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April 10, 2018

Learn How to Set Short- and Long-Term Career Goals

If you don’t know where you want to go in your career, it can be very hard for you to get there. If you hope to achieve more professional success, you need to define exactly what that means to you and you need to create a roadmap for yourself to achieve your dreams.  This means identifying both short term goals and long term goals that you can work towards.

While you likely know that setting goals is important, it can be hard to actually identify the right goals that will get your career moving in the desired direction. To set goals that will be helpful in advancing your career, read our tips below.

  • Make sure goals are specific and measurable

It doesn’t do any good to say you want to have a better job in five years because this doesn’t give you anything to immediately work towards. Brainstorm what your ideal career would be and work backwards from there, outlining very specific steps it would take you to get there. For example, one of your goals could be to learn a software program you’d need to know to advance in your job or to get into your company’s management program so you can be on the fast-track to leading your own team.

  • Phrase your goals in positive ways

You want your goal to be something aspirational, so it should be phrased in such a way that you identify what you do want, rather than what you don’t want. For example, if you hope to move out of customer service and into a higher-level position, don’t phrase the goal as getting out of the customer service job you hate. Instead, specify what you want to be doing instead.

  • Be realistic about the time frame and possibility of achieving your goal

When you set a goal, make sure that it is something that you realistically have a viable shot of achieving so you don’t get discouraged. Set a deadline for yourself, but allow yourself enough time to have a chance at success.

  • Make sure there are actionable steps for each goal

Each goal should provide you with very specific steps you can take to move forward. Instead of saying “be a better public speaker,” for example, you could set a goal to take public speaking classes and give a speech by the end of six months.

  • Allow yourself some flexibility

You don’t want your goals to become discouraging if you never achieve them, so allow yourself some leeway and remember that your career is always a work in progress.

Spectra 360 is here to help you accomplish your professional goals. Contact our staffing experts today to find out how we can help you to advance your career!

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