When is a Good Time to Ask for a Raise?

I've been in the creative field for over 20 years now. It's a surreal feeling to look back on my career like that. I've had many accomplishments that I'm pretty proud of and also, a good many mistakes I wish I could reverse.

Like most people, we hope and sometimes assume that all our hard work, the hours at the office, those long nights and weekends — will somehow pay off with a promotion and the much celebrated raise.??

But the reality is, sometimes on your drive into work you pause and say to yourself... "Wow, I haven't gotten a raise in years."?? So then starts the process in your mind, how do I go about asking for a raise???

1. Evaluate whether you deserve it or not — the 120% Rule?
In the age of the entitled individual, many people think they should be rewarded just for *trying*. In business, that mentality (and your career) won't last too long. Companies not only want you to produce to your potential, but they NEED you to so the company can generate the revenue that helps pay your paycheck.?? So when looking for a raise, I suggest using the 120% Rule or...?Are you meeting 100% of your manager's expectations and ALSO doing ?20% more work related to it??? I'm not saying work longer or harder — but let's say if your *expected* creative job is to do print design (100% of your job), you might also be handling the web design and video design too (20%). That's a good example of being hired to do one job while offering more value to the company handling other jobs related to it. Yes, the 20% can be a tab subjective but you'd be surprised how measurable that 1/5 can be. The catch though is if you are doing less than what's expected of you at work, chances are, getting a raise may be difficult.??

2. Make sure your boss knows what you do
?Believe me, you'd think if someone is approving your vacations and giving you projects, they'd know what you do — but the harsh reality in creative - A LOT of managers don't. ??You can't make assumptions that just because you have a title and you recently redid the company website and all of the sales and marketing collateral that management *understands* your value. Logical, mathematical, number personality-types see creative as just pretty pictures. So you may have to help them understand how customers and clients perceive bad company communications (not to mention for the company, potential and actual LOST revenue opportunities).?? A good examples of this — show your boss a few branded assets from the competitor... and then a group of assets from before-you-were-hired. And then ask your manager "What company would you sign a million dollar contract with?"??

3. Putting in the time?
While I personally think 6 months is too early to ask for a raise and 6 years too late, you'll still need to put in some time before you pop the question. Time allows for a few things to occur: you learn what your boss values, you build a track record of performance, and you show loyalty.??

What your boss values? Some managers value enthusiasm, some a stack of completed to-do files, some analytic numbers and metrics and others, all of the above. Learning their value system is important. So the work you do should come into line with what they value, which ultimately shows you — are valuable to them.??

Why build a track record? Well, you can't brag about constructing the tallest building in the world if you haven't even finished the ground floor. I had a young designer once ask for a raise even before their first year. I had to turn it down because they hadn't reached a level of autonomy yet. But even if the time event was the same, if they had completed a myriad of advertising pieces, web launches, new product collateral — with minimal revisions, I would have been more than happy to up-vote a raise. So make sure the wake that is behind you shows a thorough and complete history of good stuff.??

Showing loyalty? I know this is a strange one but here goes. NEVER ask for a raise because of some personal decision. DO NOT TELL your boss you need a raise because you just bought a new car or spent too much money on a vacation. This will be perceived as you working for the company just for the money and not as one interested in helping to build the company. You show you are loyal by doing a great job with your tasks at hand and would like to be rewarded because you are doing that task and then some — in order the advance the company.??

4. Ask for a raise
?This is probably the part that scares everyone. So I'll be frank. ?If you've covered points 1,2, and 3. You should be good. Really.??

BUT what IF your raise gets denied, then I got bad/good news for you. ??
The bad news is, your company or management team either can't afford you or don't realize your value. I've seen the former and it's understandable because some companies are struggling to even stay afloat. You'll have to weigh your options carefully because you may find yourself out of a job in the not too distant future. The latter plain stinks because you probably are already pretty miserable to begin with. You're going to have to make a change.??

The good news is THERE IS BETTER OUT THERE.
The thing about being a human being is that we tend to get comfortable — especially in our careers — even if that comfort is misery. If you've done all you can to do a great job, it's time to find a company with a management staff that appreciates the value you bring — that looks at you like a hero and not as a payroll line item. So spend a weekend resuming-up, clean up that LinkedIn profile, and get some recruiters in your circle.

Best wishes on your career!