You can probably cite some of your biggest professional successes straight off the bat, but preparation is key when asking for a pay rise. Set aside a few evenings to sit down and gather together hard evidence of what you’ve achieved over the past year (if you’ve had a pay rise in the last 12 months, it’s generally advisable to hold off on asking for another one a little longer).

Think about all the big and small projects you’ve worked on, successful pitches you’ve delivered to clients and events you’ve run. Resist the urge to dismiss something because it ‘wasn’t a big deal’ or ‘anyone could do that’: everything counts.

“If you’re practicing self-promotion, you need to do an audit of your strengths and successes,” says executive coach and author Jenny Garrett. “Try not to gloss over your achievements. Something that women do a lot is say things like, ‘I did organise the Christmas party, but that’s nothing’ – well, actually, there are a lot of logistics involved, so it’s not nothing.”

If you have no plans to ask for a pay rise in the immediate future, you should start making a note of your achievements as you go, so that you’re prepared for the inevitable point in future when you do want to request more money. Keep a running log of all of your accomplishments and have it to hand so you can whip it out whenever you need.

How to talk about your achievements while asking for a raise