How to get a pay rise – according to a top UK career coach

A lot of us spend January staring at our bank statements, wondering the same thing: how do I get more money in the bank this year?

Unless you've got insider knowledge on the next crypto rug-pull or you’re planning to monetise your dog on TikTok (don’t think we haven't considered it), the most simple and reliable answer is… to earn more.

And for the vast majority of us, that means getting a pay rise – or maybe aiming for a promotion. If both are on your wish list, more power to you. 

The tricky bit, of course, is actually making those things happen.

Fortunately, we've spoken to an expert who knows exactly how to do it.

Yota Trom is a software engineer turned career coach, founder and speaker. She's got a Masters in Coaching Psychology from UEL, is a member of UCL's School of Management Advisory Board, and has built a system that's helped hundreds of people land pay rises and promotions – across different sectors and seniority levels.

She talked us through it, step-by-step.

Why are we all so bad at asking for more?

Less than half of UK workers have ever asked for a pay rise, according to YouGov. And their poll of 160,000 British workers revealed that women are significantly less likely to ask than men:

It's a discussion we tend to find awkward and would rather avoid. The very idea makes many of us feel like Oliver Twist – bowl outstretched, half-expecting to be told to wait our turn and mind our manners.

Yota explains: "We tend to grow up thinking: just do what you do really well and you'll be rewarded. But that doesn't work. Very rarely will you have a manager who will go out of their way to promote you or give you a pay rise.

What I see all the time is people quietly contributing more and more without even realising. They never stop to check in on their own value or take stock of how much they’re contributing. So, that's exactly where I start with my clients."

Step one: know where you stand

Yota reckons that plenty of people (particularly in mid-level jobs) are already doing far more than their job title would indicate. They just haven't realised it yet.

The trick is getting it all written down, so you can see for yourself:

“First, you're going to want to make what I call the "Self-evaluation Worksheet". I know, it sounds like a lot of work – but trust me on this one.

In the first column, write down all the roles and responsibilities that come with your current job. You can usually find these in your job description or in your company's career framework documents.

In the next column, jot down examples of how you're meeting each of these responsibilities – real things you've actually done.

In the adjacent column, list the responsibilities of the role just above yours, and in the column after that, examples of where you're already doing that work.

For example, if you're currently a project manager, what are the responsibilities of a senior project manager, and in which areas are you already operating at that level?

It's all about having the evidence written down.

For so many people, this exercise is a real "Aha!" moment – suddenly you see you're already operating at the next level. I always tell my clients: if you're doing 30% of what's expected at the level above, you're ready to make your case for a promotion, pay rise, or both.

If you realise you're not quite operating at a higher level yet, you’ll add another section for "SMART goals" – clear, specific targets you and your manager can set together at your next performance review.

That way, you'll both know exactly what you need to achieve. If you hit your goals, it makes it pretty tough for them to say no to what you're asking for."

Step two: know your worth

Don't go charging into your boss's office just yet.

First, you need to figure out what kind of pay rise is actually realistic to ask for – and that means doing a little detective work.

Yota advises: "Check out sites like Glassdoor and LinkedIn's jobs section to see what people in similar roles in the same region as you are earning. That can give you a ballpark figure.

Don't be afraid to ask around, either. Talk to your peers, mentors, coaches like me, recruiters – anyone who’s got a feel for what the market's paying right now.

I also encourage my clients to interview somewhere at least once a year. It's one of the best things you can do for your career. Yes – even if it makes you uncomfortable. Treat it like market research.

Sometimes you might even decide to take the job, sometimes it’s just about knowing you could – which gives you a lot more confidence to negotiate. And if you're genuinely prepared to walk away, you can even use it as leverage for a counteroffer.

At the very least, you'll have proof of what the market is willing to pay for your skills."

Step three: make your case

If you're wondering when’s actually the right time to ask, Yota's answer is simple: "There’s no better time than right now. If you wait for your performance review to bring it up, it's already too late.

Give your manager a heads up and say: I'd like to have a conversation with you about my progression and growth. That way, they'll go into the meeting prepared, and it won’t feel like an ambush.

Start the conversation by showing appreciation – for your team, your manager's support, for any positive things they've done. This sets the right tone.

Next, explain you've spent some time reflecting on your current role and realised you're performing above your current level. Don't beat around the bush. Offer to share your worksheet to show where you're adding value beyond what's expected, and ask directly how your contributions can be recognised.

If you're after a promotion and your company is expanding, mention that management might need support or new leaders – and show where you've already stepped up.

And remember: from the business's point of view, a pay rise or a promotion isn't a favour, it's an investment. Your job is to show them the return they'll get from it. With my clients, we build a clear business case that does exactly what, clearly spelling out the impact and the value.

When it comes time to negotiate, be smart about it.

