7 Questions That Can Help You Reach Your Career Goals Have you ever taken yourself through the how-tos and whys behind each of your goals? So often people set themselves up for failure by not considering everything it takes to achieve a challenging goal. The job search is no different. Next time you set your ambitions for a new job, think about answers to each of the following questions. They are designed to help you focus on your goal and gain insight on how it will impact different aspects your life.
1. What is my goal? It needs to be tangible and focused — and ideally, have a deadline. Quantify what you want and by what date. Goals like "lose weight" or "find a job" don't influence your behavior as effectively as "lose 10 pounds in six weeks" or "find a job in my field for $15,000 more in six months." 2. What will this comprise? The more precisely you can describe the achievement that you believe will get you to your goal, the better your chance of reaching it. For example, a precise target like "land an IT programming position with a Fortune 100 company that allows me to work from home" is a very detailed picture of what you want to achieve. 3. Why is it important to me? Sometimes we set goals we think should be important, but ultimately they are not that meaningful to us. Laying out why you want to reach a goal will give it significance in your mind, and it will help you figure out if you are pursuing this goal for your benefit or someone else's. 4. How will things change when I accomplish my goal? Answering this question will help you visualize what achieving your goal will mean to your life. Perhaps that $15,000 salary increase you've envisioned will help you pay off your student loan within two years or to put aside an additional $500 per month toward retirement/investments. 5. What does it take to reach my goal? This is the tough question — your answers might be lengthy and include a series of steps. But addressing this question will put into perspective precisely what you'll need to achieve your goal. Will you need to hire a professional coach? Pay for classes? Travel? Purchase books and other resources? Let this question help you lay out your plan in an orderly fashion. 6. How much time can I devote to accomplishing my goal? Here's where reality sets in. People frequently set a goal that requires a lot of time without considering the rest of life's demands. For example, is it realistic for you to train for a marathon the same year that you are pursuing a master's degree and juggling a brand new baby at home? Set up a chart reflecting a typical week's commitments (including weekends). Be sure to factor in time for your commute, sleep, Timmy's Little League games, date night with your spouse and anything else that commands your attention. From there, look at the hours you have free to dedicate to your goal, and plan your time accordingly. 7. Who will help me reach my goal? Do you know someone who has "been there, done that?" Now is the time to leverage your network connections and call on him to ask for help with your goals. Perhaps one person will know just the right coach with whom you can work and another friend can put you in touch with a company looking for someone with your skill set. Addressing this question has a dual purpose — the more people who know about your ambitions, the more often you will be asked about your progress. Often, a bit of lobbying creates just the right amount of positive pressure you need to stay on track with your goals. ------------ Dedicating time to each of these questions will hopefully help you see your target from all sides. By spending time on this exercise with each of your goals, you will be better prepared to navigate around or over any obstacles that arise along the way.
Have you ever taken yourself through the how-tos and whys behind each of your goals? So often people set themselves up for failure by not considering everything it takes to achieve a challenging goal. The job search is no different. Next time you set your ambitions for a new job, think about answers to each of the following questions. They are designed to help you focus on your goal and gain insight on how it will impact different aspects your life.
1. What is my goal? It needs to be tangible and focused — and ideally, have a deadline. Quantify what you want and by what date. Goals like "lose weight" or "find a job" don't influence your behavior as effectively as "lose 10 pounds in six weeks" or "find a job in my field for $15,000 more in six months." 2. What will this comprise? The more precisely you can describe the achievement that you believe will get you to your goal, the better your chance of reaching it. For example, a precise target like "land an IT programming position with a Fortune 100 company that allows me to work from home" is a very detailed picture of what you want to achieve. 3. Why is it important to me? Sometimes we set goals we think should be important, but ultimately they are not that meaningful to us. Laying out why you want to reach a goal will give it significance in your mind, and it will help you figure out if you are pursuing this goal for your benefit or someone else's. 4. How will things change when I accomplish my goal? Answering this question will help you visualize what achieving your goal will mean to your life. Perhaps that $15,000 salary increase you've envisioned will help you pay off your student loan within two years or to put aside an additional $500 per month toward retirement/investments. 5. What does it take to reach my goal? This is the tough question — your answers might be lengthy and include a series of steps. But addressing this question will put into perspective precisely what you'll need to achieve your goal. Will you need to hire a professional coach? Pay for classes? Travel? Purchase books and other resources? Let this question help you lay out your plan in an orderly fashion. 6. How much time can I devote to accomplishing my goal? Here's where reality sets in. People frequently set a goal that requires a lot of time without considering the rest of life's demands. For example, is it realistic for you to train for a marathon the same year that you are pursuing a master's degree and juggling a brand new baby at home? Set up a chart reflecting a typical week's commitments (including weekends). Be sure to factor in time for your commute, sleep, Timmy's Little League games, date night with your spouse and anything else that commands your attention. From there, look at the hours you have free to dedicate to your goal, and plan your time accordingly. 7. Who will help me reach my goal? Do you know someone who has "been there, done that?" Now is the time to leverage your network connections and call on him to ask for help with your goals. Perhaps one person will know just the right coach with whom you can work and another friend can put you in touch with a company looking for someone with your skill set. Addressing this question has a dual purpose — the more people who know about your ambitions, the more often you will be asked about your progress. Often, a bit of lobbying creates just the right amount of positive pressure you need to stay on track with your goals. ------------ Dedicating time to each of these questions will hopefully help you see your target from all sides. By spending time on this exercise with each of your goals, you will be better prepared to navigate around or over any obstacles that arise along the way. ---------------
Lynn M. Miller, LMA, LLC
Business Development & Consultation
*The Professional with a Flair!*
Phone: 718.506.2329
Fax: 718.228.7331
lmallc@vmdirect.com
www.lmallc.com
Lynn M. Miller, LMA, LLC
Business Development & Consultation
*The Professional with a Flair!*
Phone: 718.506.2329
Fax: 718.228.7331
lmallc@vmdirect.com
www.lmallc.com
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