Chapter 1: Preparing for Your Performance Review

As the year comes to a close, it's crucial to evaluate your goals and achievements. These assessments often take place during significant one-on-one meetings with your manager. A successful performance review can lead to:

• Opportunities for promotion
• Salary increases
• Enhanced recognition within the company

Prior to your meeting, take the time to assess your progress on your objectives to better understand the direction of your conversation.

It is a common misconception that:

> Excellent programmers excel while management simply obstructs progress.

However, it is vital to manage your relationship with your manager effectively. One phrase can significantly undermine this effort and potentially jeopardize your career trajectory:

The One Thing You Should Never Say

Never utter the phrase:

> "That's not my job."

Similar statements such as:

• "It’s not in my job description."
• "That’s Sharon’s responsibility."

are equally detrimental. Even if you don't work directly with someone named Sharon, you may encounter a colleague who embodies this mindset. Saying things like "It isn’t my job" or "That’s not my concern" can create a negative impression.

The role of a software developer is straightforward: write software, maintain it, and contribute to the company's success.

What Should You Say Instead?

#### Improving Technical Skills

Does your job description include hours dedicated to skill enhancement? The expectation is often that you will invest time in self-improvement, regardless of the circumstances. Employers may suggest that you seek opportunities to learn and grow in your career.

What to Say: "What assistance can you provide me? How can I ensure the quality of my work?"

#### Beyond the Job Description

Many tasks fall outside the official job description. To distinguish yourself as a top performer, you need to go above and beyond to enhance your projects. Indicating that you are only willing to fulfill your basic duties may signal to your manager that you are not a team player.

This doesn’t imply that a leading developer should compromise their principles, but it does suggest that they should be open to taking on additional responsibilities.

What to Say: "How does this contribute to my development and journey within the organization?"

#### Ownership and Responsibility

Are you someone who merely hands off tasks to testers, believing that quality assurance is someone else's responsibility? This mindset is unfortunately prevalent in the development community.

What to Say: "How can I assist in this process?"

Conclusion

Embrace accountability. Perform your duties diligently, and you will reap the rewards.

Chapter 2: Video Insights on Performance Reviews

In this video titled "Preparing for the Performance Review as a Software Engineer (from an engineering manager)", experts discuss strategies to effectively navigate performance reviews and what to focus on for a successful evaluation.

The second video, "Is It Almost IMPOSSIBLE To Become a Good Software Engineer?", delves into the challenges faced by software engineers and offers insights on overcoming obstacles to achieve success in the field.