Wanting a Raise, but Afraid to Ask

A lot of salary negotiation and asking comes down to preparation.

It's terrifying to ask for one the first time but it's a natural part of employment. The basic principal behind hiring an employee is that they will become a financial net positive for the business eventually.

As an employee you can figure out how you affect the bottom line. It may take some imagination but you can come up with a ball park figure. In a larger corporation this may be a little tougher but with some digging you can come up with an idea whether you've become a net positive.

At the point you've become a net positive everything you make the company beyond your salary goes to profit or your bonus. If you're really good at your job then a lot of it is going to be going to profit. This is the point where you should ask for a raise.

Again it will be nerve racking but if you go in knowing how you affect the business's bottom line your raise will be justified.

I'd also suggest walking in with knowledge regarding how much people with similar job responsibilities make. This can be found on salary look up sites. A quick google search pointed me out to payscale.com and indeed.com