9 Steps to Realistic Career Goal Setting

Setting a career goal is not really difficult. Rather it is an easy process. Career goals might be short-term or long-term. I do seriously focus on long-term career goal setting here. Career goals should be definite and specific. Because specific goals are essential for career success. Therefore, deciding the right career goal is crucial for your entire life. This is because a career is a lifelong process. But, how do you set an achievable career goal?

In this post, I will create realistic and logical grounds to set your right career goals. In the end, I am pretty sure that you will be able to make the right decision on your career goals. Even more, how to achieve your goal definitely.

Understanding Career Goal

A career goal means a definite statement or a strong desire to explain the profession that an individual commits to pursuing throughout his career. It is much more significant for an individual to decide career goals rightly. Most essentially, career goal setting must be realistic as well as achievable. It helps to design effective action plans.

Setting unrealistic or visionary career goals might create disappointment. On the other hand, practical and achievable goals will bring with your full satisfaction and pleasure in your career and life. Firm resolutions will keep up you motivated to achieve your dreams and desires potentially.

Breaking down Career Goal

Suppose, you are a seventeen-year-old college student. You have a desire to become a CEO of a renowned engineering company. In this fact, you must pass through certain steps. First up, you have to pass the 12th-grade examinations. Then, you require to enroll in a four-year engineering course. After achieving an engineering degree, you should work in multinational companies for a few years to gather experience. Thus, you can develop professional efficiency. In the meantime, you should enroll in a management course. The total process will boost up your chances of becoming the CEO.

Steps to Set Achievable Career Goal

I do present here the ten best realistic approaches on how to set Career Goals as well as the best possible ways how do you achieve them eventually.

1. Discover Yourself

Know exactly what your heart says. Then, identify your passions. With a view to knowing yourself best, ask yourself the following questions. Find out the best answers to them. What do you love doing? Mark up your passions, hobbies, and things that make you happy. What is your strength? What are the things you are naturally talented at doing? And of your skills. What is your role in the family? What are your challenges in life? Most significantly, where do you love to see yourself in the next 5 years or 10 years.

2. Goals Should Be Specific

You should specify your goals. Define what success means to you. For example, for someone, success might be becoming the CEO of a company. For others, gaining economic solvency would be marked as a success. On the other hand, someone might switch jobs. Certainly, achieving your goal means you achieve success. So, to be successful in a career, define your goal clearly.

3. Measure Your Goal

As you set your career goals, then measure them. Is your goal practically achievable? You should evaluate the outcome of your goal in terms of the pragmatic situation. Moreover, goals have to achieve within the given timeframe. Once you reach short-term goals, immediately you should go after the ultimate long-term goals. Remember that measurable goals are mostly achievable.

4. Set Time for Education

You require to complete school, college, and university education. In addition, training and certificates too to win your goal. Education necessarily times costly. Indeed, it does not the fact what career goals you decided to pursue. But you have to acquire qualifications and required skills to be stand out in the crowd. Therefore, you should set a timeline for education.

Moreover, you should evaluate the costs against the benefits. For example, if you are desired to becoming a corporate leader, determine how much it would cost to get an MBA against how much it would increase your earnings.

5. Develop Skills

Your educational degrees might be worthless without working skills. Remember that “Not you but your skills” will achieve your career goals. As a result, you must learn the necessary soft skills for better career prospects as well as technical skills for sure success in your career. Your passions, education, skills, and work experiences are mandatory to achieve career goals.

6. Match Career Goals with Life Goals

While setting a career goal, harmonize with your life goals. Achieving career goals largely depends on what you want to accomplish in other aspects of life. An imbalance between career goals and life goals might negatively affect your targets. For example, if you have an immense intention for traveling, leisurely time, and flexibility in your profession, then you might not opt for becoming a physician.

7. Be Realistic

A realistic approach is vital for career success. Suppose, you are just graduated from university and do expect to become the CEO. I think your goal is visionary. Not practical. Because I described previously in the “Breaking Down Career Goal” section the process of how to be the CEO of a company.

It does not make sense for an individual to set a goal of winning the Academy Award just by studying the Film & Acting course.

8. Challenge Yourself

Challenge yourself when setting a career goal. Of course, make sure that your goal is realistic. Challenges will help you grow in such a way that you never thought of before. At the same time, be attentive that goals will not create stress.

While you design career goals, be sure that they are enough challenges to keep up you motivated with a view to making goal progress. Keep in mind that if you set a goal that is more challenging, there is no wrong. Break your goal into smaller ones and ascertain that your goal is still achievable.

Setting a career goal does not lead to achieving career success. In fact, the most significant matter is about managing your goals. To achieve your goal, often review them. It will keep you on track. If necessary, make changes. Adjust goals with the ongoing situations. You can also consult with a mentor or career coach. Indeed, mentors or consultants know the most about how you set your career goal as well as how you achieve them.


How to Make the Right Career Decision?

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