Empower Your Career: The Art of Crafting a Brag Book for Annual Reviews
Written by Kimberly Jacobs
As the end of the year and your annual performance review approaches, it’s important to reflect and showcase your accomplishments and contributions over the past year. One powerful tool that can significantly enhance this process is a brag book – a carefully curated collection of your professional achievements, successes, and contributions. Compiling and preparing your brag book can be a game-changer for your annual review and bolster your resilience and success throughout your career as you update and maintain it.
Ideally, you’ve been documenting, compiling, and keeping track of highlights throughout the year. If you haven’t formally kept track, review documents from project meetings, 1:1s with your manager and team, emails, and other sources to highlight your impact. Also, cross-check your documentation with the goals you discussed with your manager at the start of the year. Make sure it tells the story of your journey this year and showcases the value you’ve added to your team and the company.
Here are key things you should highlight in your brag book:
- Quantifiable Achievements: Accomplishments that can be measured, whether meeting or surpassing targets, increasing efficiency, or driving revenue growth, including specific numbers, add weight to your successes.
- Positive Feedback and Testimonials: Incorporate positive feedback from colleagues, superiors, and clients to validate your skills externally and reinforce the impact you’ve had on those around you.
- Project Success Stories: Highlight successful projects you were involved in, including outlining your role, the challenges faced, and the positive outcomes achieved to demonstrate your skills and ability to navigate challenges effectively.
- Professional Development: Showcase any new skills, certifications, or training you’ve acquired during the year that reflects your commitment to personal growth and dedication to staying relevant in a constantly evolving professional landscape.
Customize your brag book to fit your work, professional development, and career goals. Begin to set regular times throughout the year to update it – weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Besides using it for your annual review, it can also be used for job interviews, requesting a promotion, or celebrating your accomplishments regularly.
Remember, creating a well-crafted brag book is a powerful tool beyond self-promotion. It is a testament to your dedication, skills, and the positive impact you’ve had on your team and organization. By effectively communicating your successes, you set yourself up for a successful annual review and gain a positive sense of self and confidence due to your clearly identified success and growth.
Here are some brag book templates you might find helpful: