TIL my old manager's 5 minute hallway chat about a $2 raise taught me more about asking than 3 years of job hunting

Julia Park · 2026-11-04T17:20:04.776312+00:00

So back in 2019 I was working at a lawn care place in Toledo making $13 an hour, and my manager Dave pulled me aside in the hallway by the break room after I'd been there about 8 months. I asked him for a raise and he said no, but then he stood there for 5 minutes and told me exactly why: I'd never once brought him a number. He said "you asked me for more money but you didn't tell me what you're worth, so what am I supposed to say?" I was kinda mad at first but then I went home and wrote down what I actually did that year, and when I asked again 3 months later with a number and a list, he gave me $2.50. Ever since then I've gone into every salary talk with a number ready. What's the weirdest thing a boss ever told you that ended up being useful later?

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TIL my old manager's 5 minute hallway chat about a $2 raise taught me more about asking than 3 years of job hunting | Career Advice - Hub Chatter