Setting Goals for Your Career

Setting goals for yourself is important, especially when it comes to your career. To achieve maximum success, you should ensure that your goals are realistic and achievable.

Read on for real life success stories and some easy-to-follow steps that could help you get on the fast track in your career.

What Are Your Goals?
To set attainable career goals, ask yourself the following questions:

• In 5 years time, I want to be…
• I want to be earning…
• What skills will I need to do this?
• Will I need to change my career to achieve this?

By asking yourself the simple questions above, you'll begin to get a clearer idea of what you want from your career and what you'll need to do to achieve it.

What Are Your Strengths And Skills?
Sarah's story...

Sarah was a receptionist at a shipping firm, but she wanted to be the executive assistant (EA) to the company CEO one day. Sarah knew that she had the key strengths required to be an EA, but she wasn't sure how to land her dream role.

She began helping the other EAs with some minor administrative tasks, but her extra work was going unnoticed.

Sarah decided to take action to make sure her work was no longer ignored and told her manager about her goal. She also asked if there were any in-house training programs she could take to improve her current skills.

The manager put Sarah into a training program, and in just three months she became the executive assistant to a director in the company. She's still got a little way to go to achieve her main aim, but she's taken the first steps to getting there.

The lesson…

Determine your key strengths and make a list. Your strengths don't necessarily need to be work related, just include all of your strong points. You never know which strengths will fit into which position.

Once you know your skills, you'll know what you're capable of achieving. Then take action to make the most of your strengths!

Changing Careers With Your Current Skills
Bill's story…

Bill had been an account manager for almost 7 years but he needed a change. He liked his company and got along well with his colleagues, but he wanted a more challenging role.

In reflection, Bill decided that he wanted to continue using his management skills and build upon them, but it was unlikely that this was going to happen at his current job, so he decided to change his career.

He now works as a sales manager for a much larger corporation. His new target-based role gives him the challenge he was looking for.

The lesson…

In order to successfully change careers to capitalize on your skill set, start by looking at your current role and think about what you'd most like to change. This will give you a great idea of what you don't want to do in your next job so you can find an opportunity more suited to your desires.

Obtaining New Skills To Go For Your Dreams
Jan's story...

Jan had no higher education and worked full-time in a clothing store. She had been working at the store since high school, but always wanted a career in fashion. She loved clothes, but just didn't want to sell them.

Jan knew that she had a very small chance of landing a job in the fashion industry with her current skills and experience, so she decided to pursue additional training. She was able to keep her current job part-time, which now supports her fashion and design training.

The lesson…

When deciding on a new career, be realistic. For example, if you want to be a teacher, yet you have no teaching credentials, it's going to be tough to make that transition without further training. Think about what you want, but also determine what you must do to make it achievable.

These stories exemplify how you can successfully reach for your career goals, regardless of your current situation. The key is to decide what you really want and then take appropriate action to make it happen. When you do these things, success will be yours!