J is for… Journal
We recommend that you keep a career journal throughout the year to keep track of your performance. When you are preparing for your upcoming appraisal you should take the time to review the notes in your career journal.
Identify any particular trends, skills etc. You will often get asked (among other questions):
- what work you have done,
- what work you have enjoyed doing and
- what skills you would like to develop
Your journal entries can give the foundations for answering these questions.
If you know what questions your employer will ask – prepare for these in advance.
If you don’t keep a journal – we would suggest that you might like to start today. Your Career Journal does not have to be detailed – it can be in the style of a bullet journl with a simple records of what you are working on, your activities, accomplishments, successes amd challenges as they happen. I also personally include an end of month review each month, as this makes it easier to keep track of everything you have done during the year and so that you aren’t just talking about recent events at your appraisal.