How Not to Get the Raise You Deserve

Everyone likes getting a raise, but no one particularly likes asking for one. It's a delicate situation and a stressful one. Not surprisingly, mistakes are common. On Marketwatch.com today Michael Loeb reveals six ways NOT to approach your boss. Avoid these blunders for a successful renegotiation of your pay package:

1. Don't act entitled. There's a fine line between projecting confidence and appearing arrogant, and it's not a line you want to cross.
2. Don't tell a sob story. Your boss is unlikely to give you a raise because little Sally needs braces or Grandma Jill wants to move into the spare bedroom.
3. Don't indulge in theatrics. So you're mad as heck and you're not going to take it anymore? Your feelings may be justified, but that doesn't mean you should share them with your boss.
4. Don't demand to be paid as much as a co-worker. It's irksome to discover that one of your colleagues is getting more than you to perform the same job, but don't assume that confronting your supervisor will lead to parity.
5. Don't threaten to quit. Why would your boss invest in an employee poised to jump ship?

(Picture of money by fsecart, CC 2.0)