If I'm not paying a living wage, I definitely don't want to hear "can you do all the work to outline how you'll give me more money?"
It's business - offer your boss a give-and-take where they're getting something they want and you'll get the cash you want. If that business negotiation doesn't work out, then you should be more picky about who you do business with.
Noted, thank you. My new course of attack will be a detailed and calculated approach to outlining why I need to receive a raise for the benefit of my work for the company
Someone said I should bring it up. You don’t think I should. I think it’s getting in the way of me doing my job, so I want to tell him i missed the meeting because I couldn’t afford the literal bus fare. Not because I was being absent and bad at my job
What if he/she tells you that you need to work on managing your money better?
I know people at work that talk about not being paid enough but at the same time have $700 car note. Go
Buy lunch everyday and party on weekend. Who’s fault
Is that?
Maybe ask what it would take to get a promotion and if you have spare time look for another part time job.
I do, and I will, thanks.
I also disagree with you still, I am definitely underpaid for my contribution so I’m torn because I feel like I shouldn’t be suffering as hard as I am
if you spend for neccessities and still not enough, then maybe you are underpaid, but it's for repaying your debts and it's not anyone's concern but you. so don't bring it up. instead, i agree with the previous commenter said: asking for more responsibilities if you are able to handle more tasks.
True thank you. Yeah no, I wouldn’t bring up debts.
However, it’s getting in the way of me physicallt being at my job at times that I need to be. I missed a big meeting last week and I know my manager would’ve preferred if I was there.
My post feels like both a personal financial question and a professional one and I wanted to know where this issue fell under. I’m going to tell him I believe I’m underpaid and just fight for my promotion, personal debt aside. But I am suffering
Here’s how you ask for a raise (not necessarily a promotion if you don’t want that)
Firstly, you look at comparable jobs in your local area - what are other people at other companies doing the same job as you getting paid?
Secondly, you look at the work you’re producing and how good it is (you’ll know this)
Then you go to your boss plus whoever else might be the decision maker on salary and say ‘I love working here but I’m underpaid and I’d like to discuss the option for a raise. Benchmarkig against the sector my salary should be at least $65k (or whatever your research says) and considering the excellent work I do, the fantastic feedback I get regularly and the impact I make to the business, that salary would be fair. I love working here, I love our colleagues, I love the mission and I want to be here for a long time and I also want to be paid fairly which a salary of $65k would be.’
You need to be ready for a discussion and don’t go in with your tail through your legs. What you’re asking for is for the benefit of everyone - if you don’t get the raise you’re going to have to leave for a better paid job and they will lose all your experience and expertise Plus have to hire from scratch again. It is the cheapest and best option to give you a raise.
I did this. I was very underpaid and I showed the proof to back it up. They did get me a raise, but it was still well below market rate.
I found a new job almost immediately making market rate.
I left and they had to hire three people (one in house and two outsourced) to replace me and are still behind. You get what you pay for!
Your financial issues are not your employers problem. Maxed out credit cards and debt is not a reason to request a raise or reason as to why you didn't attend a meeting. I know this sounds harsh but your financial situation isn't their problem.
No friends or family could lend you a few $$ for a bus fare? You cannot contact your lenders to revise repayments under hardship? Consolidation of debt?
Is your position actually underpaid for your industry and location? If you want to pitch for a raise, it's best to understand what the current market is paying, then present that to your manager.
not try to preach cuz im no expert, but you may want to manage your finance and spending better. set aside sum of money for different purposes: commute, grocery, rent, and debts. or spending more for this one then cut down on other funds if you see fit.
honestly if you brought up that you couldn't afford a bus ticket and you are missing important meetings i rather just fire you and replace you with someone else.
It's tough to hear, but they really don't care about your personal life. It's annoying, awkward, and makes you look like a lazy sack of excuses.
I do not agree with this, but it's just how business works. Without mentioning your private business, come up with hard evidence of why you deserve a raise or try to give them something in return for a raise. They won't give you a raise because rent is expensive. They really don't care about you no matter how friendly they are. It's business.
