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Salary Surveys

Empower yourself by knowing your worth

If you're armed with the right information, you will radiate self-confidence and self-assurance when asking for a raise or going on a job interview. Check out these new FREE salary survey sites (YES, they show salaries in Canadian dollars):

Seven Deadly Sins – What not to do when asking for a raise

source: Forbes.com

1. Don’t act like you’re entitled to a raise.
2. Don’t tell the boss why you need more money.
3. Don’t stamp your feet, pound the desk or cry.
4. Don’t say you should be paid the same as 'so-and-so' in the next cubicle.
5. Don’t threaten to quit.
6. Don’t get personal.
7. Don’t price yourself out of the market.

Tips from our last issue on asking for that raise

(the one you so deserve)

Research your industry

Do some research, and don't limit your efforts to Google. If your industry is in a slump or your employer is having cash flow problems, this is definitely not a good time to ask for more money. On the other hand, if your industry is doing well but your company is not, coming to the table with information on the latest industry trends and developments, or ideas on how to get ahead of the competition, shows your obvious value as a employee.

List your accomplishments

List what you've accomplished for your employer, and the skills you have that are most valuable to your work.

Before asking, be prepared

Take the time to prepared and properly present your case. A request for a raise is both a selling and a negotiating venue, and no doubt one in which your boss has considerably more experience than you. Take advice from Dawn Rosenberg McKay at Career.com, "Treat this as a business meeting. Set up a time to meet with your boss. Don't discuss your raise with him or her by email, at the water cooler, or by telephone (unless you and your boss don't work at the same location)."

What if they say no?

Or offer a smaller raise than the one you want? Are you going to quit, or wait and ask again later? Prepare for as many scenarios as possible. Your thoughtful responses will show that you are serious and head off any ugly surprises.

Plan your follow-through

Don’t just be prepared for criticism; ask for it. If they don’t have any real issues with your work, you have effectively eliminated their primary defence. But, if in fact it is your performance that’s keeping your pay lower than you think it should be, ask your boss to give you specific suggestions for ways to improve. If they can’t, you may want to go where you are appreciated.

Abby Rubin is the principal consultant at Abby Rubin Personnel, a Vancouver employment agency. Since 1989, Abby has been providing corporations throughout Western Canada with expert employee recruitment services in administrative, property management, sales, marketing, finance and executive management positions. Abby Rubin Personnel was founded in 2007 to provide select clients with personalized service.

Contact Abby today at 604.836.2672 or email abby@abbyrubin.com