[fleitz]

Start by asking for a raise, a 15 minute conversation can usually net you a decent chunk of change.

After you get your raise phone some recruiters, ask for more from the new company.

If you get a raise and another offer you've probably got your 30k.

[pash]

This is the easiest and most foolproof option. But reverse fleitz's chronology: first get another offer, then go talk to your boss.

Edit—To imsofuture's point below: Yes, come to your employer with another offer that you would actually take, but with a real preference to stay (otherwise, just go). Ask for a raise, and if the discussion doesn't go anywhere, describe the decision you face between more money elsewhere and a preference to stay if the money were not a differentiator.

This is not extortion, and a reasonable employer will not treat it as such. It is the way you find out what you're worth and get paid commensurately. Changing jobs is not the only way to get a raise, and it's certainly not the best way—for you or for your employer.

[imsofuture]

Don't do this. Well, do this, but don't use your offer as a negotiating chip -- use it as a backup plan if you don't get a raise.

You will be the first up against the wall if you accept a counter offer to stay.

[joezydeco]

Not up against a wall. You'll be out the door as soon as your replacement is trained. You'll probably be the one doing the training, too. And then instead of your income going up, it'll go down to zero.

[rhizome]

Have either of you witnessed this happening in real life? There's always a comment to this effect in every "raise" question I've ever come across, but never have I seen any proximate information.

[waltgoldberg]

It definitely does! Take it from someone who's been responsible for giving the layoff list to HR as well as being a small business owner. Business leaders look at developers as a commodity. Why do you think so many companies still hold Java in such high esteem?

[rhizome]

I don't doubt that out-of-band raises can put someone over the cost-line such that they'd get the axe at layoff time, but I think that's different than the company gunning for them as soon as they give a raise in response to a cherry-pick offer to the employee, to be actively hiring for this person's replacement ASAP.

[imsofuture]

Yes, first hand. Don't do it :)

[tsotha]

I agree with this wholeheartedly. And anyway it's not necessary. First you get the offer. Then you go to your boss and say "Look, I'm not really happy with my current situation. The market supports a larger salary than you're paying me."

That's a threat, sort of. But it's veiled enough that your boss can give you a raise without feeling like you forced his hand. He can give you a raise without it being step one in a two step plan to get rid of you.

If he doesn't... well, then you take the other offer.

[jamesfordiv]

Check out the good book "Getting Past No" (the follow-up to "Getting to Yes") - this is called having your BATNA - Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement and will help your position even if you don't have to bring it up, just having it in your mind could boost your confidence and help you ask for what you want

[heliodor]

Fleitz' point is that switching jobs usually gets you a raise. Most people don't know how to avoid the "what is your current salary?" question, so the raise they get by switching jobs is pegged to their previous salary. Thus, get a raise first, then go fishing for another job. His point was not to get two raises from your current job!

[rhizome]

Or just lie in response to the question.

[obviouslygreen]

If you can put "just" before "lie" then you're not taking this seriously, you've never found yourself really, badly lied to, or you have a serious dearth of ethics.

Don't lie. Deflect, even if it's bluntly. Saying "I don't believe that's relevant, but I will tell you how much I'd like to make" pretty much says "I'm underpaid" but also says "I know I'm underpaid and I expect better," which tells them something useful about you that you actually want them to know.

[rhizome]

It's supplying an anchoring number, nothing to do with ethics.

[obviouslygreen]

Call it what you want; lying to a prospective employer means you no longer have any grounds to expect them to behave in an honest way. If you can't be honest with people you have no reason to expect honesty in return.

[mesozoic]

They won't see it that way when they do a little research and find your actual salary.

[dgunn]

If my current company discussed my salary with anyone outside of my company or myself, there would be much larger problems. No reasonable company would be dumb enough to disclose personal information about one of their employees.

[rhizome]

Now that I'd like to hear a story of it happening!

[mesozoic]

Or fire back by asking them what they make.

[illuminate]

If only it was so symmetric.

[argonaut]

Agreed with pash. You make it seem like the OP should ask for a raise, get it, then ask for another raise after getting more offers. No employer will look favorably upon asking for two raises in quick succession.

[fleitz]

The first raise is leverage for the exit. If you have to get an offer before you can get a raise you should just take the offer.

[argonaut]

Ahh.. That is fine.

Let me rephrase it as I understand it: ask for a raise. If you get it, then look to get another job where you can get an even higher raise. If you don't get that other job, then stay. If you don't get a raise in the first place, either stay or look for another job.

[pash]

If you can get a raise and stay, why leave?

Leave because you don't like your job, or because you'd really rather being making more money elsewhere doing something else. If you like your job, give your employer a chance to pay you enough to keep you.

[taproot]

I don't think he was saying use the counter offer as a raise, I think he was saying use the first raise to leverage a higher offer from a perspective new employer.

On 50k, ask for raise, now on 65k. Ask new employer to beat current salary, offer of 80k.

Without the first raise you don't get to leverage a higher salary at the new job for the 30-50k op needs. And good luck getting 30k raise at the same job, that just doesn't happen.