should I stay in my well-paid job even though I have nothing to do? by Alison Green on February 5, 2019 A reader writes: I work at a government agency, which means I have a new agency head/boss every four years. This latest agency head has a drastically different management style and one of the first things he did was completely reorganize the office structure, which means I no longer report to him. Instead, I report […] Read the full article →
my new job doesn’t give raises — ever by Alison Green on January 30, 2019 A reader writes: I recently accepted my dream job. I’ve since learned that the company does not give out raises. They offer a small, variable, annual bonus depending on company performance instead of cost of living adjustments or merit raises. I am getting by on my current salary in Expensive City for now and hadn’t […] Read the full article →
how to ask for more money than the stated salary range by Alison Green on January 2, 2019 A reader writes: I’m looking to make a career shift after 10 years at the same company — at a young age. It was my second job out of college. Thing is, it’s a place that pays very well for my industry, so it’s proving tough to find a pay increase as I move (which, […] Read the full article →
you need to ask for more money by Alison Green on November 2, 2018 When’s the last time you asked for a raise at your job, or negotiated a higher salary when taking a new job? If you’re like a surprising number of people, the answer is never. I’m frequently startled by how many people confess to me that they’ve never asked an employer for more money. They just […] Read the full article →
why do employers play coy games about salary? by Alison Green on October 15, 2018 Of all the weird and nonsensical practices that companies use in hiring, probably none are as bizarre as our conventions around negotiating salary. Given that paying employees money in exchange for their labor is what hiring is all about, you’d think that the salary would be discussed early, clearly, and directly in any hiring process. […] Read the full article →
my company made a counter-offer to keep me — and now is attaching strings to it by Alison Green on October 1, 2018 A reader writes: I recently got an external job offer that was substantially above my current salary. I went to my current boss and told him about the offer. He asked me not to accept the other offer while he put together a counter, and I told him what I would need for a successful […] Read the full article →
a salary negotiation success story by Alison Green on September 20, 2018 A reader writes: I wanted to send you a note to thank you for all of your excellent advice, some of which I’ve recently been able to put into practice. I’m a 27-year-old woman, and I recently negotiated my salary successfully for the first time. In my first job out of university, I accepted the […] Read the full article →
I was about to ask for a 20% raise — but they offered me 5% before I had the chance by Alison Green on September 6, 2018 A reader writes: About a year ago, my boss in customer service asked if I would be interested in helping out the business development team, and I agreed to try it out. I found the work pleasant, easy, and much less stressful than customer service and enjoyed the work. One day, I learned my direct […] Read the full article →
should I push back against getting annual bonuses instead of raises? by Alison Green on August 27, 2018 A reader writes: My workplace wants to start giving out annual profit share bonuses in lieu of salary raises. Basically, the base bonus (which is based on how well the company does that year) would be multiplied by the number of years someone is there (so for the sake of simple math, if the base […] Read the full article →
should I ask for a pay cut if my work isn’t very good? by Alison Green on August 16, 2018 A reader writes: I’ve been working in my current role for eight months. I left a highly dysfunctional job that I felt I was great at, but for a company with too many issues I couldn’t overcome. I received constant praise for my abilities and work. During the interview process and when asked for my […] Read the full article →