Successful people have goals, but even if you have a career or are already in a
professional position, you may struggle on occasion with progressing along a
path upwards in your career. It can be easy to feel suffocated, confined, or
lacking direction when it comes to navigating through a career. To keep from
veering off track, it is helpful to set up career goals. Career goals will
represent objectives, benchmarks, and milestones in your career. Lets take a
look at some beneficial career goal examples to set you up for
success with your chosen field.
How to Set A Career Goal
Before you set a career goal, there are few things that you should know about
goals, as they are set on various levels.
1. First, decide what you want to do, accomplish, or be in life.
2. Secondly, split your larger goal into smaller and more achievable goals
or targets that you have to achieve. This will make accomplishing your
goal easier to manage and will help streamline the process into
reaching your ultimate goal.
3. Finally, you will want to formulate and develop a proper plan for your
goal. It can be best to establish a step by step plan that will enable you
to start working towards achieving it.
6 Career Goal Examples
Increase Performance Metrics: Certain industries and companies use
performance metrics when they evaluate an employees performance,
productivity, and effectiveness levels. Metric numbers generally measure
things such as customer satisfaction, organization performance, employee
competence, and cost management. Metrics are usually measured on a
weekly basis, but they can be measured daily as well. A good career goal
could be to increase your performance metrics, which will help show the
value that you bring as an employee to the organization or company that you
are working for.
Earn a Promotion: It is always a good feeling to get promoted, and a
promotion involves careful planning, commitment, and execution on your
part as an employee. For instance, you may need to: do additional work, take
on more projects, develop relationships with other department members,
and update your resume. A promotion will generally be a long term goal that
you can work towards overtime.
Earn a Management Position: After you have been working with a company
or business for awhile, you might have an itch to advance in your position. If
your career goal is to earn a management or an executive position, your goal
could range from lasting 6 months, to 5 to 10 years depending on the field
that you are in. This type of career goal can require a series of short term
goals to help you reach the position you desire.
Start a Business: A lot of people associate success with branching out on
their own, and a viable career goal, in that case, can be to start your own
business or open your own practice to become your own boss. Many people,
generally between the ages of 18 and 34 have the desire to start a business if
they have not already started one. When opening your own business, it can
be helpful to outline a series of short term goals that can help you get to
where you need to be.
Get a Job: For many people, especially in this economy, an example of a
career goal might be obtaining employment and finding a career. If you are
looking to find employment, there are plenty of short term goals that you can
develop that can be completed before you reach your final goal of obtaining a
career. Remember to be patient in trying to find a job, as it can be a long but
rewarding process.
Earn A Degree or Certificate: Earning a degree or a certificate is a great step
into jumpstarting you career goals and putting you on a path towards
success. Most careers require that the person has specific knowledge,
education, or a specific degree when it comes to furthering or advancing in
their career. Once you are able to obtain proper education, you can look to
increasing your career goal options.
More Career Goal Examples
Switch jobs to one that you know you will enjoy more.
Identify personal boundaries at work and know what you should do to
make your day more productive and manageable.
Communicate more effectively at work.
Feel happier and more positive during your workday.
Develop more friendships at work and try to be less competitive.
Double your sales or productivity, depending on your job.
Pick up and learn a new skill.
Set your eye on a specific award at work and go for it.
Be more organized with your daily goals.
De-clutter your work space and keep yourself organized throughout the
week.
Partner up with another person to increase productivity.
Find a mentor or become a mentor.
Be known as an expert in a certain field or area.
Manage your clients better and more efficiently.
Create a website, promotional material, or social media page for your
business.
Improve company profitability by a certain percentage.
Delegate work and tasks more effectively to increase your own
productivity.
Send thank you notes to staff, clients, and managers.
Take a vacation and log off from work to fresh your mind.
Learn how to network better and attend networking events.
Learn how to reduce work hours without compromising productivity.
Go after the career of your dreams to find work in a field that does not
feel like a job.
Stop micromanaging your staff.
Reduce personal or business
expenses by a certain percentage.
Join Toastmasters to improve your presentation and speaking skills.
Delete old emails and old files from computer to make yourself more
organized.
Learn how to say NO politely at work.
Learn how to under-promise and over-deliver with clients or managers
to surprise them.
Develop relationships with coworkers and clients to make work seem
more enjoyable.
Become more creative and break out of your rut.
Build a personal brand or an online website or blog.
Do things that will make you feel more energized at work.
Ask for a raise.
Update your resume and cover letter.
Send out a certain number of resumes each day to potential employers
if you are looking for a job.
Ask your boss for more responsibility or more clients at work.
Ask to be trained more for skills in a new department.
