Jenny Rajan
8 July, 2025
8 min read
How to Write a Self-Evaluation That Gets Noticed
Writing a self-evaluation doesn’t come naturally to most people. It’s either too vague, too self-critical, or too over-polished to feel honest. But a well-structured self-evaluation is a powerful tool for your growth and visibility.
In this guide, we’ll cover what a self-evaluation really is, why it matters, how to write one, and what mistakes to avoid plus examples and tools to help you get it right.
What Is a Self-Evaluation? (And What Should It Be?)
A self-evaluation gives you the space to step back from the day-to-day and take a closer look at the bigger picture of your work.
What did you accomplish? Where did you grow? What challenges did you face and how did you respond?
It’s both a record and a reflection….
Beyond tracking performance, it reveals how you think, what you value, and how you see yourself evolving within your role. A strong self-evaluation connects your daily contributions to the goals of the team and company, while also signaling where you want to go next.
Why Are Self-Evaluations Important?
Even the most attentive managers don’t see everything you do. A self-evaluation bridges that visibility gap giving shape to your work, your wins, and your growth that might otherwise go unnoticed.
But its value goes well beyond recognition…
A well-written self-evaluation helps you:
Reflect deeply on what you’ve done well and where you want to improve
Build a clear case for a raise, promotion, or expanded responsibilities
Create a record of your progress that’s useful when switching teams or applying internally
Lay the groundwork for more thoughtful, two-way conversations during performance reviews
When you take this process seriously, you’re showing how you think and where you’re headed.
Steps to Write a Self-Evaluation
You don’t need to overcomplicate it but you do need structure. A clear, thoughtful self-evaluation follows a rhythm that makes it easy for your manager to understand where you’ve been and where you’re headed.
Here’s a format that works without feeling like a template:
Step 1: Set the Stage with Context
Start by grounding your evaluation in your current role. What were your responsibilities this cycle?
This sets expectations. It tells your manager what kind of impact to look for and what lens you’re evaluating yourself through.
Example:
“As a content strategist, my primary focus this quarter was increasing organic search traffic and supporting product launches through targeted campaigns.”
Step 2: Highlight Key Achievements
This is the heart of your self-evaluation. Pick 3–5 standout accomplishments but don’t just list what you did. Explain the result or outcome. Focus on impact, not activity.
If you have metrics, great. If not, describe what changed because of your work such as efficiency, quality, speed, engagement, satisfaction.
Example:
“Revamped our onboarding emails, leading to a 22% increase in product adoption within the first 7 days.”
Step 3: Talk About Growth and Development
Reflect on how you've improved either through new skills, deeper understanding, or a change in how you approach problems. Growth can be technical, strategic, or interpersonal.
This section shows that you’re not just clocking in but you are improving
Example:
“Faced with increased client volume, I streamlined my workflow using automation tools, which cut down my reporting time by nearly half.”
Step 4: Be Honest About Challenges
You’re not expected to have a flawless quarter. What didn’t go as planned? What proved more difficult than expected? And more importantly how did you respond?
This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about showing self-awareness and adaptability.
Example:
“Q2 was especially challenging due to shifting deadlines across departments. I’ve started building more buffer into timelines and now initiate earlier check-ins with stakeholders to flag risks sooner.”
Step 5: Define Your Future Goals
Look ahead. What do you want to work on next? Is there a skill gap you’d like to fill? A new project type you’re eager to take on? Use this section to signal where you’re headed and invite support or feedback.
Example:
“I’d like to build more fluency in data analysis, particularly in Tableau, to strengthen how I measure campaign performance. I’ve enrolled in an online course and plan to apply it to Q3 reporting.”
Step 6: Strike the Right Tone
Your words matter just as much as your content. Aim for clarity, confidence, and honesty. Avoid filler language (“I always give 110%”), and skip stiff corporate speak. You're writing for a human, not a system.
Instead of saying:
“I’m a team player who works well under pressure.”
Try:
“Collaborated with sales and design under tight deadlines to deliver a client presentation that led to a $100K contract renewal.”

Guidelines for Writing Your Self-Assessment
If you're going to spend time writing a self-assessment, make it worth reading. That means ditching vague phrases, cutting the filler, and choosing clarity over cliché. Here’s how to do it right:
Get Specific and Fast
Broad statements like “Handled client projects” tell your manager nothing. Precision adds credibility.
Instead of: “Worked on multiple campaigns.”
Say: “Led 4 B2B email campaigns in Q2, resulting in a 17% average open rate increase.”
Specifics make your contribution real. They also make it easier for your manager to advocate for you.
Use Numbers When They Mean Something
Data helps tell the story of your impact but only if it’s meaningful. Don’t force stats, but when you’ve got them, use them.
