9 Things You Should Never Say When Asking for a Raise

Asking for more money is a stressful and often awkward experience. Unfortunately, for the uninitiated, it could also be a potentially harmful one for your career if you say/do the wrong thing. If you’re not careful in how you approach your employer, you risk humiliating yourself, pointing out your flaws instead of your strengths, and even throwing co-workers under the bus unintentionally. Sure it’s important to say the right things, but before you figure out what those things are, it’s much easier to start with the list of things you SHOULDN’T say during this all-important negotiation.

Every boss, worker, and company is different. But when it comes to asking for a raise, there are some universal “no-nos” you have to avoid at all costs. Here are the nine most common.

 9. “I know the timing isn’t great but…”

Timing really is everything.

If your company is enjoying fat profit margins, record-breaking sales numbers, and unprecedented expansion then by all means — walk in there and ask for a raise. Things are obviously coming up roses and you need to strike while the iron is hot.

But, on the other hand, if the people on each side of your cubicle have been let go in the last few months and employees are getting e-mails on a daily basis asking if anyone has ideas on how to cut costs, that’s usually a red flag. Especially considering the down economy as of late, it’s important to know where your company stands financially before you ask for a raise. Walking into your boss’ office the day after a dismal quarterly report is issued makes you look unprofessional, self-serving, and out of touch.

 8. “I haven’t had a raise since…”

When you’re trying to convince someone to invest you, it’s best to avoid complaining right off the bat.

Look, we get it. You haven’t had a raise in three years despite being an above average employee, and you’re ticked off. It’s understandable. But you have to understand that unless you were working at a recession-proof company, times were tough all around. Many businesses lost money and lots of employees endured far worse than simply not getting a raise. If you’re going to focus on yourself, make it about your strengths and what makes you valuable as an employee. Harping on the negative comes off as lazy and self-absorbed — not the messages you want to be sending to the person who controls the purse strings.

 7. “I’m doing the work of three people…”

Again, you’re not telling your employer anything he/she doesn’t already know.

It’s not that what you’re saying is necessarily wrong. There’s a very good possibility you are doing the work of multiple people, seeing that layoffs were rampant when the economy tanked and hiring has only recently picked back up again. But what you’re forgetting is you aren’t the only one who has been impacted, as your co-workers are likely in the same boat — both the overburdened ones still at the company and the ones who lost their jobs.

Highlighting your accomplishments and hard work without coming across as whiny means you’ll have a much better chance of a few extra bucks in your paycheck.

 6. “I’ve been here for a year now…”

Chances are your boss has a calendar. If not on the desk or wall, surely it’s in a cell phone, tablet, or laptop. So why are you bringing up arbitrary dates that really mean nothing in the end?

Unless you negotiated a performance review or raise after a certain amount of time, being in your position one year or two years means nothing. Zip. Nada. Just because you’ve managed to occupy the same space for a certain amount of time doesn’t mean you deserve a raise, and it has no bearing on your performance. So if you go into that office and lead with “Well boss, it’s been a year now so I want a raise” you’re probably not going to get it. Nor should you.

Prove yourself, not how long you’ve been there.  Continue reading . . .

Article by Aaron Gouveia and courtesy of Salary.com