent in women than men,” says Kathy Caprino, a Stamford, Connecticut-based international women’s career and leadership coach and senior Forbes contributor. According to a 2019 to 2020 survey conducted and published by Caprino, 77% of women are reluctant to ask for what they deserve in the workplace — but with women ages 18 to 24 it’s even higher, at 85%.

“Working hard and waiting for your boss to notice isn’t enough,” adds Octavia Goredema, an L.A.-based career coach who focuses on underrepresented women and is the author of Prep, Push, Pivot. “Failing to advocate for yourself at the start of your career could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more, over the course of your career,” Goredema says, particularly for minority women who are underrepresented in the corporate pipeline.

Still, even if you know you should ask for a raise, it can be hard to figure out how to do it. Thankfully, career experts shared some tips with Elite Daily that will help you navigate this.

Here’s how to ask for a raise while just starting in your career:

Step 1: Visualize a timeline.

According to Gary Bergmann, a Topsfield, Massachusetts-based professional career management consultant and former lecturer and senior consultant for Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, you want to be strategic about the timing of your request. Take note of new duties that have been added to your workload, or perhaps you just successfully completed a significant project: You’ll want to start planning a meeting soon after that achievement. Another tactic is to arrange for the meeting to be held a few months before your annual review, while management is still figuring out budgets. If you wait until the review itself, Bergmann says, “you’re probably already too late. If they’ve locked down the salary budget, [it’s] probably not a good time to ask.”

Step 2: Do your homework.

This is one of the most important steps. When you walk into that meeting, you need to be prepared to prove your value and know your worth. However, Caprino’s survey found 63% of women are unable to recognize their special talents, abilities, and gifts, with the number jumping to 83% in young women. “I constantly have to reinforce with [my female clients] ‘Yes, those [things you do] are special talents and skills,’” Caprino says.

If you don’t know where to look when it comes to understanding your value, Bergmann and Caprino suggest researching your fair market value through sites like Glassdoor and PayScale. The sites show salary averages for nearly every position out there, which can help you become more familiar with what you should be getting paid. However, these sites aren’t 100% accurate and can sometimes display a large “average” salary window, making it difficult to understand what number you should be throwing out there.

“Another way [to figure out your value] is to interview. I don’t care how happy you are at your job. You should be interviewing every six months. That’s how you begin to know what [your] real value is, monetarily,” Caprino says.

Another step is creating what Bergmann refers to as a “brag sheet.” This entails looking back on your time at the company and composing a list of duties and impressive “wins.” For example, if you grew the company’s TikTok following by 25% in three months, you’ll want to highlight that. Be sure to include solid numbers if you can!

“A lot of people think ‘I’ve done a great job, so I deserve a raise.’ But you’re supposed to be doing a great job,” Caprino says. To get a substantial raise, “you have to have an incredibly strong case for that. Take out the emotion and write it all down. Why do you deserve that?”

Step 3: Create a presentation.

No, this doesn’t have to be an animated PowerPoint like your high school days. But it does have to be about five to 10 minutes long and it should demonstrate what you bring to the company and how you want to continue to grow with it. Construct your presentation around your brag sheet, highlighting any significant projects you’ve completed, goals you’ve reached and any responsibilities that have been added on to your plate since your start with the company.

“Using data to back up your achievements is powerful, as metrics clearly demonstrate the value of your contribution to your company,” Goredema says. “Avoid discussing your personal financial commitments when asking for a raise — keep the conversation business-focused on your contribution and the value of your skills and expertise.”

You’ll also want to talk about your goals with the company, making sure to drive home that you’re proud of your work and are excited about moving up. “Managers are always happy with employees that are looking forward, looking to do the best that they can do,” Bergmann adds.

Recite the presentation to yourself or a friend out loud until you memorize it. “It’s one thing to think about it in your head. It’s quite another thing to say the words,” Caprino says. “You want your body language, [facial expressions], and [words] to show that you are confident, [and] really comfortable in making this ask because you’ve done the work and you believe it’s the right thing.”

Step 4: Make your case.

