Unit 7 Performance Appraisal and Career Path

A. Self – Appraisal
B. Career Planning Goals and Process
C. Self-Introduction
D. Art of Participating in Group Discussion/Modelling
E. Resume building.
F. Personal Interview
Note: Topics on Resume building and Personal Interview are optional. These
topics are included in GPC (Purposive Communication subject)
Projecting a Positive Social Image

At the end of the topic the students will be able to:

1. Develop Career Planning goals.

2. Evaluate own knowledge and skills and identify gaps for reaching personal and
professional goal.
3. Check one’s self or personality.
4. Create an impressive resume.
Self-appraisals

We are all used to being judged by a lot of people – parents, teachers, and bosses.
Sometimes we may feel we do not get to have our fair share of the argument. Self-
appraisal, as the term suggests is the process where the employee reviews his/her
own performance. It is a process in which employees are given the opportunity to
scrutinize their own performance and assess their own strengths and weaknesses . In
this way, they can find out their areas of improvement and make a list of their
accomplishments over the year.

Why are self-appraisals so important?

While the self-appraisal process is considered as most dreadful and monotonous task
by most employees it is one of the most robust processes and the introduction of self-
appraisal process in an organization can provide enormous benefits if done precisely.

Here are the reasons why the self-appraisal process plays an important part in today’s
high-flux organization structure-

 A sense of motivation – When employees are given the opportunity to self-

evaluate, they feel empowered. They realize that their opinions do matter and
are taken into consideration during performance review discussions. Each
employee has active participation in the performance review process. This is
also a good time to identify motivated employees according to the quality
 of goals set by themselves and their self-evaluations. A motivated workforce
eventually yields a better output which is beneficial to the growth of an
organization.
 Ownership of work – For starters it gives them ownership of their work. It
makes them more accountable for their actions. It takes the employee from
being a passive observer to an active participant in the review process.
Managers should take it as an opportunity to show their employees that their
opinions are taken seriously.
 Healthy employer-employee relationship – Self-appraisals helps in
improving employer-employee relations in the workplace. Self-appraisals
initiate an engaging and continuous conversation between employer and
employees. Hence, there is no chance of conflict between employer and
employee.
 Two-way communication – Performance management works best when
there is two-way communication between the manager and the employee. This
is often overlooked in their day-to-day interactions. Self-appraisals can
formalize this interaction to a great extent. Self-appraisal process paves way
for two-way communication between employer and employee. This helps in
revealing the overall performance of employees. It gives deeper insights and a
clear picture of employees’ accomplishments as well as weaknesses in certain
areas.
 Eliminates discrepancies– Managers always have a different perspective
than the employee. Even managers who work closely with their teams cannot
always see the employee’s side of the story. Therefore sometimes managers
are caught off-guard during performance review meetings where she and her
employer have a completely different perception of her performance. Since self-
appraisals provides a complete picture of employee’s strengths and weakness
it helps in removing discrepancies if any. Both employer and employee match
their records to ensure that all accomplishments and drawbacks are taken into
 consideration during the final performance review. Therefore, it eliminates the
chances of disparity.
 Career growth – While performing self-appraisals employees get to know
their strengths and weaknesses. They identify the areas in which they are weak
and need improvements. The training needs are revealed. The can also list
down the roles which they enjoyed, projects they loved doing, future
preferences. These inputs can be provided to managers for better career
prospects. Self-appraisal is an opportunity for the employee not only to tell his
boss about his achievements but also problems that he is facing and what he
requires from the management to perform better. Even if self-appraisals do not
have any impact on compensation, it can certainly help the employee grow.

How to write a great self-appraisal

A good place to start is to look at your last self-appraisal and think how the
management had acknowledged it. If the response from the management was not
that good, maybe this time you should rethink and avoid the same mistakes.
Focus on your positives and use the company guidelines to format your self-review.
Instead of talking about your faults, talk about the areas you need to improve and
maybe also ask for some training. Follow the tips below to ace that performance
appraisal.

1. Ask your manager what the appraisal is for

Before you get started to ask your manager what it will be used for. Will it play a
major role in your review? Will it be used to decide your raise or promotion? Or will it
be shown to other managers and executives? This will give you a better idea of what
you want to accomplish when you write the self-review.
2. Talk about your accomplishments

You should try to concentrate on your accomplishments rather than your failures. But
do not overemphasize your contributions; neither should you downplay your success.
Write down the objectives you were given and how efficiently you had accomplished
them. Do not be afraid to get specific with examples.

3. Acknowledge your mistakes

Own up to what you did wrong. But do not give them a noose to hang you with. Do
not blame others for your failures. Try and put an ‘I would like to develop more’ spin
on it. Tell them about which areas you would like to improve. You can also ask for
additional training from the company.

4. Keep them focused

Define what role you were in, what the company’s expectation from that role was and
how you fulfilled it. If there were some targets that you could not meet, talk about
how you intend to change that next year.

5. Be professional

Make sure there are no spelling mistakes and that you have maintained a professional
tone throughout the document. Do not exaggerate your accomplishments or
downfalls. It should be concise and balanced.