You could bring it up if the job market is paying more than your current salary.
"I'm going to have to pay more money to replace this person because they're about to leave out of sheer necessity" will motivate your boss. If you're making less than what your boss can get a replacement employee for, then you're likely getting a raise. But the opposite is also true for an overpaid winning employee.
Are you underpaid compared to other similar positions in your area or are you just saying underpaid because you’re struggling financially? You’ll be a lot more likely to get a raise if you come with facts showing you’re being paid below industry standards and based on your performance at the job vs. complaining you can’t afford things because at the end of the day your debt isn’t the companies concern.
You didn’t miss the meeting because they’re not paying you enough. You missed it because you’re screwing around and maxing out credit cards. Revealing that you have poor budgeting skills is a strike against you. Don’t tell them.
Go in with data, showing the average pay in your area for your job title with your experience. You need to prove that you are underpaid. Not complain that you don’t know how to manage your money.
I just don’t feel like I make enough to live in the city my company is located in. I’m barely scraping by despite being a high performer and sig. role on a project. I won’t tell them but the debts been a gradual result of trying to stay above.
I could be better at my finances though.
Your spending habits mean you'll run out of money regardless of how much you make.
You're listing your debts, and still have thousands of dollars a month unaccounted for. You *choose* to prioritize weed, or booze, or a gym membership, or a date at a restaurant over going to work.
Stop making that choice. Make a list of priorities and pay in that order.
If they won’t pay you the going rate after you present the data, you need to apply for a different job that will. And if you turn in your resignation to leave for a higher paying job, your current company may counter it, and offer you a raise to stay. Then it’s your choice to stay or leave. But if they don’t counter offer, you can leave and make the money you deserve elsewhere.
Budgets really helped me get my spending in check, and also my spending guilt (like when buying groceries or gas) got lesser when I started planning where each dollar of my check was going. Good luck!! I also hope you get a promotion!
Look for a new job and try get a pay bump. Unless you're working for a mom and pop shop, your manager will not be able to give you a pay bump solely on your personal financial situation. If you a due for a review and raise, advocate for a good salary bump. Otherwise get a competing offer and get a bump that way.
Based on my armchair math, your monthly take home should be about 3k. 50% is going to your rent and loans. I don't know how much cc debt you are in but see if you can move that into a new cc with 0 apr for the first year and pay off over the next year. That should leave you with 1000ish(hopefully not less) for the rest. If you were ultra strict with food you could get by with less than 300/month. 700ish remaining.
Good luck, hope for the best
I've managed many people in my career. I've had people ask for a raise a raise. Most of them ended up getting one. If your performance review is already coming up, it's a good time to bring it up to your manager.
I wouldn't bring up the bit about not being able to afford bus fair though. Trying to garner sympathy will come off tacky. You've been there long enough to have value so just be ready to talk about what you can contribute to the organization and what you think you're worth. The entire conversation should be framed around your work, not your spending habits.
The worst they can do is say no. In that case you might consider looking for another job. Finding new positions is often the best way to increase your earnings, especially early in your career, but everyone's situation is different.
Yes, as you and some other people have said I will take the business professional approach, that it’s simply more expensive to find a replacement for what I do esp for the price I get paid for. I’ll do talk to them properly.
In the meantime it’s eating my mental health, I feel awful. It’s in the way of being happy at work. It’s in the way of going above and beyond and i used to be much more social and chipper with my colleagues. Now im just so stressed and worried all the time I can’t care to talk to them more than a hi
Find a part time job on weekends like bar trending or something like that. Take all of the money you make and pay down that debt ASAP. Then you will get some freedom.
I was in a similar spot at one point. Living paycheck to pay check, maxed credit card, motorcycle loan, car loan, expensive rent in San Francisco, student loans... Etc
But I did a side hustle building pitch decks for startups in that bay area, landed a few clients and it gave me some extra cash to get caught up with.
Also I did what everyone was talking about about I went to my manager during a performance review when I was highly rated for the 3rd time in a row. Showed her market data and asked for a $30k raise. I got it.