If you know the band is £60-£80k, ask for the top end, so you're more likely to end up with something closer to that figure.

If your manager isn't convinced, listen to their objections and try to understand what's holding them back. Then, work out how you can address those concerns – this might mean sitting down together and setting the kind of SMART goals we mentioned earlier.

Realistically, the best-case scenario is that you get a promotion or pay rise now. The worst-case is that you get one at your next performance review – provided you meet the targets you've set.

Finally, remember that these kinds of decisions often involve more people than just your direct manager. Make sure your contributions are visible to others, too – whether that’s your manager's manager, other team leaders, or colleagues.

Ask for feedback from people whose opinion you value. Say something like: "I'm putting myself forward for a promotion. I'd love to get your advice or thoughts." It shows initiative and can build support for your case."

Step four: apply it to your job search (if you want to)

Yota notes that another advantage of the system is that by tracking your achievements and understanding your market value, you've built a ready-made toolkit for interviews and applications.

"All the evidence you've gathered – those projects, results, the impact you've had – it's absolute gold dust when it comes to writing a CV or prepping for interviews.

You're not grasping for examples or trying to remember what you did two years ago. You've got a clear story about your value and what you've achieved, and you can back it up with real results and examples.

Whether you want to use all this to get ahead where you are or land your next job, you'll be in a far stronger position than most."

Becoming your own hype person

Building a personal brand has played a massive role in Yota's success.

When she left the corporate world to do her own thing, she didn’t have much of a public profile, and it was hard to get clients through the door.

So, she did the one thing a lot of us avoid at all cost: she started putting herself out there. Posting online, sharing her story, making connections. Now, she's built a community of 6,000 people in the UK alone and found a tonne of opportunities she'd never have had otherwise.

It's a tactic she says works just as well for her corporate clients. In fact, she reckons personal branding is pretty much the ultimate hack for long-term career growth:

"When you're known for your expertise and ideas, you become the person clients ask for by name. Recruiters come to you, not the other way round. You build a reputation that opens doors at higher levels.

There's also a very practical business reason this matters. One of the biggest challenges companies face is attracting and retaining talent. They know their strongest ambassadors aren't glossy marketing campaigns – they're their people.

That's why, when companies are choosing between two candidates, the one with a strong personal brand often has the edge. It signals credibility, influence and leadership – all things businesses actively want their people to represent.

In fact, personal branding is the number one workshop companies bring me in for. They want to invest in their people, help them build a presence, and create a clear return for the business."

The very thought makes a lot of us cringe, but Yota reckons that's because we assume personal branding means being fake and putting on an act, whereas it ought to be the opposite – finding out what makes you you, then figuring out ways to let people see it:

"Personal branding isn't about creating a fake image so people think we're cool and important. It's about helping the people who will think we're cool and important find us.

Something I work on with all my clients is helping them show up in a way that feels real.

When you're clear on your values and what you stand for, people remember you for the right reasons. Sharing feels natural and even fun, not forced and awkward."

If you've never worked on your personal brand before, Yota suggests starting small – no need to launch a YouTube channel or start spamming everyone's feed with daily affirmations.

"Try posting once a week. Something about your work, a lesson you've learned, a tip for your field. The aim isn't to turn into a thought leader overnight, but to start building your visibility, little by little.

You'd be surprised who's watching – recruiters, hiring managers, potential mentors.

After all, if you're not telling the world what you bring to the table, how would anyone know? Far too many people just work hard in the background without ever making their achievements visible – and then wonder why they're overlooked when opportunities come up.

And because hardly anyone does it, the few who do genuinely stand out."

Now it's your turn...

If any of this resonated, it's probably because you're at a point where you want more from your career – you're just not sure how to get it.

If you feel like it's finally time to invest in yourself, Yota's self-paced course includes all the tools, strategies and resources to help you take control of your career path this year and finally get paid what you're worth.

Normally £300, it's available exclusively to Financial Interest readers at 50% off for an extremely limited time. Use promo code FIN at the checkout to get your discount. 

And if you want something a bit more hands-on, Yota also offers 1:1 coaching. Over six months, you'll work together through a personalised process designed to give you clarity on where you're heading, momentum to move forward, and the confidence to ask for – and get – what you're worth.

Because this is proper, one-to-one work, spaces are limited, but Financial Interest readers get priority access. You can apply here if this feels like the right step for you.

Remember: your career is one of your most important assets

When you zoom out and think about your long-term wealth, investing in yourself is one of the highest-return moves you can make.

In fact, when we ranked the optimal order for investing – using insights from financial advisers and academic research – investing in your earning power came out ahead of overpaying your mortgage, and even ahead of investing for your kids.

That's because a higher income compounds. Every pay rise boosts what you can save, invest, and protect for years or even decades to come.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got a spreadsheet to make.

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