I have no one else to share this with so it's going here! And reading all the other stories here helped me so maybe this will help someone else.
Last year, my team of 5 was down a person for 4 months, had a shitty newer employee who eventually quit in December and then 2 new employees started in December (read training). To say we were busy is an understatement.
I was fully expecting to be rewarded handsomely for my efforts in February when our annual reviews were conducted and raises and annual bonuses were awarded. My review was excellent and I was feeling goooood. You guys….my company had record profits and “the biggest bonus pool in company history” – I got a 4% raise and my bonus was only $200 more than the year before (so technically less than the year before considering inflation).
I was furious/angry/upset and I let my manager know it. She told me I got one of the biggest raises on the team and the market wouldn't support paying more.
Challenge accepted.
After 20+ interviews and declining 4 other offers (one place wouldn't tell me how much their benefits cost) I finally got THE offer – $20k more a year, a $5k signing bonus and no more late nights. I'm beyond excited. Don't EVER let someone else tell you how much you're worth. Thanks for reading!
Now, how to word my resignation letter….