Almost everyone would relish the thought of getting a raise at work. But for most people, this can be an awkward conversation to have. Especially if you’re intimidated by your boss or you’re unsure of the financial stability of your organization, asking for more money may seem like a bad idea to you. But if you truly feel that you’re worth more than you’re currently being paid, you shouldn’t shy away from speaking with your supervisor about an increase in pay. To help you feel a little more secure and confident about having this conversation, here are three ways you can prove to your manager that you’re worthy of a raise at work.
Expand Your Knowledge or Education
You got hired at your job likely because of both what you could currently do and what the hiring manager thought you’d be capable of in the future. However, your pay was likely based more on what you had when you came in than your potential. Especially, if you’re a teacher, there are quite a lot of ways to improve your potential. One of them is to enroll yourself in a summer course that focuses on professional development. A website that has quite a lot of online courses for teachers is https://dominicancaonline.com/.
According to Aja Frost, a contributor to The Muse, if you’ve reached closer to that potential through expanding your knowledge or gaining more education regarding your field, that’s a definite reason to seek out higher pay. If you’ve yet to do this but are thinking about it, consider speaking to your boss about what he or she would like to see you improve on so you can focus your continued education in that area and report back once you’ve achieved what you set out to do.
You Create Solutions, Not Present Problems
For many bosses, one sign of a great employee is someone who doesn’t come to them with a problem but comes to them with a solution. In some industries, doing this can be a challenge. So to help you along this route, Nicolas Cole, a contributor to Inc.com, recommends that you take note of some of the pain points within your organization and try to find ways to fix those issues. If you’re able to make any system or process easier for others in your company, that’s totally something worthy of a raise.
Make Your Value Obvious
One of the biggest reasons that people feel they’re worthy of a pay raise is due to them bringing more value to the company than they did when the last had their pay evaluated. However, your value may not be as apparent to other people within your organization. So to ensure that your value becomes very obvious, Elana Lyn Gross, a contributor to Forbes.com, suggests that you start gathering relevant data and collecting specific details that show quantifiable proof that you’re worth more than you’re currently being paid. If you can show how you specifically have increased sales or saved a customer, that’s work that’s worth a chunk of change.
To help you be prepared to speak with your boss about a pay raise, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prove your worth within your organization.