Every once in a while, it’s good to perform a self-evaluation to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Self-assessing can help you establish where you are, where you want to be, weather you’re doing everything you need to do to get there, or if it’s time to make adjustments to get you back on track.

This industry is more competitive than ever. “Good enough” isn’t good enough anymore.

You need to be delivering above and beyond your competition. Strive for excellence. Push yourself to learn more, offer more services, and maximize your income.

Where you are right now, at this moment, in your career? Are you in an environment that encourages growth and continuing education? Are you satisfied with where you are or are you longing for more?

Do you know what you expect out of your career? Do you have a goal? If not, make one and start setting smaller, realistic goals to help you get there. Write the goals down. Put that list in a place where you’ll see them every day. Set deadlines for these goals and put them on your calendar. Taking steps towards (and accomplishing) career goals can greatly increase your job satisfaction.

Do you still find yourself excited about your work? Or has it become “just a job?” Every professional falls into a slump from time to time. Working on clients becomes a chore, instead of an adventure.

Want to break out of that funk? Plan a photo shoot. Do something daring and creative. Look through some fashion magazines and let the images you see inspire you to create. Buy a piece of clothing and design an entire look around it. Bringing a concept to reality can help keep your creative juices flowing. (Plus, the portfolio images are a nice bonus.) Reading fashion or beauty industry blogs can also help keep you interested and motivated.

Are you maintaining a professional appearance? Evaluate the way you’re dressed and groomed. Are you setting a good example for the employees who surround you? Are you presenting yourself in a way that impresses your clients?

Are you behaving professionally? Is your attitude the kind that will attract potential clients to you? When you’re at work, make it a point to say hello to every client that walks in the door, even if they’re not yours. Greet them with a smile and make them feel welcome.

Being nice doesn’t hurt anyone.

Are you marketing yourself to the best of your abilities? What are you doing to encourage client loyalty? What more could you be doing?

Do you have a physical professional portfolio that showcases your work? If your portfolio consists of a collection of self-taken digital photographs of clients in the salon, that is not good enough. You should be aiming to have a solid book of professional, publication-worthy images.

Talking about how talented you are is not enough to fill a book anymore.

Build a portfolio and set up a website for yourself. Put your URL on all of your business cards (or, if you’re an employee, ask your employer if you can put your portfolio link on your cards). When you meet people, encourage them to check out your portfolio. A great portfolio is a priceless business asset and won’t cost you a dime to build if you follow my tips in my post, Everything You Need to Know About Working TF/TFP/TFCD.

Are you following the state sanitation laws and regulations? Inspect your workspace and the methods you use to clean your tools. Clients today are very concerned about and aware of the sanitation laws. Don’t let yourself get a reputation for being unclean.

You should be assessing yourself regularly–once every six months, at the least.

How about you? Are you keeping your career on track by performing routine self-evaluations? Let me know in the comments!