CompensationNov 21, 2019
FuzeoLqB77

How to ask for a raise

I have 4 years of working experience (3 in sales and 1 as an associate product manager), all at the same company. I took a big pay cut to move to Product because it was an entry level Product role, which I was ok with at the time because I wanted to work in Product and saw it as my opportunity to break in. However, I am still being paid ~10k less than an average APM in my city based on my research on Glassdoor, Payscale, etc. Career progression here is not straightforward due to a lot of turnover in middle and upper management (have had 3 managers and 2 directors in a year). I was promised by the manager that hired me that I would be “fast tracked” to a PM role within a year. I’m not naive enough to consider that a binding agreement considering it wasnt in writing and he left the company a few months later. It’s still frustrating because I am now doing PM work and being paid less than the average APM. Career progression talks with my manager have gone nowhere, although he is a busy guy and I haven’t pushed the issue too hard, which is on me. My question is how would you guys approach this situation / frame the conversation with my manager? Is it good practice to mention average salaries in my area, or should I focus on my personal achievements and let them speak for themselves? Have never been in this situation before (could make more money in sales by closing more deals) so I’m not sure how to move forward. Should I just leave the company? We’re 2-3 quarters out from an IPO which has made me hesitant to leave. TC: 65k

@Product
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Oracle corgwe Nov 21, 2019

Do you have stock that would become liquid on IPO? Enough stock that it outweighs other offers? How does the coming IPO affect that 10% gap?

Fuze oLqB77 OP Nov 21, 2019

My stock would definitely be worth more than 10k. Closer to 3x that. At the same time, the IPO has been delayed and delayed, so I’m losing a little faith.

Oracle corgwe Nov 21, 2019

Weight the stock by your perceived probability of that IPO. Compare against potential offers (you'll likely have some that are above average, not just average). Adjust both for taxes. If new job would be more after tax money, start looking. You can disregard career growth from staying in one place. People don't tend to get promoted right before and after an IPO. People and the product at your current job may also be factors, but valuing those is subjective

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Amazon 🍌 Nov 21, 2019

From your mouth, though I have seen people emitting impressive voices from their butts, but may not be as effective in this situation, I will stick to the mouth.

Fuze oLqB77 OP Nov 21, 2019

Thank you