Performance reviews can be really stressful.

Illustration of two stick figures. One has no hair and is smiling, the other one has short curly hair and looks unhappy.

person 1: here’s the self assessment form to fill out!
person 2 (thought bubble): AWESOME PLAN: procrastinate for 2 weeks and then do it at the last minute in a panic!

Here’s what I’ve been doing for the last year or so, which has helped! About a month before performance review season comes around, I’ll compile a HUGE DOCUMENT with: - every project I did in the last year - the project’s goals & results - cool graphs/metrics that show it was a success - what my contributions to the project were - people I’ve mentored (eg an intern!) - project plans & documentation I’ve written and send it to my manager.

My manager’s reaction: Illustration of a smiling stick figure with no hair.

THANK YOU! Having all this information makes it really easy for me to explain why your work is so great!