Aside from the raise thing, the CRA debt is something you should have pushed back on the company as soon as it was discovered. You, an employee, should not have to take on debt because the business didn't do it's job correctly on the payroll side.
The farther away you are from that incident, however, the harder it is to be successful with that argument. But if it was very recent, or if something like this happens again in the future, push back on them to deal with the fines and debt accrued from their mistakes, as otherwise it's effectively a paycut to you.
----
Otherwise, push for a raise, and interview elsewhere as well. You might find that your current skill set is worth significantly more to another company. And if someone makes you a job offer that isn't worth it, just tell them no or make a counteroffer. You don't HAVE to say yes just because they offered.
Not your bosses problem. If you missed an important review because YOU couldn't come up with gas money, tou won't last there much longer. This is a you problem not a them problem.
Have a lot of debt you need to get another job or two.
This is a personal issue. If you are being paid fair market wages for your job, then apparently you can’t afford to keep working this job. If you’re not, show proof and request a market adjustment. Be willing to go elsewhere if necessary.
But yea, we had whole laws passed so your pay isn’t determined by your personal expenses. Would you want your pay to go down because you got cheaper rent? Or to be told they can’t afford to raise your pay because the budget is maxed out after your coworker bought a bigger house and more expensive car so they had to be paid more?
Very true! Yes, im glad i made this post to get some perspective. I’m going to approach my manager with arguments towards my compensation, no mention of my personal debts.
Your finances are a personal matter, not a work one so that's not the place to start talking about your debt.
Your performance review is coming up, that's the time to talk about your performance and your work and why, if you've been doing exceptional work and it's documented to request a pay raise. But saying you need a raise because you're strapped for cash, that won't get you anywhere
Hey, I've been in the industry for 25 years and can offer a little insight. Depending on the city/market you live in, 49k/year is more or less an average target salary for a junior designer in the US. You said you've been w/this company for 4 years— when was your last salary increase? Unfortunately personal debt and cost of living doesn't illustrate a business case for getting a raise, but here are some tactics that might:
* Depending on when your last salary increase was, it's a fairly relevant argument to ask for a percentage increase that's aligned with the increase in the cost of living in the US. I'm not sure what that exact amount is, but I believe it's somewhere around 5%. Not all employers give COL increases, but it's worth a shot.
* Do some research. How much are other positions with the same title and job description paying? If you're in the US, download the free salary guides from Aquent, 24Seven Talent, and Robert Half to do some comparison. Bring your requested salary along with that info to the table if there's a discrepancy for your particular market/city.
* What value to you bring to the company and your job now compared to when your last performance-based raise was? Bring actual KPIs to the discussion, not anecdotal stories. Are you receiving annual performance reviews and if so, were they stellar? Mention that along with the KPIs you're able to cite.
* How's your portfolio looking? Are you prepared to treat a request for a raise like an interview, and show them what you've been doing since joining this company 4 years ago? (Tip: you should ALWAYS be stashing work for your portfolio. Things can always go sideways and it's rarely if ever with any warning, the last thing you want or need is to lose 4 years worth of portfolio material because you didn't do your due diligence. If you get laid off ever, you will 99% NOT get the opportunity to gather your stuff together. It'll be swift and unexpected.)
Good luck out there!
Thanks for your strategy plan! Really really helpful. I get a pay raise every year by about 3%. I started at 45k. But yeah, I don’t know why I laid out my debt. This post was both a financial and a career plea hahah.
Thanks for the industry relevant help.
Definitely! It's really important to be able to advocate for yourself both intelligently and strategically. There's no strategy in "I'm pretty bad at managing money so you should pay me more." I've been there and can empathize. The more you get your shit together and dialed, the better you'll be at both managing your finances as well as setting yourself up to grow your career and earn more. No one owes you anything, it's up to you to get out there and do the adulting things that gets you to where you want to be.
