Track Your Work Progress Throughout the Year
When it comes time for your annual review or you want to ask for a raise, you probably know that you will need to back up your request for extra money or a better title with examples of your good work.
As we enter the third month of the year, it’s time to pause and take stock of what you have achieved so far this year and catalog anything you may have forgotten.
Here are the ways to track.
Take simultaneous notes
Take notes in a Google doc, Notes app, or dated journal when you have a major “win” at work or regularly perform tasks that exceed your salary. You don’t need to write down every time your boss smiles at you, but write down the times when you are singled out, such as in a public email or you are helping a colleague with a big project.
I love OneNote , which I use for many different projects and tasks. One important thing to keep in mind: make sure everything is dated, and if it’s an email or message from someone else, make sure it’s identifiable. Alternatively, use a one-line diary a day to write about your day at work.
If you’d like to go further for your own reflection, I’ll love this breakdown from Idealist Careers on how to think about your accomplishments:
- Think about the problem you need to solve.
- What obstacles did you have to overcome to solve it?
- List the steps you took to solve the problem, one by one.
- What happened as a result of your actions?
Here are a few more things you can consider for tracking with TopResume.com :
- Difficult peer situations that you have successfully overcome and how you did it.
- Completing Tasks and Projects on Time and How You Did It: Track all projects and tasks, even those that you think are small.
- Overcoming Pressure: Consider times when you have been under pressure but still succeeded in achieving your goals.
- Exceeding Expectations: Track the times when you know you exceeded expectations and why.
You won’t be using all or even most of this when the time comes for your review, but it’s good to have a record for your personal progress.
Take screenshots of everything
If your boss compliments you in an email or Slack conversation, take a screenshot and attach a copy where you will keep your notes.
Review your calendar
If you save appointments and schedule due dates on your calendar, swipe back to refresh your memory. You can also record your accomplishments on your calendar, and don’t forget to set calendar reminders for periodic mini-reviews with yourself.
Keep a box of achievements
Brought to you by Ximenu Vengoechea, the woman who first wrote about life auditing , the window of achievement is what it sounds like. You write down your achievements and put them all in some kind of container. Then you can go back and review them whenever you want. Plus, you’ll have a physical reminder of your progress in sight.
Make a spreadsheet
If you don’t like the Journal App or the Achievement Window, try writing everything down in a spreadsheet that is easy to sort and customize to your liking. There are tons of more ideas in this post for other ways to get winnings.
Imagine you are a job seeker
To prepare for your interview, you try your best: you clean up your resume, work on your sales pitch, and practice answering questions your potential employer might ask. So apply this to your current position: if you want a promotion, think of it as a new job. How would you impress a hiring manager? What would you bring them to convince them to hire you, how to prove that you are suitable for the job? This can help you figure out what to bring to your current boss. For instance:
Actively seek metrics
Another great thing about hiring is that employers are looking for metrics on your resume that are the climax results you’ve already received, not just a list of your responsibilities. So if you work in something like the media, a list of your most popular stories (which you have submitted) can be helpful. You may have been working on the whitepaper that made a splash in your industry – keep a copy. Show your employer the results of the work you are doing so hard for them.
Make your review
You don’t have to do it every day or even every week, but doing it more often will make you more comfortable with it and your job in general. As Vengoecha notes, writing down and analyzing your accomplishments can be a great motivator to do even better work.
When it comes time to sit down with your boss, don’t take all your notes, day books, and calendars with you. Refresh yourself with what they have and prepare a couple of pages detailing your top performers and your most significant contributions. Then write an additional email outlining your accomplishments (with dates and supporting evidence, if needed). And enjoy your promotion.