Vivian Tu Says Do These 4 Things To Get Paid More Right Now
The job market isn't rewarding loyalty or patience right now. According to Vivian Tu — known as Your Rich BFF — it's rewarding the people who advocate for themselves strategically and early.
In a recent video, she laid out the four-step system she said can get you a raise even when no one else on your team is getting one.
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Step 1: Actually Be Good at Your Job
Tu opened with the part nobody says out loud. None of what follows matters if your performance isn't there. She was direct about it: If you're on a performance improvement plan, the negotiation conversation isn't the next move.
This system is for people who are performing well but aren't being compensated accordingly — which, in most organizations, is a much larger group than it should be.
Step 2: Set a Meeting With Your Boss Before Summer Ends
Timing is the piece most people get wrong. Tu said the move is to schedule a conversation now — not during review season when decisions are already made, but while there's still runway to shape them.
The script she recommended is specific: Walk in and tell your manager the first half of the year has been strong, name three concrete things you've accomplished and then lay out your goals for the next six months. After that, ask the question that actually drives the whole conversation: What additional milestones do I need to hit to be on track for a promotion or raise?
Step 3: Keep a Brag Book Through the Rest of the Year
This is the part that separates people who ask for raises from people who get them. Tu's system is simple: Create a folder in your email and forward anything positive that comes your way into it. Think things like client compliments, project wins, recognition from leadership and metrics that moved in the right direction.
The goal is to have a running, evidence-based record of your impact rather than relying on memory when it counts.
Step 4: Schedule Two More Meetings — October and December
Tu recommended an October check-in to reiterate what you're asking for and share how you're tracking against the goals you set together earlier in the year. Then a December meeting — timed to when managers are receiving budgets from HR and deciding how to allocate them across their teams — to present your greatest hits and make sure your boss has everything needed to advocate for you when those budget decisions are being made.
The December meeting is also useful for reading the room. It gives you an early signal about whether you're likely to get what you want, or whether you need to recalibrate your expectations or your timeline.
Tu's closing point is well worth internalizing. The smartest person in the room is rarely the highest-paid one. It's the squeakiest wheel — the person who consistently advocates for themselves, shows up prepared and makes it easy for their manager to say yes.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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