Here are what and what you must know about setting career goals. To begin with, building a career in any industry or niche can be very tough, but doable.
4 Key Factors to Note About Setting Career Goals
Professionals who have risen through the ranks and file to become leaders in their respective fields, have at one point or the other, followed certain steps to get to where they are. That is why, in this article, we lay-down the steps involved in setting career goals and seeing to it that you make the most out of it.
What Does It Mean to Set Career Goals?
It means to create an idea of what and where you want to be in your professional career and actually putting in the work to make it happen.
Setting career goals can be the singular move that propels you from being an amateur and “junior” in your field to becoming the leader people look up to.
How Do I Set My Career Goals?
Going by what has worked for others in times past, experts suggest the following:
- Using the SMART strategy
- Ensure that your goals are concise.
- Nurture and build relationships
- Make sure your goals are actionable
- Goals must be flexible.
A lot of other factors come in when looking to set career goals that actually get to see the light of the day. With that being said, let’s delve into the different steps to setting your goals as a career-building enthusiast.
1. Define the Goal
It’s peculiar for some building career men and women to set goals that don’t get to materialize, for one reason – these goals are not well-defined. By definition, we refer to the following:
- The career goal must be specific or look to actualize one thing. Being generalistic might deviate your attention along the line.
- The goal should also be one that allows you to change plans if there’s a need to.
- The best career goal is one that has a roadmap or a sequence to be followed towards the actualization.
2. Leverage the “SMART” Strategy
Using the “SMART” method can be very helpful if you want to crush career goals faster. Here’s what it entails:
- Specific: the goal must be aimed at a particular objective which could range from building new connections to reaching out to prospective clients or even building up your interpersonal skills.
- Measurable: can the goal you’re chasing after be measured? Determine if it can be measured in terms of the expected duration of completion, or the extent that you wish to go to ensure the goal is attained.
- Attainable: this also has something to do with the specifications of the career goals. An attainable goal is one that is not only concise, but also has enough time and room for modifications to take place.
- Relevant: any objective you have in mind for your career must align with your overall reason for chasing after it in the first place. A relevant goal must also be worthwhile, and it follows a similar timeline to ensure the completion of the objectives and at the set time.
- Timely: the timeliness or the real-time approach and input towards the completion of the objectives is also important. Thus, make sure to set a timeframe for the completion and make it a point of duty to follow-through to the end.
3. Make Sure to Compare and Contrast
Sometimes, we’re misled by our drive for perfection that we miss out on important details. The best career goals can be set after one has compared and contrasted the options. Here are the things to look into:
- Make a list of the best actions, interests and or occupations that will take you from where you are currently to where you wish to be. Can one outperform the other or do you need to explore further?
- Determine the best occupation that’ll not only fit into your desired career progression, but also give you “satisfaction on the job.”
4. Get Someone to Hold You Accountable
The fact is that setting career goals is one side of the coin. The other side relies on the reality of the objectives and the steps taken towards the actualization.
Getting someone to hold you accountable to the goals can be beneficial in these ways:
- It’s a good way to confide in someone who’ll likely believe in you and your objectives.
- Getting a goal partner is a step towards finding someone else who will help motivate you until the objectives are realized.
Conclusion: Set Specific and Realistic Goals
Your career would have a dramatic growth when you’ve put together objectives that are clear and would help you move from one point in your profession to the other. To wrap up, ensure that you write down the steps, get a partner for accountability purposes, always measure your progress, and make extensive research to be sure of the career paths and the qualifications needed for the upgrade you aim for.