How can an Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering undergrad?
I wrote this answer for another question, Promotions: How should I ask my manager for pay hike?, but it's not really what was being asked about. It's more applicable to this question.You do not really specify if you're working for a public corp, government, non-profit, a small business, or somewhere in between. In my experience, that makes a big difference. My experience is mainly in small business (under 50 employees), so that will colour my answer, which is, in a nutshell, "It's easy!", but not many people seem to realise it. Become indispensable to the business.Not indispensable because you're the only one who knows how to do stuff / has the relationship with clients / knows the passwords / whatever! Indispensable because when you do stuff, you do it very well, you document it, and you train others, and take on the next challenge, learn it, document it, and train others. This shows you're responsible, capable, trust-worthy. It continues to add value to the business. Deliver results: Do stuff that makes the business moneyHere's some things no one should get a pay rise or increased responsibility for, nor should one be expected. Being in the job a long time Being in the business a long time Being a friend / relation of a boss Being older Being more educated Being more experiencedNo, the only way anyone should ever get a pay rise is to do stuff that makes the business money (this can be extended to "anything that adds value", but nothing adds value like cold, hard cash). Saving money is good, but there's only so far that can go, and the making of the money is limitless. Understand the Owner's risk appetite, act appropriatelyTaking risks is part of business, but it's not appropriate for you to take risks with someone else's money, property, reputation, unless you know what their risk appetite is. As a business owner, I was equally frustrated by people who played it too risky, by those who played it to safe. I made documentation to guide staff in this (a series of documents called "Principles of...", that totally changed the way the business worked. Staff said, "geeze, why didn't you just say so!?" (I had, a million times, but writing it down all in one place made a big difference). You could draft something like these for perusal by the Owner, based on what you know from being so awesome. Once endorsed, expand on it, use it as part of new employee's induction. Empower othersA common theme here is, doing things that make (not just "help") others be as awesome as you are. Not because you're their manager or their friend, but because you know the more people who act like you do makes the business' success be way more probable.