How to ask raise

What's the Best Way to Ask for a Raise?

iStock

You know you’ve been killing it at your new job. So a raise is probably coming your way soon, right? Not necessarily. Even if your boss recognizes your accomplishments, she probably isn’t going to hand you more cash just like that. If you want a raise, you’ve got to ask for one. Here are some tips that will help you get the salary you deserve.
BE PATIENT
That may sound like it goes a little bit against the advice above, but hear us out. You can’t expect to be given a raise every time you hit a new goal—and you could wear out your boss by asking too soon. A good rule of thumb? Wait for the one-year mark of when you were hired or last promoted.
MAKE YOUR CASE.
Yes, you should ask—but you should also persuade. If your company doesn’t offer an annual review, ask your supervisor if you can have one. Use that meeting to provide the reasons you deserve a raise. Outline your accomplishments over the year (yes, in an actual memo), point out the ways you’ve gone above your job description, and highlight the projects you want to take on in the future that also go beyond your official duties. If any of your projects have pulled in extra revenue, be sure to note that—with specific numbers. Remember that the decision to send more dollars your way usually isn’t your supervisor’s alone to make. She’ll likely have to present it to HR or another entity. So help her out and make your case easy for her to present too.
ASK FOR FEEDBACK.
Be confident, but also be willing to accept criticism. In fact, you should ask for it. If you request an honest assessment of your performance, it will show your boss you’re serious about your role on the team. An employee who’s willing to take feedback to heart and make changes is worth her weight in gold.
HAVE A NUMBER IN MIND.
Don’t just ask for a raise in general—specify the increase you would like, either in dollars or in terms of percentage. And make it clear you’ve done your research. Ask mentors or other trusted people in your line of work what they earned earlier in their careers, or check out career sites to see what others in comparable positions earn. If you’re being underpaid, show that you know it—as diplomatically as you can, of course.
DON’T BRING IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE.
Above all, keep it professional. You may need extra money to cover a rent increase or unexpected expenses, but your boss doesn’t need to hear that. Raises are given out based on merit and your impact on the company, not life circumstances. Keeping the conversation business-focused will only help your chances.
BE GRACIOUS.
It should go without saying, but remember to thank your boss for her time. She has plenty of other things going on and the meeting and subsequent follow-up will take up precious hours of her day. And if she says no, don’t be discouraged. Express that you understand—and ask if you can have another performance review in six months rather than a year. An employee that cares about the work she does is an employee the company wants to keep happy.
Asking for a raise is a smart financial move. Another smart move: finding just the right credit card. With the Discover it card, any cash back you earn during your first year will be matched, dollar for dollar—and there’s no annual fee. What are you waiting for? Visit Discover to learn more.

arrow

Smart Shopping

This 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle Honors 11 Unforgettable Women Who Made History

You can plot your own plan to make history while you assemble the puzzle.

Galison/Amazon

The assertion that “well-behaved women seldom make history” has been an oft-quoted feminist slogan ever since historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich first wrote it in the 1970s. This 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle from Galison ($18) honors women from all eras who truly embody the phrase.
The image, illustrated by creative designer Ana San José, depicts a woman walking through a portrait gallery, gazing up at gilt-framed paintings of 11 icons who have pushed the envelope on what society thinks women can (or should) do. Some, like Amelia Earhart and Jane Austen, are household names, while others haven’t been as well-represented in education and popular culture. Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei, for example, became the first woman to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1975; and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson was instrumental in sending astronauts to the Moon. The puzzle includes a living legend, too: Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history.

Not a single well-behaved woman in sight.Galison/Amazon

The completed puzzle measures 27 inches by 20 inches and comes with a printout showing the full image, which you can use as a guide. The pieces are printed with no-glare ink, so you won’t have to constantly reposition yourself (or the pieces) to keep your light source from obscuring your view. And when you’re finished, you can either pack the puzzle back into its box, or seal it with puzzle glue ($13) and hang it on a wall to create your very own mini feminist portrait gallery.
You can purchase the puzzle for $18 from Amazon.
This article contains affiliate links to products selected by our editors. Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

arrow

Life's Big Questions

How Do I Plan an Affordable (and Awesome) Vacation?

iStock

At first blush, it might seem as though the travel bug you recently caught and your salary are totally incompatible. But do a little research and you start to realize that isn’t the case at all. You can plan a fantastic vacation even if you’re working with a tight budget. Here are a few ways to make it happen:

1. BUY ON THE WEEKEND.

You’ve likely heard that the best time to book your flight is on a Tuesday. Or was it Wednesday? Others say it doesn’t matter, so long as you purchase your ticket 6 to 8 weeks in advance. But it turns out the data doesn’t support any of that. One recent study examined billions of airline ticket purchases made in 2016 and determined that Sunday is actually the best day to score a deal, and that weekends in general—aside from Fridays, which is when business travel is frequently booked—can result in 17 percent savings on domestic travel and around 30 percent savings to Europe.

2. SET ALERTS.

Many travel sites will allow you to save searches for your particular dates and destination, but to be sure you stay on top of things, consider signing up for search-specific email alerts, which will keep you updated as prices for airfare and hotels fluctuate.
One common misconception about searching travel sites: Switching over to incognito, or private, mode will help you save money. It turns out that this isn’t the case at all. The real reason for the constant flux in pricing is that seat costs are often determined by how many seats have already been sold. If you experience a jump in prices after an initial search, it’s likely because the inventory you’d seen at a given rate has sold—not because the airline is using your browser history against you.

3. PICK UP THE PHONE.

Online searches have their limits. Sometimes it pays to connect with a real human. Airlines will sometimes reserve inventory for bookings over the phone, which could mean you’ll be able to score a deal you won’t be able to find online. (Just keep in mind that some airlines charge an extra fee for phone reservations, so try to compare the phone rate with what you’re seeing online to make sure it’s still worth it.)
By picking up the phone and calling hotels in your destination city, you may be able to negotiate your way to a better rate. After doing some quick research about the range you can expect to pay at a given hotel, one travel expert suggests calling when it’s quiet (such as late afternoon on a Sunday). Ask to speak with a manager or supervisor, and let them know you had seen rooms for a certain nightly rate and that you’d like to see if they can match that price.

4. CONSIDER THE TRAIN.

If you aren’t in a hurry to get to where you’re going, you can save big bucks by taking the scenic route. Train travel is, generally speaking, much cheaper than flying, and as an added bonus, you’ll be able to take in some truly awesome sights that you wouldn’t be able to see from the air.
If your itinerary includes a bunch of different European destinations, rail passes may be the most cost-effective way to see the continent. You could score unlimited, 15- or 22-day passes for around $500 per person—much cheaper than paying for all those airline tickets. Plus, if you plan to do most of your traveling on night trains, you’ll save on a hotel too.

5. USE YOUR REWARDS.

Considering a new credit card? Pick one that will help you get where you’re going by rewarding you for every dollar you spend. Some do so via miles; some rewards come in the form of cash back. Whichever method you prefer, plan to use that card in the months leading up to your travel dates, then use that same card to book your transit and hotel. Certain credit cards offer built-in travel insurance; just be sure to read the fine print on yours before declining extra insurance.
Wherever you’re headed this summer, make sure you’ve got a credit card that will help you go the distance. Discover it will match all the rewards you earn, dollar for dollar, at the end of your first year—there’s no limit to how much you can be rewarded. Terms apply. Learn more by visiting Discover.

from Fruitty Blog https://ift.tt/2WyVBYO
via IFTTT