Your resume should show business accomplishments from your work. Yet, when you sit down to figure out what those accomplishments are, your mind turns into a blank slate. Nothing there. Can’t think of anything.

While some of that is because we just don’t do a good job of writing down our accomplishments when they occur, there’s another sneaky little villain holding many of us back: ego.

Yes, many of us have egos that beat ourselves up if we start to think our work is important. Or that the accomplishment is, in fact, ours and not everyone else’s. That we were just lucky to be along for the ride.

That timid ego will fail you exactly the moment you need to get your accomplishments down on the resume — or tout them during an interview.

What does your ego need to look for?

What went really well in the last three months

Sometimes, what we think is easy is actually hard for other people to do. Just because you think it was easy doesn’t mean the job market thinks it was easy. In fact, often what we think is “easy” is a job market strength for us.

Doing those ten charts that distills thousands of data points from your whiz-bang database? That’s not easy, that’s a strength.

Finishing that project while breezing around the obstacles given to you by your team? That’s not easy, that’s a strength.

Start with what’s easy for you to do and look for the accomplishments.

Business results in reports

If you have SMART goals — or at least goals that are measurable — go back and look at the measurements taken for the goals. When you see that you made your goals as shown through the measurements, don’t think of that as not worth mentioning — it’s fantastic. Goals are not easy to hit and are difficult to measure, given how management has such a hard time figuring out goals to give you.

Have that ego look at those measurements with a new eye toward achievement; something worthy to proclaim to others in your resume.

Compliments from your manager or coworkers

If you are getting compliments about your work, use those compliments to investigate areas where you are doing great. You shy ego belittles those compliments when, in fact, those compliments show some of your best work. Look behind the compliment to see what you did and how you did it. That becomes something to add to your resume about your work.

You still need to write your accomplishments

Your mind is a terrible place to store data and facts. Once you have your ego looking at the things the right way, you still need to write the accomplishments down.

Regardless: Get more impressed with your work. It makes it easier to access and move your accomplishments into your resume and interviews.

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Let’s take a look at those two types of communication.

Consistently communicating accomplishments imbeds the right perception

Impressions about your work performance dance in your manager’s head at the end of the year. Did Mary do well? Did Joe do better than Mary? Did Mary do well enough to get that coveted “outstanding” rating?

Not that performance facts are not important — they are. But many managers start off with general impressions of the work performance. I know I have. It’s easy to take that general impression and then build the facts around that impression for the review. They are facts, after all — but not the facts you want on your review.

How your manager gets a perception of your work is based on repetition. Or the absence of repetition. In the absence of repetition, any general perception will do. That’s a big risk for you — having a manager pick an impression of your work based on “anything will do.”

Building a perception based on repetition is your best shot at influencing your perception the right way. Consistently demonstrating good performance — and then reporting good performance — is the key to getting a good impression of your work into your manager’s head. And, managers — your manager too.

There are a couple of ways to consistently report on your work performance. One is through your individual meetings with your manager about your work. The key in these meetings is not to just do the “logistics” or status of your work. You need to find some time during the meeting to move up a level and summarize your accomplishments since the last one-on-one meeting with your manager.

“I think the biggest accomplishments for the last week were closing the XYZ account, getting the extension signed by ABC company, and resolving the service problem with EFG.” Accomplishment. Accomplishment. Accomplishment. Every meeting.

Another way to consistently show your accomplishments is through the lowly status report. Every week, you start the status report with the accomplishments from the previous status report. Every time there are accomplishments waiting for the manager.

What happens, then, is that your manager hears or reads your accomplishments in every single meeting and/or status report. You’re getting stuff done. By the time the performance review rolls around, all your manager has heard is how you consistently get things done. That sets the right impression going into the performance review rush. Your coworkers won’t do this — but Cubicle Warriors will.

Changing your goals to reflect current business

The other key communication is to ruthlessly focus on your goals and your goal attainment.

