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At some point in your career, you’ll likely become dissatisfied with your current salary. Maybe you’ve taken on new responsibilities but your compensation hasn’t changed, or you’ve furthered your education and increased your experience without scoring a new paycheck. Regardless of the reason, deciding when and how to make your move can be challenging if you don’t know where to start.

To help you land a higher salary or a better-paying position, here are some do’s and don’ts from employees who learned these lessons the hard way.

Do Your Research

Whether you’re looking for a new job or planning to request a raise, knowing the going rate1 for your skill set before you begin the process is critical. This ensures you have the right information before you start negotiating, which keeps you from requesting more than the norm (which can make you look greedy, unreasonable, and uninformed) or accepting less than you’re worth.

Sitting down to a negotiation without a solid number in mind isn’t going to help your case, and may cause you to miss out entirely. And not having research to back it up makes you look unprepared, making it easier for the company to tell you no.

By having your research ready, you can present a solid and informed case regarding why you deserve higher wages. If your current salary or offer is below the industry standard for the position or responsibilities and your amount of experience and education, you can make a strong case to your boss or the hiring manager. Since you’re presenting hard evidence, your chance of success is much higher than going in blind.

Don’t Mention How Much You “Need”

Sometimes, a change in personal expenses prompts a person to seek out better pay. While this is normal, talking about it with your boss or hiring manager is a no-go2. Why? Because they aren’t motivated to give you more money simply because your kid is starting college or your mortgage is high. In fact, that’s going to seem like a ridiculous reason to ask for a raise because it doesn’t show any reason you deserve one.

Personal expenses may be a catalyst on your side of the equation, but you’ll be hard pressed to find any company willing to give you a higher salary based on that alone. In fact, not having a business reason is likely to have you shooed out the door pretty quickly. Instead, you need to demonstrate how your value to the organization is worth more pay, such as a recent increase in your education or update of your skill set. And that isn’t done by bringing personal matters into the discussion.

Point out recent projects or endeavors that have benefited the company in a notable way. For example, if an undertaking increased profits or lowered expenses, show how your work was paramount to that achievement. This shows your value more clearly, making it easier to get an increase. The same can be used when interviewing for a position, as quantifiable achievements indicate that your prior experience can potentially do the same for your new company as well.

Work With a Top Staffing Agency in Atlanta

If you’re interested in finding a higher-paying position, the team at Employ Partners can connect you with leading employers in the area. Contact us today to discuss your career goals with a member of our staff and work with a top staffing agency in Atlanta.

1 – https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/tips-for-landing-higher-paying-job
2 – https://www.thebalance.com/dos-and-don-ts-of-salary-negotiation-525828

 

 

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