What Are Some Ways to Put Your Goals & Vision Into Place in Your Career?

Achieving career success starts with setting realistic goals.

Most people have a vision for their career and goals that they want to reach professionally. Putting these goals into place requires commitment, focus and a lot of hard work, being willing to go the extra mile to move up the professional ladder. With some help from others, formalized training and a bit of gumption, you can set goals and reach them.

What is Important to You?

You may get on a particular career track because it is financially rewarding or because of opportunities for advancement. Sometimes you may take a job simply to make ends meet. Career choices aren’t always in line with a person’s actual goals and passions; to truly put your career vision in to place, you should determine what is most important to you, above all other considerations. It may be in helping the poor or doing social work, educating people or traveling overseas and learning a new language. Before you know exactly what you want out of your career, you will not be on track to get it.

Go Back to School

Even if you go back to school just to audit classes, exposing yourself to different subjects and programs will open up other opportunities that you may not have considered. You can even attend evening classes, so you don’t have to quit your current job. This exposure will help you consider a broader range of options and perhaps influence your goals.

Find a Mentor

A mentor is a person established in her career who can offer professional and personal guidance and tips. This person may be inside or outside your current organization, but is typically not a supervisor and is able to offer an unbiased, thoughtful perspective on your career goals, career path and ways to achieve your aspirations. Choose your mentors carefully, as they should not only be wise, but also well-connected and able to help you network.

Clear out the Clutter

Managing your time better by getting rid of the “little” things that make you use your time inefficiently will help you focus on bigger picture items, such as career goals. Keeping your distractions to a minimum, prioritizing and planning each day will help you keep your eyes on the real prize.

Read Up

There is no shortage of popular, business-focused, quasi-self-help books on the market offering pathways to personal success and achievement. Books such as “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” and “Who Moved My Cheese?” showcase examples of real people who achieved their career goals and are qualified to give sound advice on doing so yourself.

References

• “Washington Post”; Go Back to School to Smooth Career Changes; Vickie Elmer; October 25, 2009
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Mentoring
• MayoClinic.com; Time Management; Tips to Reduce Stress and Improve Productivity
• W3Schools.com: Career Planning Tips
• “Who Moved my Cheese?”; Spencer Johnson, M.D.; 1998
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People”; Dale Carnegie; 1936; updated and reprinted 2009
• “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People”; Stephen Covey; 1989; 2004