No matter your choice of profession, regularly performing self-analysis helps keep your career path on track. This effort needs to include giving yourself your own annual review to take stock of your professional growth. Do you need to learn new skills? What about earning an advanced degree? A yearly review helps you answer these questions.
In short, why should your manager have all the fun? Giving yourself an annual personal review provides many essential benefits. Use this time to set new goals, track your progress towards older goals, and more. Also, document your entire evaluation to use the material during your annual review with your boss. Ultimately, it’s a great way to manage a lifelong and rewarding career.
Review Your Significant Professional Milestones of the Previous Year
Ensure the first step in your annual review involves analyzing the most critical professional events from the previous year. These milestones include the completion of successful projects, any earned certifications, and other similar items. Doing so at the beginning of the review starts the process on a positive note.
What Did You Learn in The Past Year?
Also, be sure to document any new technologies, applications, techniques, or processes you learned over the last 12 months. Perhaps you attended a few training classes or even started work on an advanced degree? Having everything documented helps your planning process and provides material during your regular review with a manager.
Check Progress Towards Your Professional Goals
At this point, you need to track your progress towards achieving your short-term and long-term professional goals. This part of the review needs to include some strong soul-searching and self-analysis. Are you on target to achieve your career dreams? Perhaps you had a productive year and are ahead of schedule? The answers to these critical questions inform the next step of the review.
Update Older Goals While Setting New Ones
Now it comes time to determine your professional plans for the upcoming year. This process includes updating both your short and long-term goals based on the progress you made last year. Maybe you earned a certification and want to follow that up with one that’s more advanced? Whatever you decide, make sure those goals are achievable, and your progress is also trackable.
Based on your goals, be sure to work with your boss to plan any training classes or coursework. If your employer still uses annual reviews, do your own before meeting with your boss. Ultimately, their insights add value to your planning process.
Do You Want to Grow Your Career?
If you need advice on building your career, speak with the experienced recruiters at Synerfac. As one of the top staffing agencies in the country, we also know the companies looking for talented candidates. Connect with us soon!