Anyone who has ever been in a job interview or a performance review with their manager has
probably heard at least one variation of the question, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Many employees and applicants give dry, unsure answers due to their limited thought regarding
their career goals. Instead of giving stereotypical answers such as making more money, being better
at your current job, or maybe getting a promotion, why not decide what you want to do next and
start setting professional goals to help you get there? Let’s take a look at both short-term and
long-term career goals, what they are, how to set them, and some ideas to get you on track to set
your own!
What Are Career Goals?
The steps you should take to reach your career goals are what most people think of when they think
of career goals. Setting both short-term and long-term milestones will direct you down the path you
need to go. It will be easier for you to recognize the stepping stones to become a CEO, manager, or
business owner once you determine your desired career, whether it is as a CEO, manager, or
business owner.
How to Set Goals
The steps you should take to reach your career goals are what most people think of when they think
of career goals. Setting both short-term and long-term milestones will direct you down the path you
need to go. It will be easier for you to recognize the stepping stones to become a CEO, manager, or
business owner once you determine your desired career, whether it is as a CEO, manager, or
business owner.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
At one point or another, you have probably tried to set a New Year’s resolution. They probably
didn’t last very long if you’re more than 80% of the population. Now that you know what you want
to do, how can you set goals that you will be more likely to keep? If you haven’t heard of goal
setting before, now is the time to learn about it. The acronym stands for:.
The idea is to break down large goals into smaller pieces. You will be amazed to see how easy it is
to reach each milestone. Tools like Toggl Plan give you access to create a planning process, which
allows you to set everything up exactly how you need it. As you move through each step, the
user-friendly interface will help you stay engaged. With overviews that cover weekly, monthly, and
even annual outlooks, you will be able to monitor everything, whether you are working on
short-term or long-term career goals. Maybe they will help you come up with some ideas for your
goals and ambitions.
Career Goals Examples (Short-term & Long-term)
Short-term
1. Gain a New Skill
Hundreds of companies in the world are looking for people with a variety of talents and abilities.
The more diverse your skill set, the more likely you are to impress your current managers or potential employers.
This doesn’t mean that kickboxing will help you in the insurance industry, for example.
If you are interested in the field, make sure the new skills fall under professional development goals.
Make it easier for you to move up the ranks by identifying things that will get you ahead of the competition.
2. Boost Your Networking Abilities
Your ability to network with people will affect your ability to progress and reach your career goals.
Networking is more than just talking to people.
Networking more often with people you already converse with will help you develop social and professional contacts.
As you improve, you will be more confident in starting conversations with people in your field.
This could open up a lot of opportunities and make you famous.
3. Intern with a Large Company to Gain Experience
Did you know that many successful people began their careers as interns?
People like Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg were interns.
A large number of people end up being offered positions with the company because of the apprenticeship or co-op opportunities.
An internship may be the best way to get a close look at the industry you want to change.
4. Start Your Own Business
While the process of building a business may be considered more of a long-term career goal, there is nothing stopping you from starting it today.
The internet has made it easier to start an business, as it becomes more user-friendly on a daily basis.
Anyone can create a website and offer anything from products to services.
If you want to run your own company, there is no time like the present to develop a plan.
If you want to disrupt the industry, you need to decide what you are passionate about and look for opportunities to start a business.
5. Improve Your Sales or Productivity Numbers
Everyone has their own unique Key Performance Indicators that they are trying to achieve on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
What can you do to increase your numbers?
To make yourself more productive, take a step back and identify any practices that aren’t having a positive impact on your bottom line and remove them from the equation.
Being more productive isn’t always about working harder.
If machine learning and robotic process automation can help you be more efficient, look into it.
It doesn’t take much for a manager to see someone who is productive for them to offer a pay increase or even a promotion.
Long-term
1. Earn a Degree or Certification
People with a college degree will always have an advantage over people who don’t, as long as they have the work ethic to back it up.
The industry you want to end up in and how high up the ladder you want to climb will be the deciding factors.
Most Fortune 500 CEOs have a degree according to research.
It is easier for graduates to grow in their field if they have knowledge of theholistic side of business.
A long-term career goal can have a commitment of 3-6 years and a hefty price tag.
You have to do your research and prepare yourself.
2. Make a Career Switch
Are you unhappy with your job?
Do you feel like you don’t have enough room to grow or move up?
One of the first steps of changing careers is earning a degree, but it isn’t always necessary.
Enjoying your work and feeling passionate about what you do are two of the most common career goals.
It may be time to look elsewhere if you don’t feel like it.
As you find new options, do your due diligence so you know what it will take to get to that new position.
3. Become an Expert in Your Field
Everyone claims to be an expert in something or another.
According to the BusinessDictionary, an expert is an individual who has gained enough knowledge and spent enough time in a particular field to be the most helpful in understanding a situation.
With this in mind, if you can prove yourself as an expert, you’ll have more earning power and become more of an asset to your employer.
4. Reach a Leadership Position
Do you think you were made to lead and motivate a team to be productive and effective?
It takes more than just telling others what to do for a leader to be successful.
A few key characteristics can be developed to prove they are meant for that role.
Gain a general knowledge of your industry.
Share the credit of your successes and own your failures.
Accept that there will always be someone who knows more than you.
No matter what position you are in, work harder than everyone else.
Adapt to change.
Establish strong communication skills.
You can learn how to delegate tasks.
5. Win a Prestigious Award in Your Industry
There are awards handed out in almost every industry.
With well-known honors like The Pulitzer Prize, The Academy Awards, and The Nobel Prize to more industry-specific options like the Stevie Awards, are there any merits you would like to receive?
Career goals don’t get much more motivating than to be recognized with a prestigious award for your efforts, even if your employer offers special distinctions.
Set Career Goals and Use the Proper Tools to Achieve Them
There are at least ten examples of career goals you can set for yourself.
Do any of the suggestions sound like something you want to do?
Did one of them give you an idea for something else?
When it comes to your professional development goals, take some time to decide what to do next.
Identifying the short-term and long-term steps you need to follow will help you make it a reality.
If you want the perfect tool to help you manage them, sign up for Toggl Plan!.