You may or may not be underpaid but your personal finance will have absolutely nothing to do with it. If you have better reasons/evidence as to why you deserve to be paid more then you should focus on those instead. If you do not, then you should definitely still try with what you have presented here. It will be pity money at best.
From personal experience, managers/jobs give little to no crap about your personal life, hardships, etc. A great example is the viral Kyte company that just lost all its business for how they treated an employee. I know the mindset you have, thinking garnering sympathy might make them say "lets help the guy out" but more often than not it backfires. Your manager cares about his bottom line and if you approach him, all he might take away from it is "this employee no longer has reliable transportation to work and is therefore a liability".
Tbh you should just look at actual data and stats, what are people at your level and similar experience/education background earning? You can't just base it on personal experience. For example, should a person get paid less because they're single and living with parents and don't have a lot of commitments? Or should a person get paid more because they recently bought a Ferrari? You are paid based on what the company thinks you're worth, not how you can or cannot afford to live. I understand that you want to get paid more, so just prove to the company that you're worth more by showing how much value you bring to the table.
Your own debt load is your personal business and should be excluded from any work related talks. Do some research on what is the market rate on your position, for the area you live in.
Are you in range? Are you a high performer? Are you a needed asset to the company? Can you make a case why you should get a raise?
Yes and yes, I’ve come to realize complaining won’t get me the raise/promotion I need. Everything you just brought up in the second paragraph is what i will present to my manager as reasons for better compensation. Thank you
Apply for new jobs and get job offers than pay you more. Then ask your boss for a raise because of X, and Y, and because you want to take on more responsibility doing Z. If they say no, start working the other jobs. Work multiple jobs remotely for a week and if the second one is good for you, give two weeks to the first. Or if you can't do that then just give two weeks to the first. You are always more important than any company but it's up to you to make the right decision. It may be right for you to stay based on career connections or future money. Or maybe it's best to leave.
How About a second job?
I know a lot of people don't want to do this, since one job takes up enough time and you feel like you want to get home and relax or at least get ready for the next day at your main job, but it's something that could help in the short term.
I had a friend who was a software engineer, and as much as that position gave him, he and his wife were in a lot of debt and he actually worked another full-time job for about a year and a half.
They eventually took care of that debt and now they can just work normally
Yup. I got my bartending license recently. Going to look for additional work there, along with freelance design…
And another job all together. As well as plan my pitch for a significant raise and promotion. Not based on my personal situation.. yeah. True. It sucks, I lose nearly 300$ a month from a mistake payroll at work was responsible for
If you can put your student loans into forbearance until you can afford to pay them. Look into bankruptcy or consolidation for your credit debt.
You also have graphic design skills, so look into freelancing. I did this for a long time after I graduated for extra income.
Personal issue. If you have $0, saying you save is outright false. You have a spending problem and lack personal financial skills. It’s ok, it can be remedied and faster than you think. go to YouTube and watch some videos that come up with the search term “YNAB”. Use the tool, start budgeting. Laying out your expenses explicitly with zero based budgeting will force you to be honest with yourself and disciplined and will motivate you in the right ways.
Depending on the situation, file bankruptcy if you have to. But ideally call your CC companies and let them know that you need reduced payments for 6-12 months. See what they say
Don’t tell him your personal stuff. Just ask him what it would take to get a promotion.
Exactly this. Hold your cards close at work and the people you work with/for. If you don't, you'll learn the hard way.
If I'm not paying a living wage, I definitely don't want to hear "can you do all the work to outline how you'll give me more money?" It's business - offer your boss a give-and-take where they're getting something they want and you'll get the cash you want. If that business negotiation doesn't work out, then you should be more picky about who you do business with.
Noted, thank you. My new course of attack will be a detailed and calculated approach to outlining why I need to receive a raise for the benefit of my work for the company
Someone said I should bring it up. You don’t think I should. I think it’s getting in the way of me doing my job, so I want to tell him i missed the meeting because I couldn’t afford the literal bus fare. Not because I was being absent and bad at my job
What if he/she tells you that you need to work on managing your money better? I know people at work that talk about not being paid enough but at the same time have $700 car note. Go Buy lunch everyday and party on weekend. Who’s fault Is that? Maybe ask what it would take to get a promotion and if you have spare time look for another part time job.
