ClumsyMonkey.net

I am shy, and very unassertive. This is a problem, because I need to ask for a raise tomorrow. I got semi-promoted to a higher-stress and higher-responsibility position, and while I am doing that I am STILL doing my last job. I'm only getting paid for the original job. I don't think that's very fair, especially at my current pay rate It's good enough for correspondence, but not for a position of actual responsibility.

SO....

I sort of wrote out what I <i>need</i> to say. I don't know how much of it I'm going to get out, or how much of it is going to make sense when it comes out of my mouth, since I am so shy and unassertive and hate standing up for myself because it means I need to be tough and, well, assertive.

So...any help would be really appreciated. Suggestions? How should I handle this? How should I approach the situation? I need to make sure that both of my bosses are in the room, so I need to set up a meeting when I get there in the morning.

Anyway, here's my little schpiel.

<i>I greatly appreciate that you are giving me this very important job to do. It reinforces my work ethic, and makes me want to work all the harder for you. I know I have proven myself competent over the last six months, and very hard-working. I am also a quick learner, as I have shown over the last couple of months when I started training for this position. I am honored that you think I am good enough and I plan on working hard to prove that I am capable of doing this job.

However, my main concern with this is that while I was doing letters, I was not dealing with as much responsibility. The deadlines were, although strict, not as priority as the IME position, especially with the Johnson & Johnson account. And now that I am helping with the IME position while waiting for someone to train for my letters, I am doing twice the work, as I am still doing my current job as well as working Johnson & Johnson IME cases. I feel that if I am going to be elevated to this higher-responsibility position, there should be some financial compensation. I hope you will take into consideration my work ethic, my productivity, my responsibility, my ability to learn quickly, and to adapt to new projects almost immediately.

Thank you again for this opportunity. I will execute the position with dignity, and represent the Reed Group as a capable firm to the best of my abilities.</i>

I tried to find the letter I sent to my boss at my last job when I asked for a rasie but I don't think I saved anything off my work PC when I got fired a few months back.

In my case I was working the job for about a month or so but it was under a low paid 'intern' title. I took it becuase nothing else was happening for me at the time and I just wanted some income.

Anyways a month or so into things the Blaster virus hit and I had to patch some 200 - 250 PCs one by one among working my ass off on many daily break/fix issues and was really enjoying the work and the people.

At that time though I had also interviewed and had job offeres for $15/ hr at two other places.

I told my boss straight up that I loved the job and the people and wanted to stay but just couldn't financially making only $8.50 / hr.

I didn't specifically ask for $15 I didn't make any number I just asked for a better offer. I would had been ok with $12 but they matched the other offers for $15 / hr.

If you've worked hard and now you'll be getting more responsibilities and will now be working harder there's no doubt you deserve a raise.


Oh and once you get this raise your throwing a huge party right? Huge enough to invite all your best friends and pay for their gas from say Columbus to NY? :p

Good Luck!!!

Hey, you're always welcome to visit!
Thanks for the advice. I just hope I'm not too nervous to go through with it!

myownsatellite wrote:Hey, you're always welcome to visit!
Thanks for the advice. I just hope I'm not too nervous to go through with it!

But are you going to pay for gas + Room and Board?

Gas no, but I have a pull-out couch and food at my apartment

On the flipside I found this feedback letter from a raise I didn't get a few years ago at another job.

This paragraph was in response to my "average perfromance" with Tech Support Sales on my 1 year review:

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Technical Support charges – If this review is based on the current expectations of 1 charge per day or an average of 5 per week then I should not have to worry about this category. If breaking 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month sales records (And then breaking them again) doesn’t qualify for a 10 in this category then a 10 by current standards is not unachievable by anybody in the department.
----

Then I wrote this a few months later whne I resigned for (What I thought then but turned out not to be) a better job:

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This subject still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I set numerous departmental records for paid support charges, yet was told: “It’s not enough”. That’s like telling Wayne Gretzky that 100 goals in a single season “Is not enough”

If I was in the retail store breaking sales records I would had expected generous bonuses. The only bonus I received was a $300 palm pilot picked out for me. Since I had no use for a palm pilot, and the store would not let me return it (No receipt), I put it on eBay and sold it for a little over $125. Other than that the only bonuses offered was the pizza of my choice but only if it was Donatos pizza, a brand I didn’t really like. If you don’t like the rewards then it really isn’t much of a reward and really doesn’t provide great motivation.