Tips for Setting A Career Goal
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses. There are probably certain areas
of life where you can better excel professional than others.
2. Know what you overall goal is for your career. Ask yourself questions
such as, Where do I want to be in X number of years? This will
help you know where your life is going and how it will intersect with
your career. There may be other goals that you will be interested in
pursuing with time, so develop a time frame for your goal.
3. Know the steps you will need to take to achieve your goal in X
amount of time. Consider any road blocks you may face and think
about how you will overcome them.
4. Be sure to measure the progress of your goal each week or month. This
will help keep you motivated and provide you with a sense of
accomplishment.
Plan Accordingly
A career is one of the most important things in your life, and with the
properly planned career and career goals, you will be able to achieve what
you want from your career in the most efficient way possible. To accelerate
your career in 30 days, enroll in this course to land a job you love.
"People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people
without them could ever imagine." ~ Brian Tracy, famous self-help author.
Knowing what you want from life can help you focus and channelize all your mental and physical
energies to those things that are important to you in life, and achieve those goals that you've set
for yourself. This is true in every aspect of lifemay those include relationships or career.
From a career viewpoint, if you have well written, short and long term objectives, then you can
do proper career planning for how to proceed to achieve those objectives. Stated simply,
developing a habit of writing your career goal statements can have positive results in the
attainment of those goals.
How to Write a Career Goal Objective Statement
All the major corporate firms have an objective and a purpose for their existence. These
statements are not only important for a firm, but if adopted at an individual level can help in
creating and clarifying one's career objectives. Which is why, writing career goals becomes
extremely important.
The following are certain pointers on how to write a statement of career goals and the things that
need to be kept in mind for the same.
If you're writing your career goals in a personal diary, then you can elaborate on them for as
long as you like, however, career objectives are mostly written in CV's, hence they are expected
to be short and precise. Try to give your statement of career objectives in not more than 2-3
lines.
Since different job applications may require you to change your career objectives as per the
designation and responsibilities, you have to be flexible in making changes wherever required.
Be very specific about what you want to do. However, don't be rigid in your choices. For
example, if you want to be a computer programmer, then don't just try to limit to some very
specific language or domain. Give the firm some flexibility to consider you for various other
computer programming positions.
Avoid using 'I want to work as a computer engineer for a software programming position'.
Instead, start by saying, "to utilize my skills and abilities and to contribute in the development of
software programming...". Restrict the use of 'I' or 'My'.
Don't be cocky and come off sounding too sure of yourself. Keep the career objective simple
and devoid of flowery language.
Career Goals Statement Examples
These career goal statement samples have been compiled from various sources like CV's and
personal mission statements. These will help you understand how to write career goals.
A marketing and sales position that demands proficiency in the creation and monitoring of
promotions of pharmaceutical products to customers.
My career goal is to become the CEO of a leading publishing house and promote publishing
works of writers who are talented and struggling to get a place in the media. Owning a
publishing house has been my dream for the past 6 years and now after considerable
experience as a publishing house manager, I wish to open an independent firm.
Seeking a very challenging position in an organization where my administrative skills can be
best used.
I would love to work for the long term in industries like infrastructure and construction where
there is predicted to be huge growth and development in the coming years.
I wish to join as a management trainee in the market research department of a firm. My long
term objectives include reaching a managerial position by upgrading my education, enhancing
my work experience, and acquiring relevant skills.
I want to work in the research area of biotechnology and understand the intricacies of the human
cell.
Aspiring for a copywriter position in an ad agency, and hope to continue working there for five
years. With capital investment, and after considerable work experience, dream to own an
independent ad agency.
To work for a firm that helps me design automobiles and where I can hone my designing skills.
Thereafter I wish to pursue my postgraduate course in designing automobiles.
The goals for a person's career may vary depending on each individual, and hence, one should
ensure that one is aware of his strengths, weaknesses, and various factors that drive his
personality. A proper SWOT (Strengths. Weaknesses. Opportunities. Threats.) analysis must be
done to understand one's personality so that one can be more aware about setting career goals.
The more you know yourself, the better you can be aware about your choices.
Read more at Buzzle: [Link]
What is a perfect Curriculum Vitae? How do you prepare it? Apart from the obvious: your name, address,
and contact information; it needs to have your academic qualifications, your professional qualifications,
your professional skills, work experience if any, strengths & weaknesses, and interests. Is there anything
else that seems amiss? Theres a good probability that many of you wont find the absence of a
professional statement all that much noticeable. Reason being: you either forgot or didnt think of it having
much importance. But a professional goal statement, rest assured, is as important as any of your
academic or professional qualifications. From a bundle of uncountable resumes that employers receive
and have to go through; a clearly written professional statement will let your potential employer know of
what you wish to attain and contribute to your professional field if given a chance in their company.
