Avoid Stupid Mistakes

Here is a list of guidelines of what to avoid when requesting a raise:

Don't say why you need the money. Don't say that you need some dough to buy a new house, to pay off college loans, to pay your bookie or to fund a trip to Europe. Your boss will think you are whining. And who couldn't use more money? In all likelihood, your company does not care about your needs, but it does care about your worth. Show that you have earned the raise.

Don't be unreasonable, immature or unprofessional. Your boss will probably shut you down immediately. Unlike when you're pulled over for a traffic ticket, tears do not help. Instead, approach the discussion like a partnership, with both sides trying to reach a happy compromise.

Don't demand to be paid as much as Susie Q who sits next to you. Your boss will think you are incredibly nosy and be less likely to trust you with confidential and important information in the future. That ploy upsets employers like nothing else. Your boss will not want to explain why Susie Q makes more (possibly for having skills, experience or education that you lack, even though you are doing the same job).

Don't act entitled to a raise. Your boss will be on the defensive and less inclined to work with you to make you happy.

Don't threaten to leave if you don't really want to. Bluffing is for poker, so if you threaten to leave, be prepared to back it up. Chances are, the boss will tell you to follow your dreams elsewhere anyway. And even if the company makes you a counteroffer, you have showed your hand and the boss knows you are on the job hunt, resulting in your getting all of the projects no one else wants to do. At worst, the company knows you have no loyalty, and you could be the first to go once budget cuts hit your department.

Next: Go In and Ask for the Raise

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How to Request a Pay Raise

Avoid Stupid Mistakes

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