The Easiest Way to Make More Money

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Happy “Friday Junior” (Thursday), everyone!

Ever have one of those weeks where everyone in your life has a bad week simultaneously?

That’s the week we’re having.

So, we want to check in:

We’re thinking of you.

This week, we’re talking about a major source of stress (and hope): how to make more money.

Specifically:

💸 What to do if your boss says “no” when you ask for a raise.

💼 How to get more money before accepting a new job.

Let’s get into it!

-Two Minutes’ Notice

MEANINGFUL READS

5 Steps to Take After You Get Turned Down for a Raise (Melody Wilding)

What to Do When Your Raise Isn’t Enough (HBR)

How to Negotiate Salary: 34 Tips You Need to Know + Examples! (The Muse)

Negotiating Your Salary in a Tough Job Market (Forbes)

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My Company Doesn’t Pay Me Enough - And I’m Not Getting A Raise

You took a scary leap. You asked for more money.

And your boss said no.

Now what?

Ask what it would take to get to a “yes.”

If your boss is open to it, ask for clear, measurable goals you need to meet to earn a raise, and a timeline.

You want specifics, not “we’ll revisit this later.” Get the targets in writing if you can.

Ask: “What would need to change for a raise to be possible in the next 3-6 months?”

Re-evaluate the benefits of your role.

Are you learning valuable skills? Building key relationships? Enjoying your day-to-day job and how it fits into your life?

If not, your time may be better spent somewhere else, where the benefits of your job match the time you put into it.

Start looking elsewhere.

Sometimes, “no” really means “not here.”

If your boss can’t (or won’t) give you goals and a timeline for a raise, it may be worth exploring your options.

Unfortunately, a new job offer is often the easiest way to increase your salary.

Don’t overdeliver when you’re underpaid.

It’s okay to scale back. Do your job well, keep it professional, but maybe stop replying to midnight emails or fixing projects that aren’t your responsibility.

Protect your time and energy (and use it to find the job that will pay you what you’re worth).

There is a company that will pay you what you’re worth. It may not be this one. The sooner you find out, the sooner you can find that company.

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How to Raise Your Salary Before You Accept the Job

Here’s a dirty little secret from a former hiring manager on our team: most companies offer less money than they can actually pay.

Why? Because they expect you to negotiate.

The good news is you can start increasing your potential salary before you get to the negotiation stage. It all comes down to how you answer the salary question in interviews.

🔎 Find out how much the company pays.

You’ve probably heard of Glassdoor already. Here are a few sneakier ways to find out how much the company pays:

• Google search for “[company] [role] salary.”

• If the company is national, look at its job postings in states that require companies to post salaries in their job descriptions, like CA, CO, NY, and WA. Don’t forget to adjust for cost of living differences between states!

• If the company is local, search for “[role] salary [state]” to benchmark against similar companies in the area.

🧠 Don’t go first.

If they ask how much you’re hoping to earn, ask them about the range for the role first.

If they persist, you can say:

“I’m interviewing for roles near the top of the market range for this level”

“At this point in my career, I’m focused on fit over a specific number.”

Don’t disclose your current salary.

If you’re underpaid today, you should not be tied to that number forever. 22 states and 24 localities ban employers from asking for your current salary.

However, if an employer still asks, a great response is:

“I’ve signed agreements that prevent me from sharing my past compensation, but I’m happy to talk about expectations for this role.”

By the way, this answer is almost certainly true. Most employers will ask you to sign contracts that protect company information like compensation.

Anchor high (but reasonable).

Once you know the company’s range, position yourself near the top for someone at your level of experience.

For example, if the company’s range is $65,000-80,000 per year:

“Based on my experience and the scope of the role, I’d expect something in the $75,000-80,000 range.”

Negotiate everything.

Salary is just one (big) piece of your total compensation. You can also ask for:

• Remote/hybrid flexibility

• Extra PTO

• Career development budget (conferences, courses, coaching)

• 401k/403b and retirement match

• Home office stipends

If they can’t increase the base salary, they might say yes to one of these benefits that could meaningfully improve your work life.

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COFFEE BREAK

BRB—just going to watch this video for the 500th time.

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We’ll see you next Thursday!