Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

January is the time of new beginnings and unsurprisingly career can be top of the list when it comes to changes that people vow to make. After time off and spending time with family, some of us may be eyeing up a job which has a better work-life balance and does not revolve around a two-hour commute.

January marks the start of a new quarter in the business calendar which can result in new budgeting plans allowing for fresh recruits.

It’s also the time of the year when seasonal jobs are advertised ahead of the summer.

Apparently, January 24 is the busiest job-hunting day of the year, with searches spiking 44% compared to an average day. There is also an increase of at least 15% in the number of job adverts.

But while you may not want to actually change jobs, you may decide the time is right to improve your conditions. And who among us doesn’t deserve a little pay rise for all the blood, sweat and tears we expend.

Financial advisory firm Ask Paul has an interesting array of scenarios of what not to do when approaching your boss for a pay rise as well as practical tips on what you should say to make a compelling case for a salary increase.

Employees must lay the correct foundations when requesting a pay rise, advises Paul Merriman. While the cost-of-living crisis continues into 2025, you should avoid mentioning your financial struggles to the boffins who dictate your income.

“Talking about how difficult it is to make ends meet is counterproductive, as employers will only base their pay rise decisions on an employee’s performance, their value to the company, and the market rate,” he states.

Rather enter the conversation about pay with an overview of your achievements.

“Talk about instances where you have exceeded personal targets, introduced processes that have positively impacted the company and give examples of when you have saved the company money.”