Well, it’s a legitimate right. There’s no question about it.
What seems to me to be a little less legitimate (or rather, not at all) is the thought that a salary increase is due based purely on seniority or because “I haven’t had a rise for a long time”.
A salary increase only makes sense if the person deserves it. It only makes sense if you earned it.
Presenting oneself to the person in charge, complimenting and commending oneself, but without having anything particularly concrete to speak of is, in my opinion, not only ineffective, but it could even be counter-productive.
I’ll tell you what I would do, also because at the end of the day it’s not very different from what I do with our historical customers when I have to update a price list or when I realize I may have underestimated a quote (the latter happens rarely because I have been doing this job for many years and the experience I have gained is of great help, but in the past it has happened).
I would prepare a document with a list of all my skills, the objectives to be achieved, the various tasks and projects I have been assigned and the relative deadlines. Then I would list the results achieved and level of punctuality for every point.
I would also add any additional activities performed and results achieved which had not been specifically requested.
To conclude I would also add something negative that happened due to my own fault or under my responsibility (if something negative has actually happened, but I imagine something has: errare humanum est, sooner or later it happens to the best of us).
So: any errors (more or less serious), delays in achieving targets (or failure to meet the same), incorrect attitudes and anything else that springs to mind that could go against you.
And remember not to underestimate the latter point because a little self-criticism is not only a sign of professionalism, but could also be of precious help to us to collect our thoughts. Not to mention the fact that when discussing your work with a superior, any negative aspects would come out anyway.
Once ready,
