Years Experience: 5-9 years (Canada)

Don't ask for a raise after a project strikes out. Wait until you hit a nice home run. Then as the praise comes your way say, "That reminds me. I've been meaning to ask you something..."

Explain why you were worth a higher salary.

Starting off lying in an interview has got to be the worst thing you can do. I never felt comfortable with an employer asking "How much do you make at your current job?". There is only one good answer, and that's an honest one. Here is how I played it though. I told my current employer that I was headed for an interview somewhere else, to give them to opportunity to counter before they had too. After 9 months with this company they offered me a $10K raise. Hours later I attended to the interview and when asked the salary question I was honest and told them my new salary as of 2 hours ago. I took the new job and received my second increase of the day. Honesty is the truly the best medicine, you just have to know how to use it properly.

Get data on what's elsewhere then negotiate based on how similar to the comparisons your job is.

Working for a previous Hi-Tech employer in Ireland, I had the opportunity to receive further education and obtain an Honours Degree. At the start of my degree certification (which took 5 years) it was made clear that I was being paid a little more than half the going rate that my colleague was. I was told when I completed my degree this would be reviewed and corrected to match or be similar to his rate.

5 years later I received my degree and waited for the review of my salary.

After 6 months of waiting I went to my HR rep to ask for a review of my salary as I had completed my degree. When I mentioned that this review was promised to me at the start of my further education, the response was "Do you have it in writing?" I said "No, but both your manager and my Director said this to me when I started out on this programme."

After the meeting my HR rep went to both of these individuals and asked about this review. Neither said they had a recollection fo ever saying this to me.

Needless to say, I did not get the promised increase.

Ever since then, I take everything spoken with a pinch of salt unless I see it in writing as well.

When I first started with this company I was doing a job that two people used to do. When it was time for review I pointed out my contributions and dedication to the organization and was able to negotiate a significant increase over the one presented to me originally. I simply stated that I felt I should be fairly compensated for the level I was producing at.