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"Getting a small annual salary bump used to be the norm for the American worker. But in a tough economy when job security&amp;#039;s not a given, you can&amp;#039;t expect to be handed a raise. That said, raises are still out there for the taking. Getting one, though, requires not only hard work but also strategic positioning\u2014you must make yourself indispensable to your company and make sure management sees that. Improve your chances for a raise at your current job with these clever tactics. 1. Set your own professional goals. Come up with challenging goals for yourself\u2014and meet them. If you&amp;#039;ve already set goals, up the ante, if possible. Plan to accomplish goals in 30-, 60- and 90-day intervals, and be sure they&amp;#039;re SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. 2. Get more training. If your company offers in-house training or an employer tuition reimbursement program, take advantage. Otherwise, ask your supervisor what additional training he or she would suggest. This serves the dual purpose of getting information and alerting your superiors that you&amp;#039;re taking initiative to invest in your career. Also, seek out education opportunities in other departments. Cross-training makes you more versatile in the workplace, which could earn you that raise. Bonus: It may make you less expendable if your company downsizes. 3. Promote your accomplishments. You can achieve all the goals you set out to and acquire a range of skills and education, but if no one notices, your efforts could be in vain. Share your benchmarks and training plans with your supervisor, and set up an in-person meeting to make your progress known. Try: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve already achieved goals A, B and C, and I&amp;#039;ve gone above and beyond by accomplishing these other tasks.&amp;quot; After, ask for feedback and other ways to contribute to your company. 4. Take on more responsibility. Staffing cuts mean there are fewer people around to perform the same amount of work, and supervisors are often left holding the bag. Humbly offer to take on a portion of your manager&amp;#039;s responsibilities. Start the conversation by asking which tasks he or she needs help with. Accept what&amp;#039;s offered, but suggest additional ways you could potentially pitch in. Showing that you&amp;#039;ve put thought into extra areas in which you can help out is a real attention-grabber. But make sure you complete these new assignments. Offering to assist and not making good on your promise could land you in an employee wasteland. 5. Research average salaries. It&amp;#039;s almost time to ask for that raise. But first, research average salaries for your position at a site like Salary.com to see how your current compensation stacks up. As for asking for a raise, be polite, respectful and firm. You don&amp;#039;t have to wait for your annual performance review to make your request\u2014simply schedule a meeting where you share your research on salaries, your most impressive accomplishments and the steps you&amp;#039;ve taken to stand out from your colleagues. If you confidently and succinctly present yourself and your case, it will be harder for your boss to say no. --David Bakke DAVID BAKKE is a contributor for Money Crashers Personal Finance, where he shares tips for careers, relationships and money management. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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