The first thing you need to do is define what a “raise” is to you.
Are you only interested in more money? After all, money is the reason people work. If this is what you’re after do some research. One site to find out what you’re worth is www.salary.com.

Or would you be willing to keep your same pay level and get more paid time off? It would be nice to get paid for spending the day at the beach.

Perhaps better health coverage would be more valuable to you? If you pay part of the costs of your health coverage make sure that your costs won’t go up in the bargain or you may not be gaining anything.

Look over the options for a “raise” and choose the one you really want and then decide the least that you are willing to accept.

Now that you know what you want for a raise, you need to formulate a plan to ask for it.

First, evaluate yourself. Be able to give valid reasons why you should receive a raise. If you’re a positive person who is always ready to go that extra mile to get the job done or you developed a plan to save the company money you stand a better chance of getting what you want. On the other hand, if you show up late and are the first one to say something negative about the latest project you were assigned, the odds are going to be against you.

Know your company’s policy on raises and be prepared to work within that framework.

Your next step is to work out what you’re going to say to your boss and the best time to talk to him/her. If the quarterly report just came out and your department didn’t achieve its goals for that quarter, now is not the time to ask for a raise.

Don’t accept a raise you don’t want. Also, don’t be afraid to tell your boss you want to think about the counteroffer he/she has proposed.

If your request is denied, determine the reason. Find out what you can do to alter that decision. Perhaps your boss wants you to take on more responsibility or maybe you need to get a degree.

Once you get your raise don’t gloat. Treat your co-workers with respect and hold up your end of the bargain. Even better- exceed your boss’s expectations and maybe you won’t have to ask for your next raise.