Looking to boost your paycheck? Here’s the top three mistakes that women typically make when pursuing a raise, and better yet, how to erase them completely.
- Mistake #1 – The first mistake involves not asking and not feeling worthy. Guess what? Your hard work adds tremendous value. You are definitely entitled to a raise. You must ask for it. It’s that simple. If you don’t ask then you already know what the increase in your income is going to be: nothing!
- Mistake #2 – We don’t show proof. Do homework to gather information and then schedule a meeting with your, create a file showing your accomplishments in quantifiable terms and gather testimonials from colleagues. How much money have you save the department? What processes have you streamlined? How many people do you manage and train?
- Mistake #3 – We don’t ask for a specific amount. Search online salary resources and check with human resources, ask if they will reveal your salary ban and range for your title and statistics like how performance ratings tied into last year’s salary increase. When you speak with your boss, ask for a specific percentage salary increase and an effective date.
When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963 women earned 59 cents on the dollar compared to men, now we earn 81 cents on the dollar. We’ve come along way, and with this advice, we’ll get a lot farther than we did in the past 40 years.
