What are career goals?

Career goals are something you want to aim for.

You can set them at any point in your life.

If you are feeling stuck, career goals help you to move forward.

3 steps to set your goals

Establish one life goal
Set your career goals
Plan your actions

1. Establish one life goal

A life goal is what you want your life to be like.

Imagine you wake up one morning and your life is as you want it!*

How will you know your life has changed?

In what way is it different?

What are you doing, seeing, saying, hearing and feeling?

Describe your goal, ‘I want to be …’
Add a timescale, ‘I want to be … in 5 years’

2. Set your career goals

Your career goals help you to reach your life goal.

For example, if your life goal is to spend more time with your family, one of your career goals could be to work in a job that enables this.  Your second career goal might be to be fit and healthy so you have energy.

If your life goal is to have a job at director level in 5 years, one of your career goals may be to get a job at a senior level in 2 years.  Your second career goal might be to be more confident working globally to improve your access to international roles.

Each of your career goals feeds the achievement of your life goal.

Write each of your career goals, ‘I want to be …’
Add a timescale, ‘I want to be …, in 2 years’

3. Plan your actions

Plan the steps to achieve each career goal.

For each goal:

• What will be different when you have achieved your goal?
• So, what needs to change?
• How will you make the change?
• Write the action you will take, ‘I will …’
• Add a timescale, ‘I will …, starting in …’

Example

Life goal: I want to buy a property, in … years.

Career goal 1: I want to work in a job earning £…, in … years.

Action:

Identify what knowledge, skills and experience I will need.

Attend training or get the relevant qualification.

Refresh my C.V. and get a promotion to the next level.

Career goal 2: I want to be confident as a leader, in … years.

Action:

Discover what I am good at and highlight my strengths.

Outline the type of leader I want to be.

Recognise my areas for development and take action.

How can career coaching help?

A career coach will:

Give you a structure so you can identify your goals.

Ask supportive questions so you can see what you need.

Enable ideas so you can get what you want.

Encourage you to set realistic timescales.

Support you to plan and take action.

Visit my Career Coaching page to find out how I can help you.  Click Career Coaching – Jo Murfin Coaching

This is how your Career Coaching sessions with me look.

Copyright ©Jo Murfin 2020

*Imagine exercise learned from Andy Smith, Appreciative Inquiry