Yes, I want more . . . and I want it now!When was the last time you asked for a pay rise? No, let me rephrase that. When was the last time you felt comfortable asking for a pay rise?
I thought so.
I'm sure at least once in our lives we've all felt a little like Oliver Twist -- especially living through the dread of having to ask for more. And for those of you who are at that stage in your career when pats on the back no longer suffice, " . . . consider yourself . . . one of the family".
Yet so many of us find it increasingly difficult to approach our superiors for a higher salary and often settle for second best -- the 3 per cent annual review that comes every 18 months!
We've all been there. The beads of sweat across the brow, the butterflies, the slight stuttering, the shakes -- you name it. Well, O.K., maybe not the shakes but perhaps something like this:
[Knock, knock]. "Hi, have you got a minute . . . thanks [close door]. Well . . . um . . . er . . . I've been working here for . . . ooh, say over two years now and ah . . . (cough, cough) and well I feel I deserve a . . . well, a . . . um . . ."
You get the message.
As this month's cover story, "Please sir, I want some more" points out, this is a rich industry we're in. It's also a very demanding industry if you want to keep abreast of technology's rapid advancements.
If success to you includes more bang in the bucks, then the bottom line is having to sell yourself.
But there's one thing to keep in mind. Tact.
Treat your employer like a customer. Treat it as a business case. As weird as it sounds, it makes sense.
Also take this tip from Serenella Tonello, NSW general manager of Drake Executive: "There's not much point in demanding 10 per cent when it puts you into a salary range far in excess of what the market is paying unless you can put forward a very compelling case. That boiled down, define exactly what they'll get in future for that extra investment in you."
To help you gauge where your salary stands, we've provided a chart detailed from one of the most comprehensive reports circulating in the industry today.
So if you feel you're ready to ask for MORE, trust your gut feeling, ease your nerves with the good old "pretending their naked trick" and remember: it's not what you do in life that you regret its what you don't do!