Career coach Joyel Crawford, the Fairygodmentor, says the raise conversation and the job search are both negotiations. Before you pick one, gather your evidence.
When professionals decide they want to make more money, most assume there are only two options: ask for a raise or quit. Career and leadership coach Joyel Crawford, the voice behind BLACK ENTERPRISE’s Ask Your Fairygodmentor column, starts her clients somewhere else, with a harder question. Has your value outgrown your paycheck, or has your workplace outgrown its willingness to pay for it?
The answer determines your next move. A raise conversation and a job search campaign are both negotiations. One happens with your current employer; the other happens in the marketplace. Before you commit to either, Crawford recommends three action steps.
Step 1: Conduct a value audit
Most people walk into salary conversations guarded and all in their feelings. What you need to walk in with is evidence. Or, as Crawford puts it, receipts. Ask yourself:
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Have my responsibilities increased?
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Am I performing work above my current level?
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Have I improved the bottom line: led projects, improved processes, increased revenue, reduced costs, trained others?
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When was my last significant pay increase?
Her tool for keeping those receipts current is a DIG folder, short for Damn, I’m Good: a running log of every measurable contribution from the last 12 to 18 months. If you can’t clearly articulate your value, your employer won’t be able to either.
“Your salary should reflect the value you create today, not the value of the person they hired several years ago.”
Step 2: Research your market value
Before asking for anything, do your homework. Research roles comparable to yours, current salary ranges, industry benchmarks, and compensation at competing companies. Many professionals discover they are underpaid only after seeing what other employers are offering.
The goal is sizing, not threatening. If the gap between your pay and the market is small, it may be negotiable internally. If it is large, changing employers may be the fastest path to higher earnings. Crawford is direct about the trade-off: it is admirable to be loyal, but blind loyalty can be expensive.
Step 3: Read the response, not just the answer
If you decide to ask, listen carefully to how leadership responds. A “not right now” is not always a no. Probe further: What would need to happen for a raise to be approved? What timeline should I expect? What measurable goals would justify an increase?
A healthy employer will explain a path forward. An unhealthy one will change the subject, move the goalposts, or expect you to keep doing more for the same pay, indefinitely. The conversation itself often tells you whether to stay or go. Sometimes the most valuable thing you leave the room with is information.
You can do both
Crawford’s last piece of advice dissolves the either-or framing entirely. You don’t have to choose between asking for a raise and exploring new opportunities; the smartest professionals often do both. Gather your evidence, understand your market value, have the conversation, and let the response guide the decision.
Key takeaways
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Keep a DIG folder: log every measurable win from the last 12 to 18 months before you need it.
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Research comparable roles and ranges first; the size of the gap tells you whether to negotiate or move.
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Judge the response, not just the answer: a healthy employer explains a path forward.
The goal is a career in which your compensation truly reflects your contributions. You’ve earned the right to know your worth and be paid accordingly. The question, Crawford reminds her readers, is whether your current employer agrees.
Source: Ask Your Fairygodmentor, BlackEnterprise.com.
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