Not bad advice. I might just do it:

With this strategy, you can build a nearly inarguable case supporting your raise.

“You are building a case that the boss can’t refuse,” Lantz said. “That’s the message.”

Did you save the company a boatload of money? Did you bring significant revenue to the business? Did you solve a huge problem? Bring these facts to light in the meeting, Lantz said.

Even if the bottom line is not the nature of your position, have you gone above and beyond the call of your work?

Are you taking on more responsibilities than assigned to you originally? Are you doing things not in your job description?

“Go do the job before you actually get paid for it,” Lantz said.

Gloria Enoch, admissions representative for Oakland City University in Indianapolis, always tells students to keep a personal portfolio of certificates attained and classes attended to present during the meeting.

“Do more than what you were hired to do,” she said. “With the marketplace and the job field, you have to show your value and you have to show your interest. It is required to go above and beyond.”

She encourages using tuition reimbursement programs to return to school. Extra training such as this serves as an incentive for a raise, too, because you are studying about your profession outside of the job. That improves your marketability, Enoch said.

You are selling yourself, which means you should create an environment where the boss can’t say no.

Some additional tips:

# If you’ve gone the extra mile, you can ask for a raise whenever you want, Lantz said. “There’s no magic to the timing of it if, in fact, you’ve done all those things.”

# Still incredibly nervous? Re-evaluate what you’ve done and your benefit to your company.

# Research what other people in your line of work earn. Are their salaries similar to yours?

# Practice your presentation at home, with friends, family or on tape, until you are confident and ready to set the stage for yourself.