May 30, 2022
8 examples of career goals (take yourself to the next level)
I would often encounter a question when I was giving a job interview.
Guess what?
"Where do you want to see yourself in the next five years?"
Many interviewees faced this question or a similar type of question at least once in their lives. It's an evergreen question.
Some dry and unsure answers:
- want to do better at my current job.
- want to make more money.
- want a promotion or something like this.
But...
Why not figure out what you want to accomplish next?
Why not set a professional goal that helps you get there?
Need help?
Read this article. Just invest 5 to 7 minutes. Some awesome points you may explore. You will know about (but are not limited to)-
- both short-term and long-term career goals
- how to set them
- some examples of career goals for a professional career
- and more
From the table of contents below, you will get more idea of what you can expect from this writing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Career Goals
- How to set short-term and long-term goals
- 8 examples of career goals (short-term and long-term)
- Conclusion
Career Goals
The actual career goals mean the steps you take to get the final result.
For example, you want to be a successful business owner. In that case, set up short-term and long-term goals and take real action accordingly to be a business owner.
After determining your desired career, whether it's a business owner, CEO, or anything else, it will be much easier to spot the stepping stones that lead to that position.
How to set short-term and long-term goals
In a single line, there is no answer to this question. However, a few general tips can help you get started.
Before that, it's essential to know what short-term and long-term goals are?
Short-term goals are the goals that can be achieved in the next few months or years, and long-term goals are more strategic and may take to accomplish a few years or more.
Setting goals using the SMART technique can help you achieve your goals. The SMART goal stands for a five-part goal-setting system.
- S = specific
- M = measurable
- A = achievable
- R = relevant
- T = time bound
This acronym (SMART) is popular for goal setting because – it's an excellent way to ensure your goals are effective and achievable.
But we have to bear in mind when setting goals that they fit all the criteria of the SMART technique.
8 examples of career goals (short-term and long-term)
Here are 12 examples of career goals that you can use to motivate your professional development
Obtain a professional certification or other credentials
There are many ways to become an expert in your field.
You can gain professional certification. Advancing education can help you get new job opportunities and increase your salary potential.
You can start by subscribing to industry journals and attending trade shows. You can start blogging or writing for industry publications.
This will help you refine your thinking and learn more about the subject, but it will also help you grow your readership and develop a reputation as an expert in your field.
Once you've established yourself as an expert, you can begin to speak at industry conferences and offer consulting services. You can also create content marketing campaigns that focus on your area of expertise. And finally, you can always teach classes or workshops on the subject matter.
Apply for an internship
Are you a recent graduate? Or are you looking for an internship? If any of these, apply for it.
An internship allows you to determine if a career path is right for you while also receiving valuable professional experience.
Generally, an internship is a short-term position. You will learn various roles and duties in a career path through it.
For example, as a finance intern, you can work in several finance-related roles to try out multiple responsibilities and tasks. It will help you to see what you enjoy most.
Check your university career center for an internship position.
Find a mentor
A mentor can help you in navigating your professional life and help you achieve your goals. They can offer advice and support and give you a different perspective on your career.
Having a mentor can be highly beneficial, as they will have experience in the industry you want to work in. They can help you achieve short-term and long-term career goals in your difficult situations and guide you on what you should do and what you should not. They can also provide you with valuable contacts and help you grow your professional network.
A mentor can be a huge asset in your professional career development. If you're looking for a good mentor, you can do a few things to increase your chances of finding one.
- Determine your career goals first and find someone who has done something similar.
- Next, make contact with people you know and ask them for recommendations.
I think from these examples of career goals; you are getting some ideas.
Improve your networking skill
Networking is essential for career growth. No matter what your job or career goals are, networking is a crucial component for achieving them. One of the most effective strategies to advance in your career is to form ties with other experts.
But, networking can be daunting. Actually, where to start or what to do once you're there. If you want to start networking but don't know how here are some tips to help you out.
First, identify your goals for networking. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to find a job or anything else?
Make new friends, or learn more about a particular industry. Once you know what you want to get out of networking, you can start looking for events or groups that fit your needs.
Another thing to bear in mind when networking is to be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. People will be able to tell if you're faking, and it won't be easy to build relationships if you're not genuine.
Finally, don't be afraid to reach out to people.
When networking, you should aim to be friendly and personable. Be sure to introduce yourself and ask questions about the other person. Make sure you listen more than you talk. People will appreciate your interest in them and will be more likely to help you out in the future.
In these ways, you'll gain confidence in starting conversations with leaders and other influencers in your sector, and this could open up many opportunities for you and help you get your name out there.
Is not this (networking) one of the best examples of a career goal?
Boost your sales or productivity numbers
Everyone has their own set of KPIs that they try to achieve. How can you increase your sales and productivity numbers daily, monthly, or yearly basis?
For example, your career goal is to improve your sales or productivity numbers. There are several ways that you can achieve this goal.
You could take a class to learn more about sales techniques or read books on effective productivity methods.
You could also talk to your colleagues and ask them for advice on how they achieved similar results.
Working smarter rather than harder is sometimes the key to becoming more productive. Think about whether technological solutions such as machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) can help you become more efficient.
Whatever route you follow, You will make sure to track your progress and celebrate any successes along the way.
This will help keep you motivated and on track to reach your final goal.
Not only this. If your company sees you as productive and efficient in your role, they can offer you a pay increase or even a promotion, and you can advance in your professional career.
Win a prestigious industry award
In almost every industry, a prestigious award is handed out. Obviously, you want to be the best in your field, and the only way to do that is to achieve the highest level of success.
It's important to win a prestigious award in your industry. This would not only be a great honor, but it would also give your career a boost and help you further your reputation within the field. Continue working hard to achieve this goal.
Develop new skills
Try to achieve such a new skill that you don't currently know how to do. But make sure the new skills fit with your professional development goals.
This could be anything from coding to public speaking. I think it's important always to be learning and growing, and it will make you more marketable in the future.
Learn a new program, tool, or technique
Learning new technology, tool, or program can help you with your work. It can benefit you in your current role or future positions.
It will improve your skillset, and you can help your team members to grow their skillsets.
Not only this. Learning the latest program or software might provide you with a competitive advantage over your peers.
Conclusion
The good news is you have at least eight examples of career goals. Now it's time to follow any of these suggestions or all the suggestions to achieve the short-term and long-term goals and advance your professional career.
One of the most critical steps in achieving any goal is setting it. When it comes to our careers, we should set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
Good luck to you.
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