What happens here are the assumptions around which your goals were built change. Something gets delayed and you can’t start work on your goal — now you can’t achieve the planned benefit from it. The management decides X is no longer important to work on, but X is still your goal. That department that was going to support you achieving your goal gets reorganized and will no longer support your goal.

Now, do most of your coworkers go and bang on your manager’s door and help that manager modify their goals to reflect current business conditions? No. What happens at the end of the year when the performance review is written? The goals are still there, just like they were when they were set. What does the manager do with that goal that is no longer attainable, relevant, or timely? At worst, gives you a fail for not achieving it. At best, an “average” rating because, well, business conditions changed and you did some work on it, but clearly, it is not in the outstanding category.

And your entire performance rating goes down because the “average” in your goals.

You, on the other hand, work with your manager to consistently look at your goals and the assumptions behind them. You modify the goals based on the current business conditions — including throwing some out and substituting better, current goals based on business conditions. Then, at the end of the year, your goals are current, crisply attained with no hanging chads out there waiting to drag your rating down.

Never leave your review to chance. You have to have the work performance, of course. But use that performance to ensure you get the performance rating you deserve.

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My post on “How to avoid office distractions and actually get work done” is now up on Dice.com.

Don’t get distracted — check it out!

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The truth is, we all can influence our performance review — if we have anything resembling reasonable managers. If we don’t, well, that’s a completely different story.

Here’s the ultimate influencer: the self-review.

I know. Great let-down, right? The self-review? Yup.

The lousy work done on them gets thrown out the window all the time. But they don’t have to get thrown in the electronic trash can. Here’s what people do wrong when writing their self-reviews:

1. Most people think self-reviews don’t matter

Here’s the deal: your manager won’t remember the work you did during the year. Nor will your manager track your progress on your goals during the year. Too many people, not enough time, too much to do on their own job to worry about the ten people reporting to him or her.

How does your manager remember what you did during the year? Well, first, general impressions are formed through consistent status reports showing your accomplishments. If you have done good status reporting of your good work during the year, your manager will be more open to what you write in your self-review.

Second, you tell your manager your accomplishments in your self-review. And not in a way that is outstanding, but in a way that reflects reality. No one is perfect. No one is horrible. Call your accomplishments as you see them: some great, some fabulous, but great work overall. As long as you did the work. If you didn’t do the work, the better idea is to ignore this advice all together and hope you manager remembers more than you actually produced…

2. Back up the self-review with numbers

Numbers that reflect your impact on the business. Reduced cycle time. Lower inventory. Increased customer satisfaction. Reduced expenses. Increased sales.

Most people say they did a really great job and then fail miserably backing up that statement with numbers that impacted the business from their work. If you are not figuring out the impact of your work through numbers, you need to work on the Measurable part of SMART Goals…

3. Most people write the self-reviews wrong

They write them as if everything they did during the year was perfect. They show everything that was right and nothing that can get improved in their work. They note what they did but blame others for not completing goals.

They lose credibility in their manager’s eyes because what they write is not credible. As soon as a manager smells the “I’m so perfect” mantra coming from the self-review, they throw the credibility of the review right into the electronic trash bin. I know. I’m one of those managers that throw those types of self-reviews right into the trash bin.

The self-review gives your manager reasons to give you the rating

This story is true. I gave a rating to one of my employees that was higher than any rating that person received since they had started with the company. The phone call came from my manager questioning the rating. Because this person wrote a great self-review that contained numbers and the accomplishments against this person’s goals, in less than a minute my manager agreed with the rating, took the notes and was able to defend that rating with his peers.

The employee? An extra 2% increase against the lower rating and an extra $2,000 for the bonus. Thank you very much, self-review.

You can leave your performance rating to the whims of your manager — and with a good manager you might get lucky. The Cubicle Warrior, on the other hand, leaves nothing to chance. Besides your good work, the self-review is your ticket to translate that good work into a rating and ranking that gives you and your family the raises and bonuses you deserve.

