Many organizations conduct year-end performance reviews, and acing them often is your ticket to a pay raise or promotion.

Here’s how to prepare:

¢ Be prepared. Conduct a self-review before you meet with your manager. Be honest with yourself – evaluate how well you managed your objectives, summarize what you accomplished and give yourself an overall rating.

Be sure to include detailed information.

¢ Brag a little. Be sure to share one or two stories that illustrate how you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty.

¢ Study your weaknesses. Identify what you can do better, and have a plan prepared illustrating how.

¢ During your review meeting, take notes. It will be useful for you to have them so that you can follow up properly during your next review.

¢ Keep the conversation focused on yourself, advises Erisa Ojimba at Salary.com. It may be tempting to talk about your colleagues, but don’t succumb.