The first time you sit down for a performance review can be terrifying. Most people want to avoid it at all costs, but you should view this as an opportunity. Performance reviews should consist of both positive and constructive feedback. It should also be an opportunity to discuss your career path.

No matter how much experience, you'll always have an area to improve in; view these areas as growth opportunities. Recognizing that early in your working life sets you up for success today and down the road.

Show up prepared and listen

You should take some time before you receive your feedback to assess your own performance. If your organization does not conduct 360-degree feedback and you haven't been given an opportunity to do a self-assessment, now is your time. Think about your positive attributes as well as your negative ones, (and be really honest with yourself). Also, think about your future and where you want your career to go and be prepared to discuss it.

As you're receiving feedback, the best thing you can do is listen and make sure you take in everything that's being said. You may want to consider taking a few notes, especially if this is your first time receiving feedback. You could forget half of what was said, but you'll want to refer to it later.

Respond

The first thing you should do once the other person is done speaking is thank them for the time and thought they put into their comments. It's generally not easy for any person'even your boss'to assess the performance of others, so a thank-you for going through this process is a must.

This is your opportunity to demonstrate self-awareness and talk about the things you believe you're good at and the things you'd like to work on. If those things don't line up with what your boss had to say, that's fine as well; you can speak to how you plan to reflect on those things and create a plan of action around them. You should also use this meeting to discuss your career path and what actions you can take to move forward in your career or take on more responsibilities.

Take action

The best things you can do with feedback: keep doing what you're good at and change what you're not, quickly. Showing that you understood and acting appropriately will show that you're not afraid of growth and change.

As an example, say your boss thinks you don't speak up enough. Make it your goal to say something (productive) at least once in every meeting; if you're often in the conversation, it will become second nature. You'll not only grow, but you'll demonstrate that you're committed to improving yourself.

Even if the feedback is more informal then the process outlined here, you can still utilize these concepts, even with evaluation and comments that are sprung on you.

The beautiful thing about feedback is you are in control of what you do with it. Sometimes your boss gets it wrong, but you should be honest with yourself before you determine this. Criticism should be taken seriously and constructively, regardless of the source. You choose where you need to spend your energy to improve and grow and, ultimately, this should be determined by how you want to advance your career.

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