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The Secret to Getting a Good Review or Raise

Reprinted with permission from H2O Magazine

You’ve worked hard at your job and it’s time for your review and hopefully that much-needed raise.

Here are three things you need to start doing right away to ensure your review goes smoothly:

1. To receive a good review and possible raise, immediately after your last review, start keeping a word-processed bulleted list of all your accomplishments and your productivity. Continue keeping this list on an on-going basis.

2. About a month before your review, provide your supervisor with the list including the inclusive dates to which it applies. Be sure to include any presentations and travel for the company.

3. Quantify your accomplishments. For example, instead of “Answered customer service calls,” list, “Answered as many as 25 incoming calls a day and directed them to the proper employee.” Also give the results of your accomplishments such as “Gave presentation to management recommending how to improve customer service. Management implemented recommendations resulting in 25% improvement in efficiency as measured by weekly productivity reports.” Use words like “approximately” or “as many as” to estimate the highest volume of productivity you performed.

Rather than expecting your supervisor to know or remember everything you’ve accomplished, provide the list.  By doing so, your supervisor has information documenting your productive performance.  If you don’t receive as good a review as you expect, you have a solid basis for discussion.  However, your professional list is much more likely to show your manager that you are a proactive employee who keeps accurate records and hopefully will earn you a good review and a well-deserved raise.

Terry Wynne
Certified Career Coach

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