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Subject:[techwr-l] RE: That raise and promotion From:DHICKEY -at- ALIS -dot- COM To:"TECHWR-L, a list for all technical communication issues" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 30 Aug 1999 15:48:28 -0400
Greetings!
> I want to get a raise and a promotion. Since I'm the only
> writer I think that qualifies me as the lead/senior writer.
> However, verbally I go to pieces. Has anyone ever written a
> proposal asking for a raise and a promotion? If so, what did you put?
In most companies, you're supposed to get a raise after an evaluation
(providing your evaluation was a good one), so I'd assume you'll get a raise
if you did your job well.
As for the promotion, since you're the only writer there, what kind of
promotion do you want to have? If there were a team of writers, I could see
being promoted as a team leader or taking another type of role in the
documentation team... Are you looking to take on more responsibility? More
decision-making power?
When writing your proposal, you should include all your accomplishments over
the year and how your presence made the team and the product stronger
(spotting bugs, providing support, GUI design, etc...). If you can express
this in terms of money (money/time you saved the company), it would be even
better.
Then explain how having this promotion (or taking more responsibility) would
benefit the company ("Since my suggestions to the GUI interface made the
product stronger, I would like to have a definitive place on the design team
instead of routing my decisions through the pointy-haired team manager. This
would speed up the QA time by 4 hours for every change.").
If you meet up with someone where you have to verbally defend your promotion
request, make a checklist of your points and refer to it often. I know being
under the gun makes it hard to think clearly...
--
Be seeing you,
Dave
---------------------------------------------
John David Hickey
Montreal, Quebec, Canada eh?
They say that the pen is mightier than the sword.
But if you miss a deadline, you'd better bring the sword.
---------------------------------------------
Don't confuse my opinion with my employer's.
Each exists in blissful ignorance of the other.
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