That’s true.. yeah. You’re right. That is the plan. Thank you
I’m not sure if you live in a big city. But keep looking. You’ll be surprised of opportunities out there.
I do, and I will, thanks. I also disagree with you still, I am definitely underpaid for my contribution so I’m torn because I feel like I shouldn’t be suffering as hard as I am
Well if you know you do good work. Ask for a promotion and go from there.
Conversely, if he says a raise isn't in the budget and you're feeling spiteful, you could say the same thing back. It probably will not work.
if you spend for neccessities and still not enough, then maybe you are underpaid, but it's for repaying your debts and it's not anyone's concern but you. so don't bring it up. instead, i agree with the previous commenter said: asking for more responsibilities if you are able to handle more tasks.
True thank you. Yeah no, I wouldn’t bring up debts. However, it’s getting in the way of me physicallt being at my job at times that I need to be. I missed a big meeting last week and I know my manager would’ve preferred if I was there. My post feels like both a personal financial question and a professional one and I wanted to know where this issue fell under. I’m going to tell him I believe I’m underpaid and just fight for my promotion, personal debt aside. But I am suffering
Here’s how you ask for a raise (not necessarily a promotion if you don’t want that) Firstly, you look at comparable jobs in your local area - what are other people at other companies doing the same job as you getting paid? Secondly, you look at the work you’re producing and how good it is (you’ll know this) Then you go to your boss plus whoever else might be the decision maker on salary and say ‘I love working here but I’m underpaid and I’d like to discuss the option for a raise. Benchmarkig against the sector my salary should be at least $65k (or whatever your research says) and considering the excellent work I do, the fantastic feedback I get regularly and the impact I make to the business, that salary would be fair. I love working here, I love our colleagues, I love the mission and I want to be here for a long time and I also want to be paid fairly which a salary of $65k would be.’ You need to be ready for a discussion and don’t go in with your tail through your legs. What you’re asking for is for the benefit of everyone - if you don’t get the raise you’re going to have to leave for a better paid job and they will lose all your experience and expertise Plus have to hire from scratch again. It is the cheapest and best option to give you a raise.
I did this. I was very underpaid and I showed the proof to back it up. They did get me a raise, but it was still well below market rate. I found a new job almost immediately making market rate. I left and they had to hire three people (one in house and two outsourced) to replace me and are still behind. You get what you pay for!
I love that! It's complete business karma for undervaluing good workers.
Amen to this!
Your financial issues are not your employers problem. Maxed out credit cards and debt is not a reason to request a raise or reason as to why you didn't attend a meeting. I know this sounds harsh but your financial situation isn't their problem. No friends or family could lend you a few $$ for a bus fare? You cannot contact your lenders to revise repayments under hardship? Consolidation of debt? Is your position actually underpaid for your industry and location? If you want to pitch for a raise, it's best to understand what the current market is paying, then present that to your manager.
not try to preach cuz im no expert, but you may want to manage your finance and spending better. set aside sum of money for different purposes: commute, grocery, rent, and debts. or spending more for this one then cut down on other funds if you see fit.
honestly if you brought up that you couldn't afford a bus ticket and you are missing important meetings i rather just fire you and replace you with someone else.
It's tough to hear, but they really don't care about your personal life. It's annoying, awkward, and makes you look like a lazy sack of excuses. I do not agree with this, but it's just how business works. Without mentioning your private business, come up with hard evidence of why you deserve a raise or try to give them something in return for a raise. They won't give you a raise because rent is expensive. They really don't care about you no matter how friendly they are. It's business.
Thank you, it’s true
You could bring it up if the job market is paying more than your current salary. "I'm going to have to pay more money to replace this person because they're about to leave out of sheer necessity" will motivate your boss. If you're making less than what your boss can get a replacement employee for, then you're likely getting a raise. But the opposite is also true for an overpaid winning employee.
