Compensation
Build your raise case from your receipts
A worksheet for turning a year of work into one page that makes your case, in your manager's terms
Gather a year of wins and turn them into one page: what you did, what it changed, and how it connects to what your manager cares about.
- About 45 minutes
- Just you
- Before a review or a raise conversation
- Worksheet
Why this can work
The strongest case for a raise is a clear record of what your work changed, told in terms of what the people deciding care about. A long list of accomplishments leaves your manager to do the translating; one page that ties each result to their priorities does it for them.
Read moreHow to build a case for a raise
You’ll come away with one page that shows what your work changed, in terms your manager can repeat.
- Gather your receipts.
Scroll back through your calendar, sent mail, finished documents, messages where someone thanked you, and your last review. You're collecting raw material, so take more than you need.
Tip: Thank-you messages are especially good. They're proof in someone else's words.
- Fill in the page, starting with your manager's priorities.
Write down what your manager is trying to achieve first, then choose the wins that served it. Short answers are fine; you'll tighten them later.
Stays in this browser only. Nobody else sees it.
- Cut to the three that matter most to them.
Keep the wins that tie most directly to those priorities, even if others were harder or more fun. The rest can stay in your notes.
- Ask someone you trust for advice on it.
A peer or mentor who knows how your company works.
You“If you were my manager and had to argue for me, what would you want more of on this page, and what would you cut?” - Keep it, and keep adding.
Save the page somewhere you'll find it again. Add to it when something goes well, and next year's version starts half written.
Good times to repeat it: a month before your reviewbefore any raise conversationonce a quarter, to keep it current
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
How hard something was matters to you; what it changed matters to them. Lead with the result and let the effort show in the details.
What might make this harder
Go through your calendar a month at a time. Meetings, launches and deadlines jog the memory, and each one you find tends to lead to two more.
Questions people ask
How do I prove I deserve a raise?
Show what your work changed, not just what you did, and tie each result to something your manager or team cares about. One page with three strong examples usually persuades more than a long list.
What should I include in a case for a raise?
Your two or three biggest results, with numbers where you have them, how your role has grown, and how it all connects to your team's goals. Keep it to a page.
How far back should I go when building a case for a raise?
Usually back to your last raise or review, which is often about a year. Earlier work can count too if its effects are still being felt.
Should I give my manager a written case for a raise?
It often helps. A one-page summary gives your manager the words if they need to argue for you to someone else. Share it before or after the conversation.
Why this works, and where it comes from
Confidence about pay tends to come from clarity. When you can see what you actually did this year, laid out plainly, it gets much easier to believe it's worth something, and to say so. The receipts were always there; they were just scattered across a year of calendars and inboxes. Pulling them onto one page changes how you walk into the room.
The more important move is the translation. Done well, it shows how you've helped the people around you succeed, your team, other teams, your manager, which is often what a raise is really paying for. Work that made someone else's goals easier is some of the most persuasive evidence you can bring.
Asking someone to look it over helps, and how you ask matters. Asking for feedback on a page about yourself tends to invite a polite nod. Asking what they'd want to see if they had to argue for you invites a real answer, because now they're picturing the argument.
Sometimes the honest result is a thin page. If the year was mostly holding steady, or the big results are still ahead, that's worth knowing before you ask for money. It isn't a failure. It just means the better conversation right now is about what your manager would need to see, and next year's page can start filling up from today.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Compensation
Never lose the proof of your work
Do it with Truest and it goes on your permanent record, in a Career Vault your employer doesn’t own.
See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- Lands in your closeoutFriday's closeout asks for progress, priorities, and proud moments; this is one.
- A living page in your VaultKeep it as one page you add to, next to your reviews and your files.
- On your recordWhen it's done, it goes on your record with your priorities and progress.
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.