6 Reasons You're Not Getting the Promotion You Deserve

It's normal to get defensive when we're criticized, but when your boss makes negative comments about your work—either during an annual review or in a less formal manner—she's giving you insight into any potential performance issues that could be holding you back as you try to advance in your career.

Your move: Monster.com career expert Vicki Salemi suggests writing down everything your boss said in the meeting so that you can return to it later when your emotions have cooled down. Then, make an action plan to address any issues. "Sometimes getting negative feedback can be a really good thing—when you focus on improving, your next conversation with your boss can be centered around how you took something negative and turned it into a positive," she says. "You were in action mode, and you listened to their input, which is going to help you in your career in the long-term, beyond this current role."