Asking for a raise..

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So, my year anniversary at my full time job is coming up soon.

I don't really know anything about my performance. Do I meet expectations, fall short, or exceed them? Do people think I'm annoying? I really have no idea. I do think that my co-workers think I'm pretty smart though. And I have been placed in charge of a specific part of the maintence cycle of our product (I'm a software developer working on a small team.)

However, I will bet a bit upset if a year passes and I don't get a raise. The reason is because if my nominal wages are staying the same, then a year later, my real wages have declined because of inflation. I want at least a 2.5%-3.0% raise so my nominal wages keep up with inflation and my real wages stay put.

I'm kinda nervous about asking, and also wondering if I'm selling myself short and should ask for more than just keeping up with inflation. I also have no idea what my co-workers make or if my wage is good at all. Ugh. This situation sucks.

I'd feel for you but since I've been in the same job for 8 years and haven't had a raise, I can't seem to find any sympathy - sorry.

...and, I'm often acknowledged as one of the hardest workers and greatest overachievers in the company.

el-oh-el, buddy.

I asked for a raise four years ago but was told that budgets were tight.

I was going to ask for the last few years but was unhappy with my performance. I'm a perfectionist and certain events spiraled out of my control because of wrong decisions made (which I contested at the time).

I got the blame for those problems because I'm not someone who pushes blame around and the original people pushed it onto me. When the truth finally came out, they didn't want to re-inform all of the Australian banks that they had been wrong in their reporting - so the blame stuck with me.

I've just asked for a raise so we'll see what happens.

If you're as good as you say they say you are I'd be telling them to do one.

They've agreed that I'm way underpaid - so that's a start.

I'm just not great at asking for things. I'm such a perfectionist that I have a lot of problems accepting my own work.

I don't expect anyone else to live up to my standards, but I spend a lot of time fixing their work as a result.

Firstly, I would ask your boss/trusted colleagues about you and how they perceive you are doing?

This will give you a steer as to your value in their eyes and also that of the company. It will also help you identify those areas where you can instigate self-development.

If this is positive you can then breech the subject of pay awards.

I had my yearly performance review, it was a little belated. I got a v. substantial raise (22%) and I didn't even have to ask. They told me that I do my work pretty well and fast. I was honestly surprised at the praise I got during my review.