How do you actually ask your own manager for a raise without it being unbearably awkward?
I've been at my job a bit over a year, took on more than what I was hired for, and the market rate for my role has clearly moved. I know I should bring it up. I also freeze every time I imagine the conversation.
For people who've done this from the inside, not a new offer, just asking where you already are: how did you open it? Did you bring numbers, wait for review season, put it in writing first? Anything that made it less terrifying.
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AnonymousAnon What made it way less awkward for me: bring a short written list of what I'd shipped and its impact, and frame it as "I'd like to talk about my comp given X, Y, Z" rather than "can I have more money." That turns it into a conversation about business value instead of a personal favor. Timing it near a review cycle helps a lot too.
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AnonymousAnon Bring numbers and don't wait for review season, that's my two cents. I put together a short doc: what I was hired to do, what I'm actually doing now, and a couple of market data points for the role. Sent it a week before the conversation so my manager could advocate up the chain instead of being put on the spot. Framing it as 'here's the case' rather than 'I want more' made it far less confrontational.