It is difficult to reconstruct a year of work from memory. A small, private log can help you describe contributions accurately during a review without turning the process into a list of inflated claims.
Record evidence as work happens
- Note the problem, your contribution, and the resulting change.
- Save links to shipped work, feedback, or metrics you are allowed to share.
- Record collaboration, maintenance, and incident work as well as visible feature launches.
Respect confidentiality
Do not copy customer records, private company documents, or sensitive metrics into a personal file. Keep only references and summaries that your employer's policies allow.
Before the review, group examples by role expectations and identify what you learned. Ask your manager for the evaluation criteria early if they are unclear.