The final(ish) step is to meet with your boss. Bergmann suggests saying you want to discuss your “goals and future with the company.”

“Something you might get from your boss after saying that is ‘Are you planning to leave the company?’” Bergmann says. “You want to be sure to reply with a strong and confident, ‘No! Not at all; the opposite actually. I want to discuss how I can grow within the company.’”

If you find yourself shaking with anxiety just thinking about walking through your boss’ office door, you’re not alone. Some women may worry about coming off as too demanding or aggressive. In fact, researchers at Stanford University found in 2016 that more than three-quarters of performance review criticisms that an employee was “too aggressive” were aimed at women. It can be even more fraught for women of color, who have to deal with racial stereotypes to boot.

For women of color, “figuring out how to handle pivotal moments in our careers can be scary, lonely and hard,” notes Goredema. “Women of color need to use our voices and persistently advocate for what we deserve.”

So how do you avoid these traps while simultaneously not backing down? “Develop a deep confidence of what your worth is and what you have achieved and speak from fact,” Caprino advises. “[With facts],” she adds, “you don’t have to feel that you’re being overly assertive or bragging.”

When laying down your raise proposal, have a solid number in mind, and don’t be afraid to shoot higher than what you think you may get. Similarly, it’s better to stick with a direct number than a suggested range. “The problem with giving salary ranges is that the employer will likely only hear the lower end of the range and lowball you by offering you that number. You want to go higher, and with a firm number,” Bergmann advises. And be sure to use the word “fair.” This allows you to come off as modest and justified in your proposal. “It’s hard for them to fight ‘fair,’” Bergmann says.

If all goes well and your employer accepts your offer, this was your last step. Congratulations! The only other action to take would be to send them a follow-up email thanking them for a great conversation. If they say they need time to think on it or get it approved by higher-ups, don’t fret!

“Raises may take time to review and may involve multiple conversations with decision-makers,” Goredema advises. “Don’t be disheartened if your manager needs time to reflect, review, or discuss your request with others.”

What if they lowball you?

It’s possible. “Sometimes your boss may not like you, or maybe something rubbed them the wrong way,” Caprino theorizes. Regardless, if they offer you too little, you don’t have to just accept it. Always ask questions, and reiterate the value you’ve brought to the company.

If they’re still not budging, Bergmann says that it’s worth trying to negotiate other perks that you feel could make up for the lack of money: for example, an additional week of vacation or better stock benefits.

What if they say a flat out no?

If your employer denies your pay raise request, you shouldn’t just say “OK” and sulk back to your desk. Bergmann advises asking for feedback. “You can say, ‘Can you please help me understand why this is not possible at this point in time? I’ve put in extra hours; I’ve taken on additional responsibilities,’” Bergmann says. The point is to really highlight why you deserve your raise. “[Then], when there is an opportunity for them to do more for you, they are far more likely to do that,” he adds.

Bergmann and Caprino also suggest attempting to solidify a plan to work toward the raise: You could ask your boss for ways to move toward your goal, a concrete developmental plan, or for formal or informal reviews where your manager can check in with you and make sure you’re on track. That way, you’re holding them accountable as well.

Always strive for more!

If you’ve followed all of the above steps and your employer doesn’t want to compromise, there’s no need to settle. During Step 2, if you discovered job offers that matched what you have in mind, go for it! Sometimes leaving really is the answer — especially when you’re young and early on in your career, bursting with fresh ideas and innovation.

“Asking for more money is always scary, but don’t let the opportunity pass you by just because you’re afraid to ask. Learning to negotiate is a skill that will pay dividends in the long run for your career,” Goredema says.

“Knowing your worth matters,” she adds. “Never settle for less than you deserve.”

Experts:

Kathy Caprino, international women’s career and leadership coach, senior Forbes contributor, author of The Most Powerful You, and podcast host of Finding Brave

Octavia Goredema, career coach, founder of Twenty Ten Agency career coaching company, and author of Prep, Push, Pivot

Gary Bergmann, career management consultant, founder of ProblemSolved! career management consulting services, and former lecturer and senior consultant for Boston University’s Questrom School of Business