WHAT ARE CAREER GOALS?

Career goals are targets you set for yourself to guide your future career. They can be long-term or short-term goals that will motivate you to move toward a promotion, a better paying job or even a complete change in direction.

To be successful in your work and life in general, developing a strategic plan to guide you through setting achievable career goals is essential.

ALIGN YOUR GOALS WITH THE FIVE ‘S. M. A. R. T’ CRITERIA

Be Specific – If you want to earn more money, write down how you plan to do it. It could be by advancing your education, learning new skills or even just becoming more productive.

Make sure your goals are Measurable. Figure out a way to measure your outcomes. Set a timeframe to accomplish a target within.

Your goals should be realistic and Attainable, making the process so much easier. Why put extra pressure on yourself to achieve the impossible?

Set goals that are Relevant to who you are and what you are good at. If you are a public accountant and set your goals to be an entertainer, this career path may not match your skills and lead to frustration and failure.

Time-Based goals will keep you on track. By breaking down your career goals into manageable parts, you will have a clear direction on how you can achieve them. Set a specific start and end date for each one.

SHORT-TERM GOALS

• Improve your networking and presentation skills.
• Learn to use new online communication tools and platforms.
• Become an expert at hosting virtual conference calls – stand out from the pack.
• Attend webinars presented by experts in your field to learn, learn, learn.
• Sharpen your skills through any of the online platforms that offer courses.
• How about establishing your own personal brand?
• Improve your time management skills, which will be vital when it comes to monitoring your short-term goals

LONG-TERM GOALS

• Career Development. Find out if your company offers career development programs to employees.
• Secure a management position. Here are some essential qualities you will need to prove to your employer:
  • A deep understanding of your industry.
  • Being prepared to listen to others who may know more than you in a specific area.
  • Humility to acknowledge your mistakes and to share your successes with your team.
  • Being adaptable to changes.
  • Delegating well, and not micro-managing.
  • Working harder than everyone else and being an excellent communicator.
• Change your Job. Do not settle for a life of mediocrity. If you are not making the career progress you aspire to, and you need to earn more, set your goals to move to a more challenging career in a different company.

Our team at ALIGN will help you develop your long-term goals and guide you to toward success. Our recruiters have established relationships with nationwide clients in numerous industries and will be happy to suggest appropriate opportunities that align with your long-term goals.

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

1. WRITE THEM DOWN – Putting your goals down on paper may seem old-school, but it is the best way to motivate yourself to work harder and achieve your targets each day.
2. SHARE YOUR GOALS AND PLANS – Challenge yourself by sharing your career plans with important people in your life; perhaps even your employer.
3. VISUALIZE – If you want the promotion, visualize yourself getting it. This is something that psychologists recommend to succeed in anything you do. See yourself crossing the finish line.
4. SET DEADLINES – Deadlines will keep you accountable and on your toes. Every time you accomplish one of your dreams, reward yourself – you deserve it!

At ALIGN, we know how challenging career goal setting can be. We also know that following the tips we have shared in this blog will help you find your way and may even nudge you in the right direction.

“Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail” – Matt Armand