Creating new career goals is the best way to achieve professional satisfaction. Whether you start your own business or pursue a new position, a strong career goal can guide you.
However, while having a high-level career aspirations is easy, achieving professional goals requires a targeted approach.
Learn how to set career goals that will be useful for both your professional and personal life. Plus, discover tips on how to stay momentum and achieve your long-term goals.
5 Tips for Setting Career Goals
Setting the right kind of career goals is the first step to achieving professional success. Use these top tips to set valuable goals that meet all your goals.
1. self-evaluation
It can be helpful to create a thorough self-assessment of your professional life and beyond before setting goals.
First, start by listing areas where you really are good and areas where you need to grow. These informal performance metrics make it easy to set goals that challenge you but remain achievable.
It is also a great way to set personal development goals that align with the professional goals.
Below are some sectors that need to be evaluated before setting new goals:
- Professional strengths: What are your biggest strengths in your field?
- Personal Value: What is most important to you in your career (career stability, freedom, creativity, etc.)?
- experience: What are your current results? Where do you need more experience?
- Lifestyle: Is your current work-life balance working for you? Does your career support your desired lifestyle?
- passion: Are you passionate about your current field? Can you link your passion to meaningful career changes?
- Self-improvement: What are your professional weaknesses? Can a mentor help you develop your professional skills? What education do you need to advance your career?
2. Find valuable motivations
When it comes to goal setting, it’s important to find the motivation that really drives you, both essentially and appearance.
One of the best ways to do this is to ask “why”. At the base level, you may need a higher salary, but you also need some kind of non-financial motivation. Ask yourself why you want to make more money.
That may mean financial freedom for you and your family. It can lower stress levels and improve your health. It may allow you to do less work and focus more on your passion.
This “why” helps you stay motivated when you run into an inevitable obstacle.
Whether it’s the boundaries of creativity, leadership, financial security, or better work-life, think about what really motivates you. Aligning your goals with personal values will lead to more fulfilling career choices.
3. Mix short-term and long-term goals
When setting goals, I always recommend using these small goals as building blocks for large goals and mixing long-term and short-term goals.
This is a good way to split your long-term career goals into manageable chunks.
Achieving these short-term career goals is also great for momentum, with each goal that can drive you to continue pushing.
4. Select an accountability partner
When setting career goals, choosing an accountability partner can be beneficial.
This way you can get feedback from trustworthy friends when creating your goals, and also get that extra push to stick to them.
Any peers with similar career goals, partners and family members all create great accountability partners.
5. Create smart career goals
It is always recommended to follow a “smart” structure when setting new goals. Smart Stand:
- Specific: Make sure your goals are clearly defined. For example, “I want to increase sales of small and medium-sized businesses.”
- Measurable: The goal should be traceable so that progress can be measured over time. For example, “We’ll increase sales by 15%.”
- Achievable: Your goals should be achievable based on your current situation. Unrealistic goals only lead to frustration. For example, “I will increase my business’s social media presence and increase sales.”
- Related: Your goals should be related to larger professional goals. For example, “Grow your client base through targeted social media marketing and expand your small and medium-sized businesses.”
- Fear: Finally, there must be a deadline for your goals to stay focused on you. For example, “We’re planning to increase our sales by 15% in three months.”
Smart goal structures not only allow you to set great goals, but also answer “how.” This gives you the beginning of your action plan from your initial goal.
7 tips to help you achieve your career goals
When you focus all your energy on setting goals, that’s always the goal. It’s the goal.
Use these helpful career tips to turn your goals into reality. Each tip is designed to get you on the right track, with advice on keeping momentum and overcoming obstacles that come your way.
6. Focus on manageable procedures
Many experts are discouraged from their career goals because they seem too far away. But with solid planning and correct thinking, anything is possible.
When working towards your goals, focus on small, manageable steps. If you’re really struggling to get started, this can be as small as creating a related to-do list.
Each step you take is a step in the right direction. And soon these steps will be added!
7. Track your progress
It’s easy to pass small wins past us as we work towards our long-term career goals. Track your progress in applications such as Journals and Trello, Google Sheets, and Holly Home Career Planner Jobs.
Tracking your progress is great:
- Keep momentum when you hit a slump
- Create a timeline for your goals (and stick to it)
- Celebrating a small victory
- We will assess your progress
- Reassessment of goals and action plans
- Create new goals and related goals
8. Maintain flexibility
Growth is not linear. You will encounter obstacles on your career journey. The key to overcoming these set-offs is adaptation.
If you run into an obstacle, take a step back and reassess. You may need to adjust your goals, build new skills, or seek advice from your mentor.
The ability to pivot and learn through this process prevents you from losing your momentum. Treat each obstacle like a learning opportunity and review and coordinate it to make you go.
9. Use a network
Networking is a necessary tool for career development. However, it doesn’t have to mean smoothing at industry meetings or spaming LinkedIn feeds.
Instead, look for a community of industry experts in your sector. This is a great way to gain support, learn new opportunities, and lift others in your community.
The best way to network is to find a way to work for you. Start by choosing the best networking opportunities for your comfort zone.
Then try a few times, take a leap and try new networking tactics. When you feel uncomfortable, it is truly just an opportunity for growth.
Here are some networking ideas to try.
- Join professional associations in your industry
- Participate in industry meetings and special events
- Create a peer group
- Connect with your peers on social media
- Volunteering with organizations to build relationships
10. Find a mentor
Having a mentor on your career journey is a valuable asset. They provide insight into the profession, provide guidance on the next steps, and help build connections within the industry.
When looking for mentorship, look at current and professional networks. Potential mentors include colleagues, former professors, managers, and alumni members.
Once you find someone whose background aligns with your professional goals, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask about quick chat. Their guidance may help you achieve your goals.
11. Build your skills
When setting professional development goals, you need to identify gaps that may hinder you from identifying gaps in your skill set. We assess these gaps and consider the options for skill development and ongoing learning.
If you are in a new field, check the job description for the required certification or other qualifications.
If you want to promote your expertise, consider a workshop, online course, or in-house training. This is a great way to get a sense of current industry trends.
12. Celebrate your milestones
From small wins to big promotions you’ve been waiting for, don’t forget to celebrate each milestone with your work goals.
When you are focusing on your ultimate goal, you rarely maintain your momentum. Immerse yourself in the glory of each little victory and remind them how sweet it feels to achieve those long-term goals.
Final Thoughts: Tips for Setting and Achieving Career Goals
With proper planning in place, the goals aren’t too big. Use these tips to map professional goals and take the steps you need to make them come true.
Need more help to set practical career goals? Grab Holly’s job from a home career planner and start achieving your career goals!
