First Grown Up Job Guide: Preparing for a Performance Review

By July 3, 2018For Talent

As part of our First Grown Up Job Guide, we have covered everything from being assertive to negotiating a pay rise.

This week we decided to cover something that a lot of people struggle with, performance reviews.

If you’ve never had a performance review before don’t worry, they are not as scary or as daunting as they might seem. Just follow our tips and advice and you’ll breeze through it. Here are five things you should do to prepare.

Gather your evidence

Do you think you deserve a raise? Or maybe you just want to prove that you should be kept on after your probation? Either way, if you want to make a good impression during your performance review then you need to back up your achievements with hard facts.

State your case by listing out your accomplishments including how much money you’ve made for the company, the skills you’ve learned, the relationships you’ve built and the projects you’ve completed over the past six months or year.

Evaluate your position

Before your review, you should take some time to do a self-evaluation. You’ve already listed out your various accomplishments, now is the time to take a step back and think about your role and how it has evolved.

If you can, check out your initial job description and go through each requirement. Have you met or exceeded them? Has your role changed? If it has then you may need to renegotiate your pay or change your contract.

Performance reviewResearch salaries

A performance review is the perfect time to ask for a pay rise. It’s important that you go into the negotiation armed with facts. Check out websites like PayScale to find out the average salary of someone in your position. But remember that salaries can vary from city to city.

If it’s your first job you may be tempted to settle for a low figure just to keep your job. Don’t sell yourself short! Ask for a pay rise that you feel happy and comfortable with. You can find more negotiating tips here. 

Have a plan for the future

You should go into your performance review with a clear plan for your future regarding goals and what you would like to accomplish in the next year. It’s also a great time to discuss any issues that you may have in meeting performance expectations.

This will show our employer that you are dedicated to the company but also ambitious in your own career.

Accept that there will be criticism

Even the best employee will have skills that they need to work on. Don’t be surprised if your manager discusses some of your downfalls as well as your many achievements.

It’s important to keep a positive attitude when receiving criticism from your employer. Showing that you can hear criticism, not take it personally, and use it to improve your performance shows a good work ethic.

 


Sounds good? Are you ready to exceed expectations in your first grownup job? Check out the grad jobs we have on the Jobbio site here


 

Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

More posts by Alice Murray

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