CBS4′s Gloria Neal found that when it comes to asking for a raise, it’s a good idea to take a hard look at yourself.

“Perform a realistic self assessment. In other words, show how you’ve taken on more work. Then show the evidence of your increased productivity,” Neal said. “Also, stay calm when you talk to your boss about deserving more money and don’t get personal and say things like ‘I really need the money’ because of this or that thing in your life that might be going wrong.”

Employers in and around the Denver metro area have given, on average, a pay raise of 3.2 percent this year and are set to give a 3.6 percent raise for next year.

But just because your boss can doesn’t mean she or he will.