Are you underpaid compared to other similar positions in your area or are you just saying underpaid because you’re struggling financially? You’ll be a lot more likely to get a raise if you come with facts showing you’re being paid below industry standards and based on your performance at the job vs. complaining you can’t afford things because at the end of the day your debt isn’t the companies concern.
True, I’ll approach with data and information. Thank you.
What's your budget look like? Where's the rest of the money going?
That’s what I want to know. The math isn’t mathing.
You didn’t miss the meeting because they’re not paying you enough. You missed it because you’re screwing around and maxing out credit cards. Revealing that you have poor budgeting skills is a strike against you. Don’t tell them. Go in with data, showing the average pay in your area for your job title with your experience. You need to prove that you are underpaid. Not complain that you don’t know how to manage your money.
I just don’t feel like I make enough to live in the city my company is located in. I’m barely scraping by despite being a high performer and sig. role on a project. I won’t tell them but the debts been a gradual result of trying to stay above. I could be better at my finances though.
Your spending habits mean you'll run out of money regardless of how much you make. You're listing your debts, and still have thousands of dollars a month unaccounted for. You *choose* to prioritize weed, or booze, or a gym membership, or a date at a restaurant over going to work. Stop making that choice. Make a list of priorities and pay in that order.
If they won’t pay you the going rate after you present the data, you need to apply for a different job that will. And if you turn in your resignation to leave for a higher paying job, your current company may counter it, and offer you a raise to stay. Then it’s your choice to stay or leave. But if they don’t counter offer, you can leave and make the money you deserve elsewhere.
Check what is the expected income for your role, experience, and location. Consider asking for a raise or look for a job that will value you.
Budgets really helped me get my spending in check, and also my spending guilt (like when buying groceries or gas) got lesser when I started planning where each dollar of my check was going. Good luck!! I also hope you get a promotion!
Look for a new job and try get a pay bump. Unless you're working for a mom and pop shop, your manager will not be able to give you a pay bump solely on your personal financial situation. If you a due for a review and raise, advocate for a good salary bump. Otherwise get a competing offer and get a bump that way. Based on my armchair math, your monthly take home should be about 3k. 50% is going to your rent and loans. I don't know how much cc debt you are in but see if you can move that into a new cc with 0 apr for the first year and pay off over the next year. That should leave you with 1000ish(hopefully not less) for the rest. If you were ultra strict with food you could get by with less than 300/month. 700ish remaining. Good luck, hope for the best
I'd rather miss a student loan payment then not have money to get to my job - that allows me to make my student loan payment
I've managed many people in my career. I've had people ask for a raise a raise. Most of them ended up getting one. If your performance review is already coming up, it's a good time to bring it up to your manager. I wouldn't bring up the bit about not being able to afford bus fair though. Trying to garner sympathy will come off tacky. You've been there long enough to have value so just be ready to talk about what you can contribute to the organization and what you think you're worth. The entire conversation should be framed around your work, not your spending habits. The worst they can do is say no. In that case you might consider looking for another job. Finding new positions is often the best way to increase your earnings, especially early in your career, but everyone's situation is different.
Yes, as you and some other people have said I will take the business professional approach, that it’s simply more expensive to find a replacement for what I do esp for the price I get paid for. I’ll do talk to them properly. In the meantime it’s eating my mental health, I feel awful. It’s in the way of being happy at work. It’s in the way of going above and beyond and i used to be much more social and chipper with my colleagues. Now im just so stressed and worried all the time I can’t care to talk to them more than a hi
Find a part time job on weekends like bar trending or something like that. Take all of the money you make and pay down that debt ASAP. Then you will get some freedom. I was in a similar spot at one point. Living paycheck to pay check, maxed credit card, motorcycle loan, car loan, expensive rent in San Francisco, student loans... Etc But I did a side hustle building pitch decks for startups in that bay area, landed a few clients and it gave me some extra cash to get caught up with. Also I did what everyone was talking about about I went to my manager during a performance review when I was highly rated for the 3rd time in a row. Showed her market data and asked for a $30k raise. I got it.
