IN the grand scheme of things a big raise won't make much difference in your life, but we'll all keep chasing it anyway.
Maybe it's the big number, maybe it’s the increased value that society places on us when we make a lot of money, or maybe we all just want more stuff.
Whatever it is, everyone's gunning for that big raise. Unfortunately, most of us won’t be getting anything more than the standard three to six per cent Cost of Living Adjustment anytime soon.
Here are a few reasons you won't be getting a raise this year, and some ideas for how you can fight back.
You don't deserve it
Of course you want a big raise, but maybe you just don't deserve one. Did you go above and beyond? Did you schmooze with all the big shots at your office? Did you find a unique way to make a good name for yourself in your company?
Take a good look at what you did this year and honestly ask yourself if you deserve a raise. I didn't deserve one my first year out of school and I didn't get one. But I was fine with it because I worked my ass off in other areas. Work wasn't priority number one for me, so giving me a raise probably wasn't priority number one for my old company.
You deserve it, but you're too young
Maybe you do deserve a raise. You tackled new projects, you started a company social committee, you made as many great contacts as you possibly could and you even asked for a raise, but you still didn’t get one.
Don’t worry, the corporate world is a little behind the times. A couple of years with a company might seem like a lifetime to you, but to the old folks in the corner office, it’s just a blip on the radar.
Sometimes, you have no chance of getting a raise when you're 24–you're basically chasing your own tail trying to do everything right for little payoff. If you determine that this really is the case, you may want to re-evaluate your career and your current company.
Read: Why Indians work 12 hours a day
Photograph: Vipurva Parikh
(Photograph used for illustrative purposes only)
on your mobile
On your phone browser type