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1. The Performance Review Secret
2. SMART Goals and Writing Your Performance Review
3. The single most important action to take on your performance review
4. Writing your performance review matters
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“Contract positions can be appealing due to increased flexibility, higher pay (at times) and as a foot in the door at a company, among other reasons. Before making the jump to contract, there are significant differences you should be aware of between being a contract and full-time employee.”

Check it out!

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photo credit: Darwin Bell

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photo credit: MyDigitalSLR

Goals, hard numbers, proven results — all business, all the time. That’s what counts on the performance review, right? Well, yes, usually those numbers oriented, attainment driven results matter the most on a performance review. But soft skills count as well. Indeed, your soft skills may be the difference between getting that better rating — or job — than your competition.

Business is social

When you go home after work and then complain about your work to whoever will listen, what do you complain about? Usually it is about something someone at work did or how some person (like your manager) is giving you too much work to do or how someone at work just doesn’t get it. It’s that people thing.

Social skills matter. How you tolerate ambiguity in other people, how you handle conflict, how you provide constructive criticism, and how you move things forward in an uncertain team environment go a long way to getting some job satisfaction at work.

In the performance review, this could be considered “getting along with others.” But that’s not really it. Instead, your emotional maturity in handling these different situations point to your job skill of working in a team. Or a difficult environment. It’s not about getting along, it’s about getting results in a way that moves everyone forward.

Business knowledges provide context

One of the soft skills is simply the level of knowledge you have about the business your company is in. How stuff works in your company and who does what and how it gets done is important. This type of knowledge, regardless of experience, allows you to understand how your work fits into a larger picture. How your team’s work does as well.

All of this context helps you communicate better with your peers and others in the company. You understand the shorthand and have fewer misses on understanding what, exactly needs doing in your work. Fewer mistakes translates into a better performance for your review.

Your team matters

When people think about teamwork in relation to performance reviews, they usually, immediately, go to “I went out of my way to help a teammate in a particular situation.” That’s great, but that’s not really much about teamwork. Teamwork, instead, is showing how your unique abilities helped move the team to get results. It’s about showing that your team can count on you to get your part of the work done so they don’t have to cover for you.

Knowing how you fit into the team and the unique skills you bring to help the team get results is a soft skill. That translates into the performance review by achieving the team goals for your review.

Soft skills is a performance review differentiator

Most of us really don’t analyze our soft skills. It’s just who we are and how we act at work and we don’t give it a lot of thought. But, we should. If we can move the needle on how we handle different situations in a way that helps everyone move forward, it helps our job satisfaction. And our performance review.

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1. Job search shows need for soft job skills
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5. Writing Reviews — Your Performance Review Structure

photo credit: lumaxart

Success in business requires that you understand how to be a leader and how to be a team player. Your ability to work effectively within a group is just as valuable as your skills and expertise — because no matter how talented you are, you cannot do all the work that needs to be done alone. A team that works well together can inspire its members to do their best work and can come up with innovative strategies and solutions. Learning how to be an effective member of a team can contribute to your personal success, as well as the overall success of the company. Here’s how you can be a good team player:

Practice Good Communication

Good teamwork requires good communication. Practice active listening — instead of simply thinking about your next point when someone is talking — so that you can really understand the other person’s point of view and ideas. Work on sharing your own ideas clearly and directly. If you have conflict or need to address a problem, handle it constructively. Be honest, but show respect. Don’t resort to personal attacks, blaming others, or making snide remarks. Always be constructive, objective, and respectful.

Be Reliable

A team is only as strong as its individual members. When one person fails to meet responsibilities, the work of the whole team is jeopardized. Make sure that you are meeting your responsibilities and are a dependable member of the team. Do what you say you are going to do. Show up on time. Always be there to lend a helping hand. Go the extra mile. Strengthening your own personal accountability will help to strengthen the team. You will also gain the trust of your team members and inspire them to remain accountable, as well.

Actively Participate

Just because you are working in a group does not mean that you can sit back and let others do all the work. It may seem like you are flying under the radar, but others will notice that you are not contributing. Be an active participant by sharing your ideas, completing your share of the work, and looking for ways to do more. Be prepared. Take initiative. Volunteer to help where needed.