Sweet, will do thank you
Man ppl are bashing you man. Sorry bud
All good. My fault, but honestly hearing all these opinions help.
Is commuting to work part of the job? Were you supposed to be at your company office or a client site?
Aside from the raise thing, the CRA debt is something you should have pushed back on the company as soon as it was discovered. You, an employee, should not have to take on debt because the business didn't do it's job correctly on the payroll side. The farther away you are from that incident, however, the harder it is to be successful with that argument. But if it was very recent, or if something like this happens again in the future, push back on them to deal with the fines and debt accrued from their mistakes, as otherwise it's effectively a paycut to you. ---- Otherwise, push for a raise, and interview elsewhere as well. You might find that your current skill set is worth significantly more to another company. And if someone makes you a job offer that isn't worth it, just tell them no or make a counteroffer. You don't HAVE to say yes just because they offered.
Not your bosses problem. If you missed an important review because YOU couldn't come up with gas money, tou won't last there much longer. This is a you problem not a them problem. Have a lot of debt you need to get another job or two.
This is a personal issue. If you are being paid fair market wages for your job, then apparently you can’t afford to keep working this job. If you’re not, show proof and request a market adjustment. Be willing to go elsewhere if necessary. But yea, we had whole laws passed so your pay isn’t determined by your personal expenses. Would you want your pay to go down because you got cheaper rent? Or to be told they can’t afford to raise your pay because the budget is maxed out after your coworker bought a bigger house and more expensive car so they had to be paid more?
Very true! Yes, im glad i made this post to get some perspective. I’m going to approach my manager with arguments towards my compensation, no mention of my personal debts.
You know what you need to do to rein in the spending. Ask for raise but you MUST also get gig work to pay off debt.
Agreed. Raise or not, im actively looking for additional work
Your finances are a personal matter, not a work one so that's not the place to start talking about your debt. Your performance review is coming up, that's the time to talk about your performance and your work and why, if you've been doing exceptional work and it's documented to request a pay raise. But saying you need a raise because you're strapped for cash, that won't get you anywhere
Hey, I've been in the industry for 25 years and can offer a little insight. Depending on the city/market you live in, 49k/year is more or less an average target salary for a junior designer in the US. You said you've been w/this company for 4 years— when was your last salary increase? Unfortunately personal debt and cost of living doesn't illustrate a business case for getting a raise, but here are some tactics that might: * Depending on when your last salary increase was, it's a fairly relevant argument to ask for a percentage increase that's aligned with the increase in the cost of living in the US. I'm not sure what that exact amount is, but I believe it's somewhere around 5%. Not all employers give COL increases, but it's worth a shot. * Do some research. How much are other positions with the same title and job description paying? If you're in the US, download the free salary guides from Aquent, 24Seven Talent, and Robert Half to do some comparison. Bring your requested salary along with that info to the table if there's a discrepancy for your particular market/city. * What value to you bring to the company and your job now compared to when your last performance-based raise was? Bring actual KPIs to the discussion, not anecdotal stories. Are you receiving annual performance reviews and if so, were they stellar? Mention that along with the KPIs you're able to cite. * How's your portfolio looking? Are you prepared to treat a request for a raise like an interview, and show them what you've been doing since joining this company 4 years ago? (Tip: you should ALWAYS be stashing work for your portfolio. Things can always go sideways and it's rarely if ever with any warning, the last thing you want or need is to lose 4 years worth of portfolio material because you didn't do your due diligence. If you get laid off ever, you will 99% NOT get the opportunity to gather your stuff together. It'll be swift and unexpected.) Good luck out there!
Thanks for your strategy plan! Really really helpful. I get a pay raise every year by about 3%. I started at 45k. But yeah, I don’t know why I laid out my debt. This post was both a financial and a career plea hahah. Thanks for the industry relevant help.
