Raises aren’t just about money, they’re about feeling valued by your employer at the place where you likely spend eight hours, five days a week. It’s important. Not sure how to get a raise? Read on.

First of all, know what you’re worth. Know exactly how much people where you live in your field with your experience level are making. That’s what you should be making as well. Look to websites like Payscale, Glassdoor, and Salary.com for some answers. Lots of people are underpaid, but women suffer this fate the most. Most women are less likely to ask for a raise and they’re paid 30 percent less than men on average.

Not sure how to get a raise? Know when to ask for it. Yes, timing is important on a host of levels. For starters, most companies give annual raises either at your start date or after your year in review. Make sure you start asking for a raise long before the decision has been made. Take the economy into account as well.

“It used to be the norm to expect an automatic annual raise, but after the economy took a nosedive, that has become less and less common,” says Alison Green, a former nonprofit chief of staff and author of the Ask a Manager blog, reported on Forbes. “Now you have to ask for more money.”

What’s Your Boss’s Personality?

Have a read on your boss’s personality so you can know when to ask for a raise and how. For example, what part of the day is your manager the most busy? Would they prefer that you be direct? Are they likely to negotiate or is the first number their best offer? Mold your message to their personality type.

Have a list of your accomplishments nearby. Remember that although they may value you as an employee, they’re not in your head so they probably don’t know all the positive things that you’ve been doing. Make sure that you emphasize how your responsibilities have increased so your pay should as well.

Don’t be afraid to ask for other perks that might make your experience at work even more enjoyable than a raise like more vacation, a flexible work schedule, or bonus pay. If you get rejected, ask how you can get a raise in the future and pay attention to the response. If they have no answer to your question, that’s a sign of a bad manager.

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Image: Vitaly Kalanuik

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The home office is too often an afterthought and those working from home find themselves working on the kitchen table, the coffee table or wherever there’s space to put a laptop. Obviously, this is less than ideal. Not having a dedicated space keeps you from being as productive as possible and you need some home office ideas.

In this new economy, many of us have us found ourselves working from home. The reasons vary, but whether your company allows you to telecommute or you are freelancing, the need for a dedicated home office is there. But what if you don’t have a spare room that can be turned into an office? Even if you live in a small apartment, it is possible to carve out some space for your home office, just follow these home office ideas.

1. Get in the Closet –  Convert a closet into a built in office. Leave the doors on to hide it away when not in use or take them off to create even more space.
2. Go High –  Using vertical space will allow you to have a smaller footprint. Tuck a desk into the corner and add shelves all the way to the ceiling for the printer, filing, office supply storage and more. (Just make sure to adequately secure your shelves to studs to make them sturdy.)
3. Divide and Conquer – Add a room divider to cordon off a space for yourself in the dining room, den, kitchen or whichever room is large enough. The divider will allow you to have a messy desk without anyone seeing!
4. Coming in for a Landing – Sometimes, the only usable space left in a home is the stair landing. If you have an underutilized landing that only seems to be a junk collection spot, consider turning it into a space for your desk.
5. Under the Stairs –  Landing might not work, but what about the space under the stairway? It is often under-utilized. Add a desk and shelves to make it yours.
6. Corner It – Creating a home office in a corner can maximize your usable space. Keep things simple, as to not jumble the room up too much though.
7.  Old-Fashioned Secretary – No, we are suggesting your  hire a secretary, but utilize a secretary desk.  They are a practical way to have a desk without adding the clutter of the desk to your main living space.
8.  Double Duty – DIY yourself a double desk and get more bang for your buck. Two office spaces for the price of one!
9. New Meaning to Mobile – Add wheels to desk and you can roll it around the house to move it out of the way when the need arises.

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 Image: Kelly Sue

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