Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Self-Assessments
Why they're bad and what to do instead to help your manager

For most tech companies, this time of year marks the delightful season of annual performance evaluations. While some may be gearing up to apply for promotions, for most people, it’s about receiving performance ratings and finding out how their bonuses stack up.
If writing self-assessments is part of your evaluation process and you want to avoid the most common pitfalls, you’re in the right place.
The tips in this article are drawn from my firsthand experience reviewing tens—if not hundreds—of self-assessments during my time at Google and Uber. So, if you’re ready to learn how to craft an assessment that maximizes your impact and makes it easier for your manager to support you, keep reading!
Mistake #1: Assuming your manager knows everything you did
Why it’s a problem: Managers can’t see everything, especially collaboration, mentoring, or smaller wins. Assuming they remember or have full visibility of your work sets you up for disappointment. Even if they had access to all the information, they likely don’t have time to piece it together. This could result in your contributions being overlooked or undervalued, which will only hinder your career.
What to do instead: Help them help you. Connect the dots for them and spoon-feed them all the information they need to evaluate you. Present your achievements clearly, including the behind-the-scenes stuff (see point #4 below).
Mistake #2: Being vague or generic
Why it’s a problem: Using overly general phrases without specifics makes it hard for managers to understand the scope and impact of your work. Without specificity, your accomplishments could seem minor or unimportant.
Example: "I worked on backend performance improvements", "contributed to multiple projects" or "helped improve the system" — don’t explain what was done or why it mattered.
What to do instead: Use specifics and measurable outcomes, like "contributed 50+ code changes across 3 services, reducing page load times by 25%”.
Mistake #3: Excessive unnecessary details
Why it’s a problem: As we saw in the previous point, we need to add details to our contributions, but being excessive about it is also unhelpful. Adding every minor task overwhelms your manager and dilutes the impact of key achievements.
Example: Listing every code review you participated in or all the meetings you attended instead of summarizing your most significant contributions.
What to do instead: Start with a brain dump. Then categorize them under a few main “big rocks” / projects / efforts. For each, summarize your biggest contributions and provide curated links to impactful work, like design docs or RFCs. Stack rank and prune when things seem too much.
Mistake #4: Ignoring behind-the-scenes contributions
Why it’s a problem: Leaving out teamwork, mentorship, or collaboration gives an incomplete view of how you contributed. Managers often don’t see these day-to-day contributions unless you highlight them.
Example: Failing to mention that you onboarded a new hire or resolved conflicts during a project.
What to do instead: Highlight examples of collaboration, mentorship, or thank-you notes from colleagues. These moments are precious because they showcase the value you bring beyond technical work.
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Mistake #5: Downplaying your accomplishments
Why it’s a problem: Using modest or self-deprecating language undervalues your work and plants an incomplete view of your impact in your manager’s brain.
Example: Writing, "I think I did okay" instead of, "Successfully led the project to completion, meeting all deadlines."
What to do instead: Present your achievements confidently and factually. Own your narrative without exaggeration.
Mistake #6: Not tracking your work year-round
Why it’s a problem: Trying to recall everything at the last minute means you’ll likely forget key contributions, hence your review will be incomplete and less impactful.
What to do instead: Keep a “brag doc”, “yay me” file or weekly work log to track accomplishments and feedback year-round. Keeping track of your work will speed up writing your self-assessment and you’ll be more thorough.
Mistake #7: Submitting a rushed, unpolished review
Why it’s a problem: A last-minute, sloppy review full of typos or unclear language reflects poorly on your professionalism. It can make your manager question the quality of your work.
What to do instead: Proofread and polish your review. Do at least one round of edits for brevity and clarity.
Mistake #8: Not correlating accomplishments with competencies and role expectations
Why it’s a problem: As mentioned in point #1, the goal of a self-assessment is to help your manager help you. To determine whether you’re exceeding, meeting or below expectations, they will compare it with the pre-existing competencies and expectations for your role. Why not help them evaluate you?
What to do instead: Compare your achievements to defined expectations. Highlight areas where you’ve excelled and reflect on areas for growth. By comparing yourself against the benchmark you advocate for your own performance and strengthen your case for a promotion or high rating.
Final words
By avoiding the common mistakes described in this article, you can ensure your manager sees the full scope of your contributions. Remember, your self-review is your chance to advocate for yourself, so spending the time on is worth it.
Think of it as an investment in your career: a well-written review not only helps you stand out during performance evaluations but also builds a strong case for promotions, raises, or new opportunities. Take control of your story, highlight your wins, and don’t be afraid to show your value. Your career will thank you!
Until next time,
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Wonderful article!