Get a pay rise

Sometimes, through a variety of circumstances, you simply aren’t in the right situation to look for another job. But sticking with your current role needn’t feel like a life sentence, however, especially when it comes to salary.

Coaxing more cash out of your existing employer is one of the trickiest skills to master, but if you can get it right, then you can look forward to a healthy and rewarding career.

Is your cause worth fighting for?

First up, the tough part. Are you conceivably going to garner a pay rise by asking for it? If you already earn more than colleagues in similar positions (often difficult to ascertain owing to a culture of secrecy that permeates many companies) or if you work in the public sector, where job freezes are standard, then it’s highly unlikely that any amount of pleading will increase your wage.

Time it right

It’s true of many sensitive conversations, but choosing the right moment to approach your boss is vital. Asking for an increase the day after your company announces record losses will only lead to one response, as will demanding more cash weeks after a company-wide pay rise. Choose your moment carefully, and be prepared, which leads us to…

Back it up

You need to prove to your boss that you are worthy of a higher salary, and the best way to do this is to come in with examples. Faced with evidence of how you have made a significant impact on the department, and how sales have increased by a certain percent through your initiatives, then every boss is likely to be much more sympathetic to your requests.

Keep it nice

More than anything, though, you should conduct your salary negotiations in a way that allows you to preserve some kind of working relationship with your boss afterwards. Threatening to walk might seem like a great idea, but if a pay rise is out of the question, then you may be forced to follow through on your promise.

Added responsibilities

If your manager agrees that you’re a valuable member of the team, but that a pay rise isn’t possible at this time, then it might be worth looking into taking on more responsibility. A straight promotion would always be better, but undertaking more work will only help you to cement your case when you next come to salary negotiation time.