“Reduced onboarding time from 12 days to 8 by restructuring the knowledge base and workflows.”
It’s hard to argue with results that are clearly measured.
Show Confidence Without Performing It
You don’t need to oversell. In fact, confidence comes through most clearly when it’s not trying too hard. Focus on what worked, what you improved, and what you’re working on next.
“Built a new vendor tracking system that cut weekly status reporting time in half. Looking to automate it further next quarter.”
Just facts, momentum, and ownership.
Write Like You Mean It
Avoid lazy phrases like “helped with,” “participated in,” or “supported.” Instead, lead with action verbs that match your level of responsibility:
Built
Led
Created
Solved
Launched
Optimized
Delivered
They don’t just sound stronger but they are stronger.
Stay Within Range
600–800 words is the sweet spot. It’s long enough to show depth, short enough to hold attention. If you're writing too little, you’re probably not reflecting. If you're writing too much, you may be rambling.
How Managers View Self-Evaluations
Your manager isn’t reading your self-evaluation to judge you. They’re reading it to understand you. What did you focus on? Where did you succeed? What are you aiming for next?
Most managers don’t expect perfection. What they do want is clarity. A thoughtful self-evaluation helps them see the full picture of your work especially the parts they may not witness day to day.
According to McKinsey & Company, performance systems that encourage reflection (instead of rigid scoring) lead to better engagement and outcomes. That’s because reflection invites ownership, not just compliance.
In short, when you take your self-evaluation seriously, it shows. It helps your manager better support your growth and makes it easier for them to advocate on your behalf when it counts.

Tools You Can Use to Track Performance Year-Round
A self-evaluation written the night before it’s due almost always feels rushed, because it is. If you wait until the end of the quarter (or year) to reflect on your work, you’ll end up forgetting half of what mattered and downplaying the rest.
Build a habit of tracking your impact in real time. Just a simple way to collect your wins, lessons, and feedback as you go.
Here are a few tools that can help:
Notion is perfect for people who like structure. You can build a “Weekly Wins” tracker, tag notes by project, and even link documents, meeting highlights, or manager feedback. All in one place.
15Five gives you more than a place to store updates. It’s designed for continuous performance management, making it easier to log progress, check in with your manager, and stay aligned on goals week by week.
Trello works if you like visuals. Create a board with lists like “Completed Projects,” “Feedback Received,” or “Metrics Improved.” It becomes a living timeline of your work. Easy to update, easier to present.
Google Keep is simple but effective. It’s great for jotting down quick notes on the fly things like “client praised the new report format” or “resolved backend issue ahead of deadline.” You can label and sort notes later when it’s time to reflect.
Pulsewise offers a broader view. If your company uses it, the platform gives you access to anonymous team feedback and engagement trends valuable context when you’re writing about how you contribute to team culture or communication.
Final Thoughts
A self-evaluation is a moment to pause and take stock of your work. What did you build? Where did you grow? How are you thinking differently now than you were six months ago?
It’s not about proving perfection. It’s about showing progress. When you take the time to write thoughtfully, you create a clearer thoughts of your impact. Both for yourself and your manager.
This is a signal of where you’re headed next. And how seriously you take that signal? That’s what sets the tone for the opportunities that follow.
How Pulsewise Helps Managers Listen Better
The best self-evaluations reflect a culture where feedback is ongoing, safe, and honest, where employees know their voices matter, and managers have real visibility into what’s working and what’s not.
And Pulsewise helps teams build.
By collecting anonymous feedback and turning it into actionable insights, Pulsewise helps you spot patterns in experience, surface blind spots, and support more meaningful conversations during reviews. It’s not just about capturing how people feel. It’s about turning those signals into smarter, more human leadership.
If your teams are already doing self-evaluations, it’s time to back them with the feedback infrastructure that actually makes them useful.
FAQs
What is an example of a positive self-evaluation?
Here is the best example of a positive self-evolution, “Over the past quarter, I took ownership of the onboarding content update, which helped reduce new hire ramp-up time. I also made sure to support team goals while consistently meeting my individual deadlines.”
How do you write an honest self-evaluation?
Start with what went well, but don’t skip what didn’t. The key is to reflect without being defensive. For instance, mention a missed opportunity then explain what you learned and how you adjusted.
How do you write a good evaluation example?
Tie your work to results. Be specific, confident, and reflective. “Improved social media engagement by 45% through revised content strategy and targeted posting schedule.”
What is an example of a self-evaluation phrase?
A phrase for self-evaluation can be, “I’ve become more proactive in solving problems independently and regularly communicate updates to keep projects moving forward.”
How do I comment on my own performance?
Be honest, balanced, and professional. “I’ve met all key deadlines, improved cross-team collaboration, and proactively identified process gaps. I’m working to build stronger presentation skills.”