Creating a Career Goal

You are planning a career in management. Using the goal form (the four-step process outlined below) create your own career goal. 

My Goal Sheet

Many individuals may not know how to develop a career goal; follow the steps below to help you determine where to start. There are a few steps that can be helpful in determining your career goal, which include: conducting a self-assessment, exploring industries and careers, and determining factors that are non-negotiable (e.g., geographic location, salary requirements, and health care benefits). The final step of goal setting is writing the first draft of your goal.        

Step 1: Self-Assessment

• What do you do well?
• What energizes you?
• If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
• What high school subjects did you do well in?
• What issues do family and friends come to you for help?
• What do you receive praise for at work or home?
• What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
• What is something you do where you lose track of time when you are doing it?

Step 2: Career Exploration

Explore job industries by conducting research on the type of careers that use your interests and skillset. O*Net OnLine, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and Bureau of Labor Statistics are great web resources for career exploration, job analysis, and education requirements.  

Ask a professional in your career field of interest for an informational interview. Informational interviews allow you to gather information from a direct contact about his or her role. There are various ways to pursue an informational interview. For example, company websites, social networking sites, newspaper ads, and professional associations are avenues a job seeker can take. 

Also, while deciding on a goal, consider your current lifestyle and where you would like to be in the future. Some helpful questions to consider are listed below.

• Does the career you want pay a salary that meets your needs?
• Will it offer you opportunities to advance?  
• Are you comfortable sitting at a desk all day, or do you prefer to travel?
• Is the career you are considering likely to exist when you are ready for a job?

Step 3: Determining your non-negotiable items

Although we may not speak them aloud, we each have things we are not willing to compromise on. During this step, write out your "must haves" for your future career. To help get you started, think about the minimum salary you need to have, where you want to live, and desired work hours.

Step 4: Pulling it all together - Write the first draft of your goal

Now that you have conducted a self-assessment, explored industries and occupations, and written down your non-negotiable items, what are your future career goals? Be as specific as possible. 

Example Career Goal 

I would like to become a project manager within a large organization (5000+ employees) utilizing my organizational skills, education in organization development, my ability to strategically plan, and my detail-oriented nature. Since I have a family, I must have a salary of $50,000 or more, work within 25 miles of Houston, Texas, and work a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. traditional work schedule. 

Guided Response

After working through the steps, post your final career goal into the discussion forum. Review at least two peers' career goals and determine the following:

• Is the goal specific?
• Are relevant skills included?
• Is a specific job title or industry listed?
• Are non-negotiable items detailed?

Provide at least one suggestion to further assist your colleague in tackling his or her career goal. Challenge your peers by asking questions that may help them to reevaluate their explanation of the career goal. Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates' posts.