Defining your goals

It may feel difficult to be clear about your ultimate career goals at first. However, you do not need to be too definite about them at this stage. Write down the first three things that occur to you as worth aiming for. Be ambitious for yourself, particularly if you are only just starting out in your career. If you are trying to establish new goals as a result of redundancy or an abrupt change of circumstance, you may initially feel uncertain or unconfident about the future. In these situations it is still important to be determined and to avoid allowing a difficult experience to hold you back.

Points to remember Goals may change over time but an ultimate aim should always be kept in sight. Most people underplay their talents rather than ask themselves if they could aim higher. Work can bring benefits ranging from financial to status to social rewards, so knowing what motivates you is important. Career goals indicate whether you are essentially happy with your course or need to make a significant change of career.

Considering boundaries

Think through the aims you have written down. Ruling out the impractical will save you time and remove distractions. Is changing location out of the question? Will you need to study? If you need to keep earning money while you study, work out how much you need to live on compared to your present income. This will clarify how flexible you can afford to be. Perhaps distance learning will enable you to continue earning while you learn? Do you have, or plan to have, a family, and does that need to be incorporated into your career management plans?

Questions to ask yourself Do I have at least three targets to help me reach each of my goals? Are my targets both ambitious enough and achievable? Have I made a serious undertaking with myself to pursuer these goals?

Setting targets

Now you have identified some goals, break them down into smaller steps. In this way you will be able to move forwards. Suppose you had written down "become a leader in my field". That is unlikely to happen overnight - it will need planning and effort if it is to come true - and several things will need to occur for this career goal to be achieved. You may need to publish details of your work in academic or professional journals, and you will need to have some original work under your belt. This aim, therefore, has four distinct targets to use as milestones in your career: study, establish a reputation, get published, and produce original work. As you reach each target you will know that you are nearer your goal.

 

Keep your options open - it is rare to find one perfect career solution. Consider enrolling in distance learning if studying for qualifications while working is your goal. Make sure you choose the way of working that feels most comfortable to you.