3
rajj
5y

People!

I need help!
I'm in my first job out of college. Been here for more than 10 months now and there hasn't been any talk of promotion or bonus etc.
I don't know how to start this conversation with my manager.
I accidentally came across a Slack chat which said that a person is getting a raise and a bonus so I know that it's not like there is nothing like that but I also now understand that all these things happen on the down low and are not communicated openly or whatever.
I'm not sure what to do here.
One thing that came to my mind was getting a higher job offer (which I know I can) from some other company and show that but rather than that, I'd love to just sit and talk about it with my manager because we're on good terms and I haven't heard or been told that I need to improve or anything.
All this is coming up in my mind because some of my friends in their companies got promotions after 6-8 months of working at their companies. So, it is kind of giving me anxiety now because there has not even been a discussion about this.
Also, I am not close enough to anyone on my team that has been here long enough. So, I can't just bounce this off of them.

HOW DO I START THIS CONVERSATION? ARGH?

Comments
  • 3
    Wait until a year. If they're getting promotions at their companies at only half a year, it's not being run well.
  • 2
    Yeah I wouldn't expect anything in less than a year.
  • 0
    I really think that YOE should not dictate these terms.
    I've been staying in late (sometimes till 11:30pm), came in to work on weekends, didn't take more than 1 week off total and I'm always active with errors on Slack etc.
    If YOE is the only thing that matters (if it is tell me because I literally don't know), I might as well take it easy.
  • 5
    @rajj you're probably setting a bad precedent by working so much if it's not expected of you. Taking it easy now might get your boss's attention since it's uncharacteristic.
  • 4
    Working late doesn't mean working good. More often than not it means you are not good enough to wrap it all up during the day.

    In all the companies I've worked in junior specialists are not entitled for bonuses. So stop chasing for it

    what you *should* do is to seek for a non-junior position. You should prove to yourself, your supervising specialist and your manager that you are capable handling non-junior role. How to do that - it's up to you.

    As for a conversation starter - walk to your manager and ask: "hi, I wanted to talk about my future here, in this company. Can we go somewhere more private? [you might want to have this chat in a meeting room; usualy 15-20min is enough]. I feel I need to grow. What should happen so I could step out of junior's shoes? Don't you think I'm ready yet? If so, where do I need to improve myself?" .
  • 2
    If you feel that your performance has been well above what can be expected from you, just go with your line manager to a meeting room and tell them directly that you think you deserve a raise. Do it preferably directly after having done something that raised their attention in a positive manner.

    Else, your company surely does something like yearly appraisals. If they do, the best is to wait for your yearly appraisal, and if your line manager is happy enough, ask them then. At some companies, yearly appraisals always end with a salary discussion, so you won't even need to raise the issue yourself. Be prepared to explain how you don't just "serve your time" , but contribute "real" value.

    There is a third option, which sadly is probably the most common way to do it, at least depending on your country, which is: you want a (substantial) raise, you look for a new job, where you sell yourself as more experienced than a year before, and ask for a higher salary from the beginning.
  • 3
    Bonuses are an instrument used by companies to coerce you into working even harder for less money. Read your contract, and you will surely see that your company is NOT COMPELLED to pay you a bonus even if they have a very successful year.

    Imagine if it was the other way around -- you tell them to pay you 20% more, and in return, you MIGHT work a bit harder the next month. No company would accept that, would they?

    Hence, don't let a company you're applying to pay you a lower salary in exchange for the promise of an astronomical bonus. Make sure your base salary is good enough for you to be happy even if you don't get a bonus. Promises are not money.
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