When you’ve done something amazing! Timing is so important. Ask for a raise when you’ve hit an outta-the-park grand slam bottom of the ninth 2 outs and your team is down by 3 points. Your manager will be inclined to agree you’ve earned it. When you have many months, years of documented performance! This is one great reason, beyond staying organized, for you to track your accomplishments continuously. When the company is on an upswing! Now is the time to ride the wave. If your company just posted strong quarterly earnings and there’s a growth mentality in the air, managers are much more likely to give a warm reception to pay raise conversations.