Rant: People are way too scared to ask for a raise and it's hurting them
I keep seeing friends and coworkers just wait around, hoping their boss will notice their hard work and give them more money. That's a fantasy. I learned this the hard way after 18 months at my last job, watching new hires get paid more than me. I finally put together a list of every project I finished, the $15k I saved the company on a vendor deal, and asked for a meeting. I was nervous, but I got a 12% raise on the spot. If you don't ask, they assume you're happy. Bosses have a budget for this stuff, but they won't just hand it out. You have to show your value with real numbers, not just say you work hard. What's the worst thing that's happened to someone who actually asked for more money?