6. Ask for what you need

If there are certain parts of your job you are more interested in, ask how you can get
involved in those roles more in the coming year. You can ask to be included in certain
meetings or ask for funding so that you can take a course on something that might
benefit the company in the future.

Make a Career Plan

A career plan lists short- and long-term career goals and the actions you can take to
achieve them. Career plans can help you make decisions about what classes to take, and
identify the extracurricular activities, research, and internships that will make you a strong
job candidate.

Below are some helpful steps to guide you in creating a career plan customized to your
interests and ambitions. Still have questions? We are here to help -- set up an
appointment with a Career Advisor to get started or review your plan.

8 Steps to an Effective Career Plan

1. Identify Your Career Options. Develop a refined list of career options by examining
your interests, skills, and values through self-assessment. Narrow your career
options by reviewing career information, researching companies, and talking to
professionals in the field.

2. Prioritize. It is not enough to list options. You must prioritize. What are your top
skills? What interests you the most? What is most important to you? Whether it's
intellectually challenging work, family-friendly benefits, the right location or a big
paycheck, it helps to know what matters to you -- and what's a deal-breaker. We
provide skills and values assessments -- set up an appointment with a Career
Advisor to take advantage of this service.

3. Make Comparisons. Compare your most promising career options against your
list of prioritized skills, interests and values.
4. Consider Other Factors. You should consider factors beyond personal preferences.
What is the current demand for this field? If the demand is low or entry is difficult,
are you comfortable with risk? What qualifications are required to enter the field?
Will it require additional education or training? How will selecting this option affect
you and others in your life? Gather advice from friends, colleagues, and family
members. Consider potential outcomes and barriers for each of your final options.

5. Make a Choice. Choose the career paths that are best for you. How many paths
you choose depends upon your situation and comfort level. If you’re early in your
planning, then identifying multiple options may be best. You may want several
paths to increase the number of potential opportunities. Conversely, narrowing to
one or two options may better focus your job search or graduate school
applications.

6. Set "SMART" Goals. Now that you have identified your career options, develop an
action plan to implement this decision. Identify specific, time-bound goals and
steps to accomplish your plan. Set short-term goals (to be achieved in one year or
less) and long-term goals (to be achieved in one to five years).
 Specific -- Identify your goal clearly and specifically.
 Measurable -- Include clear criteria to determine progress and
accomplishment.
 Attainable -- The goal should have a 50 percent or greater chance of
success.
 Relevant -- The goal is important and relevant to you.
 Time bound -- Commit to a specific timeframe.

7. Create Your Career Action Plan. It is important to be realistic about expectations

and timelines. Write down specific action steps to take to achieve your goals and
help yourself stay organized. Check them off as you complete them, but feel free
 to amend your career action plan as needed. Your goals and priorities may change,
and that is perfectly okay.

8. Meet with a Career Advisor. Our advisors are here to help you make effective
career decisions.
Art of Participating In Group Discussions

Mastering the art of participating as a responsible member during group discussions is a

crucial leadership skill. It allows us to organize and run the meeting confidently and

effectively. It also helps us speak our views during the discourse.

Following are 10 guidelines that can help during discussions ensuring

effective meetings:

1. Respect others, especially those who are responsible for running the meeting.
Remember you are sitting and discussing with future leaders!

2. Keep a notebook with you and keep track of the major points discussed. It will
help you get more involved in the discussion and refer to prime points used by
others when needed.
 3. Do not interrupt when someone speaks. Raise your hand if you want to make
a point and wait till the facilitator permits you to speak. Learn to overcome the
tendency to interrupt and learn to wait patiently for your turn.

4. Do not dominate the meeting by speaking for a long time.

5. Listen carefully when someone makes a point and learn to respect their views
even when you do not agree. When you differ, gently tell that you respect their
viewpoint though you do not agree with what is said or you would like to look
at it from another angle or perspective.

6. Spend a few minutes to reflect and put your thoughts together before you
speak. It will help you to communicate clearly, in an orderly manner with right
and well-chosen words.

7. Do not let emotions control you when you speak. If you are emotionally
disturbed (angry, upset, unhappy about the proceedings), gently tell the group,
‘I feel this is not the way to go about with the discussion’ without accusing
others. When you say, ‘I feel…’, you own up your emotions and speak for
yourself without hurting others.

8. Be inclusive, recognize discordant views, and take part in constructive dialogue

to resolve them.

9. Make sure that the meeting begins on time and ends on time. If someone
speaks for a long time, gently remind the person to make it short.

10. If anyone goes out of the topic, gently remind the person to come back to the
point.

Remember, you have limited opportunities to speak in a short meeting. Make a real
impact when you speak!
 CONGRATULATIONS

References
Amparo, S. (2008). Personality for Today's Young Professional. National
Bookstore.
Charo, B., Galang, E. M., Perez, G. H., Sabater, T. R., & Salise, P. B. (2009).
Personality Development. Mutya Publishing House Inc.
Magalona, E., Salting Sad-Sad, E., & Magalona, E. (2015). Personality
Development: A Scientific Approach. Mindshapers C. Inc.