Numerous times the department asked simply for store credit as a reward, something everyone unanimously agreed upon. Numerous times the excuse for not giving store credit as a reward: “Taxes”. So what comes first when it comes to rewarding employees? A reward the employee picks and is happy with? Or whatever will costs the company the least in taxes?

In the end it honestly felt like a slap in the face to generate so much revenue for the department and the company but not receive a raise.
----

Years later I still don't get how I couldn't get a raise when I broke their Tech Support Sales records. I'm generating X percentage of the departments revenue in sales and they couldn't offer me a raise??

I worked for Fashion Bug for 6 years and they still would not promote me to assistant manager even though I was most qualified and did everything a manager did anyway (with the exception of returns and stuff that you could only do in the computer if you had manager status).

Retail sucks. I'm glad I got out of it.

Take a moment to find out if there are any policies in place that should guarantee you a raise. If you work a certain percentage of hours doing another job rather than your titled position, say more than 50%, then you should be entitled to that pay if it earns more than your current position. Be sure you cite specifically what the extra tasks you are doing. Do you exceed the expectation of these added tasks, or do you just get them done by the deadline and not place added effort into them. In your current position, do you exceed the expectations or do you just meet? What can your boss throw against you? Do you have poor attendance, are you late for work, do you have a poor attitude? Be able to honestly evaluate yourself. If you feel like you are truly exceeding expectations of a standard employee in your current position, then go for it.

I am. And I'm not the only person who thinks so. The person who was training me said she wants me full-time because I'm so good at what I do. Everyone who has worked with me is always telling me how fast I am and how good I am at my job. I've been told I'm the "best" they've ever had (for the position I was hired for), because I'm fast and efficient and hard-working and I always ask for more work to do. I put a lot of effort into my job and make sure everything is just right before it gets sent where it's going. With these added responsibilities, I am spending well over 50% of my day working the new accounts. I'd say about 2/3 of my day is devoted to this new job. I am always on time, I take a half hour break during the day and that's IT (most of my office smokes, so everyone's always taking little five minute breaks - I don't, I sit at my desk and WORK).

I think I'm entitled to a raise. Yeah I make mistakes, but I own up to them and fix them immediately. I ask what needs to be done and I do it. I'm honestly a very good worker, and I'm seriously not just "tooting my own horn" - I get told this all the time, even by my bosses. People love dealing with me when they call and when I call them. The nurses always tell me how helpful I am and how I have such a nice demeanor on the phone, and they ask me questions now before they ask the head coordinator (most likely because she's so hard to get hold of and I'm always at my desk working LOL).

So yeah, I think I deserve a raise.

I tend to follow the line of "I'm the best you got now you tell me why I'm not"
A touch bullheaded? Yes. Cocky? A touch yes.
But it shows confidence which I think is a good attribute.

Well I don't want to go in acting like I'm the cock of the walk. Haha. I want to go in appreciative but knowing how well I'm doing and make them see how valuable I am. Hell, I'll ask my boss for something, and say "I'm sorry to bother you but..." and she'll say to me, "No problem, anything for you!" Because they rarely need to give my stuff back to me for corrections and I get so much done

God I sound like I'm bragging. I'm seriously just trying to reinforce in my mind that I am deserving of a raise so I'm not so nervous tomorrow.

myownsatellite wrote:I am always on time, I take a half hour break during the day and that's IT (most of my office smokes, so everyone's always taking little five minute breaks - I don't, I sit at my desk and WORK).

I'm the same way at my new job.
I like the people I work with and all but a couple take 30 minute breaks for "breakfast" in the mornings which I never seen anywhere else before. Another 5 or 10 minute break in the morning. 30 mins fo lunch. Then another 1 -2 breaks in the afternoon.

I'm all for a break here and there when it's needed but to me when I'm working the time passes faster than it does dicking around doing nothing.

myownsatellite wrote:I'm seriously just trying to reinforce in my mind that I am deserving of a raise so I'm not so nervous tomorrow.

Ok Megan time for some serious advice.
Here's what I want you to do before you leave for work tomorrow morning.
Look at yourself inthe miror and say:

Megan, your going to get that raise today!
Why?
Because your good enough.
Your smart enough.
And gosh darnit, people like me!

Hahahahahah Oh Stewart how I love thee.

*hugs new job*

So what's the good word Megan?

They killed her on the spot.

Before or after they gave her an answer?

I could help you get a demotion...

Kicker774 wrote:Before or after they gave her an answer?

I think that WAS the answer