How to get the 5 star review from your boss
1. Know what is expected of you – Many people start a job and read the job description, but they really don’t know what is expected of them. After the first few days on the job, ask a lot of questions. Then put together what your thoughts are on what you believe is expected. Then sit with your boss to go over expectations.
2. Get feedback often – This can sometimes be intimidating, but it must be done. Every few months ask your boss how he thinks you are doing or what you can improve upon. It does not have to be formal. You can say things like “how can I make this better next time” or “did this meet your expectations"? Sometimes people will find out that they are not meeting their bosses expectations of their boss when they thought that they were. If you don’t ask, you don't know.
3. Track your progress and feedback – write it all down, especially the good things! When your boss says “great job”, “amazing”, "I really like how you did X", etc. Write it down, write it all down. Also, include the task that it was related toyou have a point of reference. When it’s review time you can remind them of why you believe that you are doing well.
4. Ask for more responsibility – People don’t like this but your value is in what you know! Once you have master one thing, learn how to do something else. Your boss will see you as a go getter and will appreciate the request. Sometimes, your boss can be so consumed with other things that they do not remember to help you expand your skills sets. But at the end of the day, this is up to you.
5. Help out – Sometimes other people in the organization will need help on tasks and projects. Is it your job? No. But it doesn’t hurt to help someone out because more times than not they will return the favor. Put this in your notes and mention it to your boss. Don’t see it as ratting that person out. This is showing that you are a team player and you deserve to be recognized for it.
6. Identify your own areas of improvement – After a few months you will know what you need to work on. Don’t wait until review time to tackle this. Go to your boss and let them know what you want to improve and you need their help. The ask might be as simple as saying “I want to get better at XYZ, do you have any suggestions as to how I can do that better?" Your boss was once is your position and they are human. If they are your boss it’s likely that they are doing something right, so use this as an opportunity to learn and grow.