<prompt> Human: This is a follow-up to a post from 3 months ago here and a response to a post I just read this morning. This just wrapped up for me yesterday, so I thought it worth sharing.nbsp;Essentially, a coworker left in May and I stepped in to pick up the slack. I put in many 12-15 hour days, weekends, to teach myself the three different instruments that he was responsible for running and he was the only one that knew how. I figured it all out, kept our companys pipeline running smoothly, and got a handle on the two jobs within a month or two.nbsp;But it started to wear me down and it became clear that I was being paid significantly below my market value when they informed me that they had decided not to hire to replace the employee that left. At that point I found a job posting that fit my new skill set perfectly at a much larger company that I knew could pay more. So, I applied and got an interview.nbsp;Then, nothing for 3 months. So I kept doing my two jobs waiting and hoping for things to change around review time. I had conversations with my manager about feeling under compensated, and he agreed but they wouldnt be resolved until annual review time.nbsp;The interview did eventually turn into an offer. The offer represented a 42 raise, a double promotion, and a signing bonus of 20 of my current base salary to recoup the bonus I would lose from my current position. It was such a strong offer that I had no choice but to seriously consider it.nbsp;Now you may think Im crazy for not jumping at the offer immediately, but hear me out: my current company is very small 20-30 employees and is providing me with a professional opportunity that I flat out will not find anywhere else; no company would allow me to do all of the things I am doing here simultaneously. My commute is also short 5 miles or so. Im in on the ground floor, so its a high riskhigh reward type situation. But Ive been able to carve out a niche for myself that would be highly improbable elsewhere and not possible at the larger company.nbsp;The new company is massive, and I would immediately be a cog in the machine. The commute would be an hour each way before moving and cost me around 3k per year. I also dont have any professional relationships at the new company - it would be starting fresh, and one thing Ive learned over the last 6 years is that having a good communicative relationship with management can be invaluable for my mental health.nbsp;But it was a strong enough offer that I decided I was comfortable accepting it and dealing with the downsides for such a significant salary adjustment. Which is when I decided to present it to my management. Note: BE 100 READY to accept the new offer BEFORE you present it to management! nbsp;There were two separate conversations that took place. The first was with my direct manager do everything you can to not go over your direct managers head - give the professional courtesy to bring them in first so theyre not caught off guard. It was a completely rational conversation where he talked me through the pros and cons of each side, made it clear that he wanted me to stay, but he could not make me a counter offer that decision is above his pay grade. He then asked what I wanted him to do, and he recommended he talk to his boss for me first.nbsp;The next conversation was with the big boss, and was also completely calm and professional. He made it clear that he wanted me to stay, and we had a blunt discussion about what I liked and didnt like about my current position. I discussed with him changes I would like to see NOT related to compensation that would help me feel better, like some level of cross-training so the entire pipeline doesnt stop if I want to take a vacation or get sick. Only after we had that conversation did we get into compensation.nbsp;Be prepared to answer the question how much will it take for you to stay? In this case it was clear to me that my relationship with management was strong, my current position was great for my professional development as well as being highly visible and highly rewarding. On the other hand, I was clearly under-compensated for the amount of work I was doing and that had to be adjusted. I laid out a number of different scenarios in a spreadsheet before this meeting to know exactly what number it would take to be competitive with the new offer, which it turns out was around 25. nbsp;So, I answered with 30-35 in hindsight this was a mistake, I should have given one number - I hear 35 but the other side of the table probably hears 30. I was countered with 25, a promotion, and a 20 bonus. It was right what I wanted, so I took some time to think about it and let them know by the end of the day that I would be staying on board. We then had a very productive conversation about where I see the position leading, changes I would like to see, and I tried to warn him that the promotion would ruffle the feathers of other coworkers.nbsp;So I guess the TL;DR takeaways for using a new offer to get a raise are:nbsp; Bust your ass to make yourself a crucial part of your team; you need professional leverage that will make it difficult for them to let you walk out the door. Find the right position and genuinely be ready to take it Be professional in your conversations. Good managers shouldnt become combative, they should understand that this is a part of business. Do not burn bridges if you can avoid it Frame your conversations first about what you like about your current position, then about what you dont like, THEN about compensation. And really, if you cant think of any likes you should just take the other offer. Finally, if you do accept a counter offer, be ready to bust your ass to earn it - youre going to have a target on your back for a while and management will look to get their pound of flesh from you.nbsp;But again, most importantly, BE READY TO TAKE THE NEW POSITION and dont burn bridges. There is a very real chance they will be unwilling or unable to even counter your offer. Staying without a counter in my view could be too damaging to your professional reputation.  <response>: I was in a similar situation but wasnt prepared when they asked me what it would take to stay. Im still kicking myself today.I wanted them to offer me what I wanted without asking so I wouldnt seem demanding. In hindsight I didnt do anyone any favors. Nobody gives away free money and they were left in the dark with how to keep me. That forced my hand to leave.Im happy with where I am now but had I given then solid numbers and my desired plan instead of some vague numbers and just focusing on what was wrong, there is a decent chance Id be in an even better situation today. 