by Krystle Hernandez

Created on: April 25, 2007   Last Updated: April 26, 2007

Asking for a raise requires a certain degree of preparation on the part of the requester. Employers will often object to giving out raises as much as they can, so if you are considering asking for a raise, you need to make sure that you have done your homework and have the upper hand with every objection so that it will seem as though they have no case and you have all of the reason.

Ideally, part of preparing for requesting an increase in compensation is to brush up your resume and circulate it discretely among competing organizations with open positions, if you have another job offer extended to you, you can use this later to your ultimate advantage when asking for an increase in compensation.

If someone else wants you, it shows your employer just how valuable you are. Talk to them directly, openly, and honestly. Let them know that you want to be loyal to their organization but that the increase in pay would be extremely beneficial to you and that you have to consider it in order to be a logical business person. Numbers do not lie in the business world.

Overall, using another job offer as a wildcard during negotiations for an increase in pay may sometimes be extremely effective. Be forewarned, however, that playing this card sometimes comes with its disadvantages. Organizations may see it as disloyal if an employee is still actively employed with them and yet actively seeking employment elsewhere.

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