Missing out on it will send out a negative impression to the employer and will narrow your chances of
being called for an interview. Tips on writing a professional statement and some sample professional
statements will follow next in this article. Keep reading!
Writing A Professional Goal Statement
First and foremost, a professional goal statement should be clear, free of any grammatical &
spelling errors, and devoid of any jargons. Dont try to project yourself as the smartest, but as a
focused and dedicated aspirant.
Dont fly off the hook by setting yourself a goal that you know you cant achieve. Be realistic and
mention a goal that youre sure to achieve by putting your best foot forward.
Set time frames within which you want to achieve your professional goals. If your goal is to
become a senior manager of your company; mention a time within which you want to do that,
like 4 to 5 years.
Focus only on what your goal is and till when you want to achieve it. Dont go on blabbering
about why you chose this goal and dont focus too much on how youre going to get there.
Dont create a professional goal statement of more than a few lines; a paragraph with 4-5 lines
will do. If you know the job title youre applying for, mention it. Also, dont forget to state a few
adjectives describing your professional style.
Focus on what value you can add to the company instead of focusing on what you demand from
the company.
Sample Professional Goal Statements
To become the first women CEO of software engineering inc. and to build a network of
companies related to this field, which will contribute to the development and wide spread usage
of the company's software packages.
To obtain a position as a school teacher that will utilize my strong dedication to childrens
development and to their educational needs.
To obtain a position as an office secretary in which my computer knowledge, and organizational
abilities can be fully utilized.
To secure a position that will lead to a lasting working relationship in the field of accounting or
bookkeeping.
To obtain a position that will enable me to use my strong organizational skills, educational
background and ability to work well with people.
To obtain a customer care representative position where my customer relations experience can
be fully utilized to improve customer satisfaction and enhance the company brand name.
Seeking a position in an office environment, where there is a need for a variety of office
management tasks including - computer knowledge, organizational abilities, business
intelligence and database program use.
Create business strategies and develop existing customer sales, marketing tools and product
launching.
To obtain a position in your financial planning group that utilizes the achievements, skills,
strategic thinking, and leadership abilities, which enable me to consistently exceed earnings
goals under less than ideal economic conditions.
To secure a position as a valuable member of your real estate team that leverages my skills,
achievements, and ability to lead personnel in a direction that provides superior earnings.
To secure a position as a valued member of your Human Resources department that leverages
my achievements, skills, energy, and talent for identifying superior job candidates.
To develop a product by the end of 2013 that will revolutionize the way that windscreens are
repaired.
By December 1st of 2012 I will have positioned myself to ask for a raise of a minimum of 10% of
my salary by cutting my departments budget by 10% and increasing my departments sales by
10%.
The purpose of writing a career statement is to give the professional a clear direction for the
future.
A career statement is a creation of your career vision for inspiring and motivating yourself.
After reading this article you may refer to the articles:
Long term career goals.
Career aspirations examples.
Your career goals personal statement may consist of 2 parts:
1. Career goals and objectives.
2. Your previous career achievements.
The career statement may serve as an effective way for assessing current career
achievements and the means one should take for accomplishing her career objectives.
In fact, the career statement is a short and crisp essay that clearly presents the career
vision of a professional for making an effective career planning.
This article suggests examples of personal mission statements for an individual, i.e. career
objective statements.
Career Vision Statement: Examples of Career Objective
Statements
Firstly, one should be realistic about his career objectives in general. Here are some
questions to ask yourself before setting up a career statement:
Who are you and what do you want to achieve in life?
Why are you interested in this career?
What are your values?
Why does this career fit you?
What do you expect to achieve from this career in the long run?
Describe your achievements, experience and qualifications for this career.
What do you intend to do in the future?
After clarifying these points, the second mission is to create the career statements.
An example of a career goals statement
5 years career goals statement:
To become an expert consultant in the IT field.
Done:
Learned 2 years at Cisco labs.
Gained an experience in IT networking components and products.
Means:
I intend to work 5 years at a challenging, cutting edge technology position where I
can enhance my skills and knowledge.
During these 5 years I aim to:
Take new perspectives and eventually manage/influence others.
Communicate with the industry leaders to develop my network.
Learn business management for establishing my business in consulting after these 5
years.
After 5 years:
An IT consultant.
If you are looking for resumes career statements, please refer to the articles:
Career objectives examples for resumes.
15 objectives statement examples for resumes.
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Career Goals: Examples of Career Goals
and Objectives
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Every now and then we come across people who are unhappy with their jobs.
