
Ask HN: When to ask for my first raise? - raiseta
TLDR:<p>1) Should I ask for a raise at my 1-year anniversary, at the end of the calendar year, or after my project launches?<p>2) What are good sources for compiling information about salaries for my position?<p>Explanation:<p>I am a team lead at a company that writes software for clients. Next month I will have been here for 1 year. I love the company, the work, and my team.<p>The company has a reputation for not giving you anything you don&#x27;t ask for, raises and promotions especially. There is a yearly review process but it&#x27;s largely divorced from compensation discussions in that it&#x27;s not discussed and is not open for discussion. With next month being my 1-year anniversary, is it appropriate to ask for a raise then, or should I wait until the end of the year?<p>I am also wrapping up my first greenfield project leading my team of 3 devs + myself (~50% dev time), which will be in UAT in December and production late January&#x2F;early February. Should I wait until that launches to bring up a raise? My boss mentioned discussing compensation after but I believe he was referring to a bonus for getting the client to increase the team size.<p>I have technical chops but am lacking in the negotiation side of things. I have been underpaid before and just want to avoid a situation where I am leaving a lot of money on the table (or approaching this the wrong way and upsetting my boss).
======
CyberFonic
In my experience there are two types of bosses (and thus companies). (1) can
recognise value delivered and open to candid discussion about raises; and (2)
always trying to get more for as little as possible.

If your boss / company is of type (1) then I think that when system goes into
production is a very good time to discuss the value that you have delivered
and what you expect to do in the future. Remember merely doing a good job
isn't raise worthy - you need to demonstrate that you deliver even greater
value.

If your company is type (2), then start looking for a new job and use your
recent accomplishments to present a strong case for your skills at any
potential new job.

------
xyzzy4
Never ask for a raise, unless you're willing to quit your job. Just look for
positions at other companies.

~~~
thefastlane
"never" is a bit over the top, but your comment is basically correct.

by all means, pursue a raise at your current firm, but i think the assumption
of the above comment is that many organizations fall into category (2) (see
CyberFonic's comment), and i tend to agree. job-hopping is the more effective
way to increase one's compensation in the long run.

edit: have a BATNA, basically.