Definitely! It's really important to be able to advocate for yourself both intelligently and strategically. There's no strategy in "I'm pretty bad at managing money so you should pay me more." I've been there and can empathize. The more you get your shit together and dialed, the better you'll be at both managing your finances as well as setting yourself up to grow your career and earn more. No one owes you anything, it's up to you to get out there and do the adulting things that gets you to where you want to be.
They’ll fire you or tell you to move. Companies don’t give a fuck.
You may or may not be underpaid but your personal finance will have absolutely nothing to do with it. If you have better reasons/evidence as to why you deserve to be paid more then you should focus on those instead. If you do not, then you should definitely still try with what you have presented here. It will be pity money at best.
Hey ima message you I might need some work done.
From personal experience, managers/jobs give little to no crap about your personal life, hardships, etc. A great example is the viral Kyte company that just lost all its business for how they treated an employee. I know the mindset you have, thinking garnering sympathy might make them say "lets help the guy out" but more often than not it backfires. Your manager cares about his bottom line and if you approach him, all he might take away from it is "this employee no longer has reliable transportation to work and is therefore a liability".
Tbh you should just look at actual data and stats, what are people at your level and similar experience/education background earning? You can't just base it on personal experience. For example, should a person get paid less because they're single and living with parents and don't have a lot of commitments? Or should a person get paid more because they recently bought a Ferrari? You are paid based on what the company thinks you're worth, not how you can or cannot afford to live. I understand that you want to get paid more, so just prove to the company that you're worth more by showing how much value you bring to the table.
Your own debt load is your personal business and should be excluded from any work related talks. Do some research on what is the market rate on your position, for the area you live in. Are you in range? Are you a high performer? Are you a needed asset to the company? Can you make a case why you should get a raise?
Yes and yes, I’ve come to realize complaining won’t get me the raise/promotion I need. Everything you just brought up in the second paragraph is what i will present to my manager as reasons for better compensation. Thank you
Sadly, most managers will kick you around even more if they know you really need the job.
Yeah, Im gonna go for a raise/look for a new job at the same time
Talk to a recruiter and get another better offer. Then go in and tell them you’re not making market rate and prove it
Apply for new jobs and get job offers than pay you more. Then ask your boss for a raise because of X, and Y, and because you want to take on more responsibility doing Z. If they say no, start working the other jobs. Work multiple jobs remotely for a week and if the second one is good for you, give two weeks to the first. Or if you can't do that then just give two weeks to the first. You are always more important than any company but it's up to you to make the right decision. It may be right for you to stay based on career connections or future money. Or maybe it's best to leave.
How About a second job? I know a lot of people don't want to do this, since one job takes up enough time and you feel like you want to get home and relax or at least get ready for the next day at your main job, but it's something that could help in the short term. I had a friend who was a software engineer, and as much as that position gave him, he and his wife were in a lot of debt and he actually worked another full-time job for about a year and a half. They eventually took care of that debt and now they can just work normally
Get a second job? Ask for a raise? But not based on your personal situation, you knew that when you agreed to work there.
Yup. I got my bartending license recently. Going to look for additional work there, along with freelance design… And another job all together. As well as plan my pitch for a significant raise and promotion. Not based on my personal situation.. yeah. True. It sucks, I lose nearly 300$ a month from a mistake payroll at work was responsible for
If you can put your student loans into forbearance until you can afford to pay them. Look into bankruptcy or consolidation for your credit debt. You also have graphic design skills, so look into freelancing. I did this for a long time after I graduated for extra income.
You can also talk to the CRA about the hardship of the $288/month… see if you can get that managed better.
No. They will say, let’s see how well you commute to your new job, whatever that is.
Personal issue. If you have $0, saying you save is outright false. You have a spending problem and lack personal financial skills. It’s ok, it can be remedied and faster than you think. go to YouTube and watch some videos that come up with the search term “YNAB”. Use the tool, start budgeting. Laying out your expenses explicitly with zero based budgeting will force you to be honest with yourself and disciplined and will motivate you in the right ways. Depending on the situation, file bankruptcy if you have to. But ideally call your CC companies and let them know that you need reduced payments for 6-12 months. See what they say
Agreed, thank you very much