Episode 22: How to Get a Raise or Promotion

Do you want to make more money at your job, or get a promotion in your company?  If so, this is the blog post for you!  And if you don't think being paid more for your work or getting a better position is a good thing, DON'T spend the next 5 minutes of your life reading this post!  Do not pass Go.  Do not collect $200.

We're going to delve into the thought processes behind people when they reward others for work and determination.  Apply this and you can increase your relationships and the appreciation for your work!  Why don't we get on to it?  Scroll on...

Some people haven't always provided everything they could bring to the table in the workplace, reasoning that "I'd work harder if they'd pay me better," or that they don't pay me nearly enough for the work I do."  So the reasoning goes, until they're compensated the way they want to be, they *can't* (and won't) bring their A-game.

Breaking news: That's not how life works, y'all!  The way it goes is that you bring the results to the table.  Bosses notice that you're an A-player, and they reward you as such.

Step 1.  Ask to take on additional projects without demanding compensation.  Even better is if you can identify a productive project for the company that saves them the trouble of thinking of something for you to do.

This will show your boss that you care about the company's goals.  It will also give you the opportunity to create value for the company and yourself.

Say for example, you take up the responsibility of managing the company's Instagram account.  When likes, appreciation, and recognition start flowing in, you haven't just brought in results.

You've made a name for yourself.  You've demonstrated your unique power and capability to do X, which no one previously even so much as sniffed at the workplace.  This is your value.

But maybe you "don't have time" for that extra enterprise on the side.  "I'm not an indentured laborer, and my time is valuable to me!"

You're not a slave, and your time should be valuable to you.  But keep the end goal in mind; you're not working to slave away-you're working to create value for the company and to make a name for yourself.  In a poetic sense, to create space in the sky for your star to shine.

If you put in the work first, people will notice your work ethic.  They understand your dedication and appreciate your effort, and will be more inclined to compensate you for your work.  You're not working for peanuts.

Motivate yourself by telling yourself that you'll be fired if you don't get this done.  If you don't get this done, your boss will come stomping in and on the spot, slam a pink slip on your desk with"FIRED" comically scribbled in black sharpie.

Scary, I know, but you'll work like there's no tomorrow if your career depended on it-which it does!

Related Read: But I Don't Have Time...

If you find the time for this side project and bring your A-game to both your normal and your extra work on your side, bosses will notice.  They'll love it.

Prove your worth, and get the raise.  Bosses will want you to continue to supply this output.  And this extra output is the leverage you can use to request a pay raise or a promotion-when managers think about giving raises or promotions, here are the three things that matter:

1. Can you increase my revenue/profit?
2. Can you decrease my expense?
3. Can you keep good people in the company?

1. Make a name for yourself by taking on extra responsibilities.
2. Ace your responsibilities.
3. Report your results to your superiors.
4. Request a raise or promotion in accordance with your value.