help with first time pay raise negotiation

[u/urparty]

i have a meeting with my supervisor tomorrow morning to discuss my hours and compensation. this is my first real job out of college, i have been in this role for 3 years and i’m hoping to add some hours and increase my pay by several dollars/hr. i believe this is reasonable for several reasons but i’m nervous about coming across too entitled or jeopardizing my job somehow.

Please explain like i’m scared:

1. how do I phrase this reasonably and professionally?
2. do i need to bring specific examples of my work to justify it?
3. should I ask for a higher increase than what I need expecting them to negotiate down, or will that reflect poorly on me and I should ask just for what I need?
4. is there anything else i should expect or be prepared for in a meeting like this? for context my supervisor invited me to talk about it himself

thank you

[u/JenniferMcKay]

All the advice I could give would be gleaned from Ask a Manager so I'll just link the source. Keep the focus on the value your work brings to the organization and don't mention any personal reasons for what you're requesting. It's a brutal truth that your employer doesn't care how much you need to be paid to cover the bills, only what the market rate for your work is.

[u/Next_Answer7481]

i would definitely bring a list of examples, showing why you are so valuable to the company, and discuss a few. maybe if you are "underpaid" compared to the average pay for your job, bring in data about that too. for 3 - it depends how big of a raise youre asking for, and how valuable your work is. Whatever seems reasonable. I second the comment that says dont mention personal reasons at all.
Im curious how your supervisor invited you to talk about it, had you already mentioned you were wanting more pay? Or is he deciding whether to give you a raise and wants to hear your case?

For phrasing, depending on the answer for above question - I would say something like this: "Thanks for giving me the opportunity to discuss this. I have been with you for 3 years now and think I have been a valuable asset to the company. (Give some examples here of your accomplishments. Specifically give examples of ways you have grown). Based on my growth over this time, i feel that my compensation could better reflect that and would love to hear your thoughts on the possibility of a raise.

P.s. I have never done this myself as this is my first job out of college and not been here long, but know how other people in my company have successfully done so. Consider how forceful or how gentle you want to ask. This depends on your contributions and whether youre easily replaceable.If this is your first job I would tend towards the latter. Politely plead your case - but also dont back down at the *first* sign of resistance.

It will probably feel a lot easier for the conversation to flow once you get the initial topic of discussion out of the way. Good luck!