How to Set Your Career Goals

This article will address goal setting as it specifically relates to career planning. Part of the career planning process involves setting goals. These goals, both long and short term, will be used to develop a Career Action Plan. The career action plan describes steps you will take to reach your goals. In this case the goal is usually a particular career objective. It can be a particular occupation, a rung on the career ladder, or an earnings level.

Goals may be either short or long term. Long term goals can take about three to five years to achieve, while short term goals are reachable in one to three years. Short term goals are often a stop along the way to our long term goals. 

We actually set goals regularly when we plan what we want to accomplish that day, that week, or even that month. Those are usually fairly simple goals, i.e. clean the house, finish an assignment, do laundry. You decide what you want to do and then figure out what you need to do to achieve your goal. Then you get into more complicated goals -- your plans for the future.  

One way in which we plan for the future is by setting goals. Merriam-Webster OnLine defines a goal as "the end toward which effort is directed." 

One of the most important things you will do during the career planning process is set goals. A goal is something you want to achieve; the end to the means, so to speak. In order to achieve a goal, you will need to exert some energy — generally a lot of it.

You should set both long-term and short-term goals:

Long-term goals: these are goals that you should be able to achieve in about three to five years.

Short term goals: these are goals that you should be able to reach in one to three years. 

In order for your goals to be achievable, they must meet certain criteria. Your goals must be: 

· Conceivable: you must be able to put your goal into words; 

· Achievable: you must have the attributes, energy, and time to accomplish your goal; 

·  Believable: you must believe you can reach your goal; 

· Achievable Within a Certain Time Frame: you must be able to state how long it will take you to reach your goal;

· Clearly Defined: you must know exactly what your goal is;  and 

·  Flexible: you must be willing to modify your goal as necessary. 

Once you have defined both your long-term and short-term goals, you can go on to develop a career action plan. 
The career action plan will list all your goals and the steps you must take to reach them. If your goals meet the criteria listed above, you are more likely to be successful in achieving them.