help!! appraisals

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Hi,

I was wondering if any of you have done appraisals/goal setting with your manager and also how you have used them to progress in IT?

I've been in my job (2nd line support) for about 4 months and have been told my appraisal is coming up to set my goals etc for the future. It will be my first appraisal doing an IT job, so I don't really know what to expect.

any thoughts or good tips?

thanks

 

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Well you can actually take a critical look on all the areas you are in charge of, find out what needs to be done more or less so as to improve on them either to save costs or to make the area perform more efficiently. That can actually give you a projection of how things will go in the near future with the company.. This is just a thought anyway

 

You could try using SFIA and as an end-user, registration is free.

http://www.sfia.org.uk/cgi-bin/wms.pl/1002

 

An appraisal is for you and your manager to provide feedback on your performance. To include such things as:

1. Areas of excellent
2. Areas of improvement.
3. Training requirements (skill gaps)

You will normally set yourself goals to achieve over the coming months. These should normally follow the SMART template which is

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timebound

An example would be to pass the MS 70-290 exam by the end of Jan 2009 or to train 1st Line Support Staff on how to add new Users to Active Directory by the end of Jan 2009.

Sometimes, depending on the company they may even set you personal goals as well.

See this as a good sign as appraisals mean that the company want you to develop and if you achieve your goals then normally you will recieve a pay rise!

Good luck.

 

Excellent advice already provided - I can only add my agreement.

 

Thanks for the tips/links. I feel more confident now. Thanks for reminding me about the SMART targets...

I think I'm more nervous because it's my first IT job and it was flipping difficult find in the first place.

I'll try my best.

Thanks.