The reasons of their unhappiness may vary they do not like their work schedule, or
they do not like a particular colleague in their office, or even that they do not like their
boss.
However, these vague reasons actually serve as a cover for the underlying reasons of
all dissatisfaction with jobs the employee is unaware of or has not given thought to his
or her career goals and objectives.
It is only when a person has a clear thought about his/her career goals and objectives
that he or she gets ultimate satisfaction from his/her job and therefore progress faster.
This article covers many examples for your career goals & objectives.
Sample Career Goals, List of Career Objectives and Goals
Here is an example list of some basic career goals that an employee should think about
and keep in mind:
Growth in Resources
Change is the only constant, be it in everyday life or in a profession. With the change
and growth in business, it is only natural that one would have to constantly upgrade and
enhance their knowledge and resources that he or she offers to the business or to the
client. Therefore, upgrading ones knowledge and resources to grow as a professional is
another important career goal that one should pursue.
Financial Aspect
The financial aspect is one of the most important ones. If a person is underpaid, he or
she will become bitter and frustrated and this will be manifested in his or her work ethics
and work method. If a person is overpaid, they may become lethargic and may not be
as productive to the company as they were when they were hired and therefore, may
soon be given the pink slip. Therefore, another important career goal is to be paid only
as much as the job position is worth for the company.
Satisfaction
No activity in this world is carried out without a certain level of satisfaction being one of
the persons requirements. One important career goal should be to be satisfied with
whatever you are doing. Of course, that does not mean that you should stop
experimenting or impede your enhancement process. You should make sure that you
are completely satisfied with whatever job you are doing.
New Experiences
We spend almost three-fourths of our life in the professional world. Therefore, it is
logical that we look into our professional lives not only to progress and get ahead in life,
but also to learn new things and gain new experiences. An added experience only adds
to a persons richness in terms of thought and knowledge. Therefore, another important
career goal to keep in mind is to accumulate experiences such as learning about the
cultures of different countries, meeting new people and basically becoming familiarized
with customs and traditions worldwide. This will only enable us to increase our tolerance
levels and change perspectives.
Stability
Another important career goal that a person should look for is stability. Once a
professional gets into a stable company, he or she does not bother about his/her day to
day needs and can concentrate on growing as an individual and a professional, which
will only add to the growth of the company.
Examples of Career goal statement: Your long term career
goals
There are other important aspects of defining your career goals & objectives having a
career goal statement. For example, you may define your long term vision of a
career what would you like to achieve at any given time frame? You should set up a
time limit and check/assess your career statements as corner stones.
Here are some examples of career statements:
Comprehensive Growth
Growth is the most important career goal that an employee should look into. There is
never a limit for the growth of an individual in a job. In fact, even if a person becomes a
CEO of a company, the next level of growth for the individual on a professional level is
being an entrepreneur or becoming a proprietor. However, growth does not happen
overnight, and being diligent and dedicated to a job is one of the most important aspects
of growing. Therefore, one should be dedicated and serious about the job. Only when a
person achieves consistency in their productivity, will he/she be able to achieve
comprehensive growth on a professional level.
Management
Another example of a career goal statement is setting a timeframe for becoming a
manager or a leader. Once you have mastered the art of doing, you should seek and
find a pathway for becoming a leader in your organization and relegating your skills and
resources.
Possessing a Backup
If you ever visit a wealth manager, the first thing that he or she will tell you is to invest
your money in different nests. The same goes for our resources. One should remember
that no company hires the person, but hires his or her services, which are critical
resources for the company. However, if you invest all your resources in one place, there
is a very good chance that you may not get the returns that you had hoped for.
Therefore, it is suggested that you consider a second, parallel career as soon as the
opportunity arises.
Second career
One of the most important advantages of having a second career is that a person
becomes financially free and can therefore take certain risks in his or her job, which
would otherwise not be taken. Risks are just opportunities in disguise and there are
chances that the risks may actually turn out to be a lucrative proposal for the company
that the individual is working for.
Logical Conclusion: A Business
After all the years of experience and work in a profession and business, it is only logical
for a person to think of having a business of their own. Once the person has a business
of his or her own, he or she can use all the expertise and knowledge he or she has
about the business for his or her own benefit. Therefore, ultimately having ones own
business should be one of an individuals career goals.
Gaining Expertise
It goes without saying that once a person spends an amount of time in the business and
profession, he or she becomes experienced in the job. Once the individuals experience
passes a certain level, he or she is considered to be good enough to become a job
consultant. Every employee should have a career goal to become so experienced in his
or her profession that he/she can be hired as a consultant by other companies.
People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time
than people without them could ever imagine.