Be Flexible

Don’t expect to show up at 9 everyday and leave right at 5. Don’t say the words “That’s not my job.” The nature of your work is always changing, and different projects can require a different level of commitment. Be willing to stay late if needed. Be willing to try a different approach. Be willing to volunteer to help outside your scope of duties. Flexibility is key to success in any situation.

Support the Team

Whether your project succeeds or fails, you should be able to support your team members. Be there to offer encouragement when needed. Show gratitude for a job well done. Praise other’s good ideas. Acknowledge when a team member overcomes a challenge or finds success. Supporting your team members will help them feel good about the work they are doing so they can do the best job possible, which will benefit everyone on the team.

Learning how to be a good team member is essential to your success. Teams who work well together contribute to the overall success of the company, and individual employees who can contribute to the success of a good team are seen as valuable assets. Working well with a team also inspires the trust and loyalty of your co-workers, creating a supportive and congenial working environment that helps you to do your best work, as well.

About the Author:

Bridget Sandorford is a grant researcher and writer for CulinarySchools.org. Along with her passion for whipping up recipes that incorporate “superfoods”, she recently finished research on culinary schools in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

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If find yourself struggling with depression at work, you are certainly not alone. According to a recent study by the American Psychological Association (APA), over a third of Americans repeatedly experience stress on the job. So what should you do if your cubicle is starting to turn a shade of blue? Here are five points to consider:

1. Awareness of the problem is key. It is certainly normal to feel a bit down every now and then. But when the downs keep coming at you in unmanageable waves then it deserves attention. Work-related stress and depression can significantly hinder job performance and satisfaction so you want to both identify what it is that you are feeling as well as what is triggering it. Some signs to look for include: frustration, apathy, helplessness, impatience, cynicism, a significant decline in one’s professional self-esteem and confidence, feeling overwhelmed, and having difficulty experiencing pleasure.

2. Should you tell.. or should you not? Deciding whether or not to tell your employer about your depression is a delicate issue that should be weighed carefully. One one hand, one way to combat depression is to gain support and understanding from those around you. If your co-workers are aware of your depression they may be able to offer assistance or at least be sensitive to your situation. Moreover, if you are struggling to maintain your level of performance, you may owe it to your employer to make your situation known. Finally, it takes off the burden of having to hide what you are going through from others.

On the other hand, where you believe that you will not receive support, and even more that your job may be at risk, then it may be better to keep it a secret. Telling your employer under these conditions may only increase your feelings of stress and depression.

3. Little changes can go a long way. Even if life is looking pretty gloomy, you may be surprised by what a few easy alterations can do to your outlook. Can you change the way your work space looks by adding pictures of loved ones, a plant, or another pleasant decoration? Can you change the way work gets done, by for example, breaking your job down into small, manageable tasks? Is your desk clean and organized? If it isn’t, then just making some order can help you to feel less overwhelmed.

4. Build a support system. One of the most important factors in successfully handling workplace depression is the network of people you choose to surround yourself with. This network can include close friends, family, mentors, a life coach, and at times a qualified professional, such as a psychologist. Not only can these people offer physical assistance and clarity, but they can be a source of inspiration, emotional support, and a place from which you can draw the strength to keeping going.

5. Learn how to relax. Though this may sound simple enough, often it is a lot easier said than done- especially when you are experiencing significant levels of stress or depression. There are simple techniques that you can do, however, to help yourself relax even under difficult conditions. You could take a series of deep breaths, do a regimen of stretches, press on pressure points located on the face, hands, and torso. You could also use your break time to go for a walk. The positive effects of exercise on one’s mood has been well-documented.

In short, if you are struggling with depression at work, there is hope. With the right attitude and support system you stand a good chance of navigating even the fiercest of waves.

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This guest post is by Gary Barzel, the manager of business development for Fastupfront. Fastupfront offers working capital programs and alternative loans for businesses in need of fast, unsecured financing.

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