Career goals should be set to help you decide on a profession, and allow you to montor the progress you are making in your career. Successful people are goal oriented, and those at the top of their profession typically have a plan for success and professional progress in their careers. Establishing career goals will keep you on track while working in your profession, but also come into play when you are looking for a job.
Whether you are actively looking for a job, or taking an occasional look at on-line job boards, you should keep you career goals in mind.
Setting Career Goals
How soon should I set career goals?
Having career goals is essential to a fulfilling work experience. If established early, an effective and productive educational experience is typical. Those fortunate enough to have a clear vision of a desirable career path early in life, usually progress quickly to their first job. Career goals can be thought of as early as high school, which allows one to determine their preferred college or trade schools.
It is, however, difficult for many people to determine their career goals early. Many college students only find a vocation while in school, after being exposed to various subjects, and it is not unusual to switch majors. But eventually, career goals are formulated and it is important to continuously review those goals and evaluate whether your progress is on track within your chosen profession or trade.
How do I go about setting career goals.
If you are deciding upon a career, there a many factors to consider when setting career goals. While people often do change careers in life, you will lose time and to a large extent, much of the knowledge you gain will be wasted. Life experience is certainly important, but the learning curve when switching career must be considered.
Read about some common questions to ask yourself when setting career goals.
Career planning to meet your career goals
Career planning becomes critical once you have started your career. Having started in a profession, you will be faced with a series of questions at one time or another. They include:
Career Planning Questions
- Do I enjoy my current career?
- Am I progressing in my career.
- Am I developing the skills and knowledge to be competitive in my chosen profession?
- Do I have a plan for setting career goals, and monitoring my progress?
- How can I continue to advance in my chosen career.
Career Planning Professionals
It is also advisable to seek out a career counselor in order to get a second opinion on your situation. Having an independent party review your resume and discuss your goals can be the difference between an average career path and a stellar one. There are different types of professionals that can help you with this.
Read more about the types of career planning professionals
Finding a job to fulfill your career goals
Sometime the best plans and goals are thrown a curve ball. The current economic problems have made it difficult to realize ones career goals. Lack of jobs, and job mobility has caused some to find that their goals are not going to be realized as quickly as they had hoped. Although the activity on online job boards has increased the second half of 2010, it is still tough job market.
This puts many people in the uncomfortable position of looking for a job. While it may seem that career goals become less important now, the opposite is true. Here are some things your should consider if you find yourself looking for work.
- Are my career goals in line with the type of job I want to find?
- Has my progress toward my career goals given me any skills that a potential employer may be seeking?
- Are my career goals in line with my personal life goals? Should I consider a new profession?
By reviewing the progress you’ve made toward your goals, you may find you are in a strong position to find a new job, or may be at a disadvantage versus your peers. If the latter is the case, is there any training that you should get to compensate while looking for a new job?
Writing Career Goals
Writing a career objective on your resume
Most employers hire people that are committed to their profession and want to excel. On A resume, with clearly defined career goals, supported with relevant experience that shows commitment to those goals, can be the edge that will get you an interview.
Keep a written record of your career goals
By writing out your career goals, you can refer to them often. Evaluating your professional progress is critical to maximize long term career satisfaction and income potential. Your career goals should be reviewed at least yearly, and it is a beneficial activity to do before your annual performance review at work. You are the best judge of your performance, and if you have a record of achievements versus your annual goals, you are in a better position to negotiate a salary increase, or assume greater duties.
Last Updated (Saturday, 27 November 2010 15:23)