Setting Goals when Planning your Career
Whether you are planning your career for the first time, or are looking for a second career in life as a baby boomer or a senior, appropriate goal setting establishes proactive guidelines and signifies positive, constructive motivation.
Understanding what setting career goals means is important. Agoalis defined as “the purpose toward which an endeavor is directed” or “an objective”.
Goal setting with respect to career planning has three important aspects: purpose, direction and objectives.
Purpose:
What are you looking for in a career or a second career? Not everyone pursues careers for the same reason. As you begin to discover, determine and set your own goals, the purpose of your career planning will become increasingly evident to you and others. You will also recognize the merit of goal planning whether it is oriented to your first or second career.
First career choices are usually dependent upon academic qualifications. These choices may be rooted in the desire to pursue certain careers and are often the result of the influence of role models in your life. The academic choices you make should ultimately reflect your career orientation. Goal setting begins at an early age as students begin to seek direction from parents, teachers in high school, college or university career counselors. Ability and exceptional gifts are other factors taken into consideration with respect to first career choices and goal setting.
Is a particular career choice something that you feel inspired to pursue? (Perhaps you do not really know why you are choosing a certain career.) Inspiration can come from different directions regardless of your age and academic background. Those who prove to be the happiest in their chosen careers are often inspired to pursue them. People who have already had careers and are seeking second careers may be inspired to move forward into different careers, as well. The purpose of their second careers becomes increasingly evident to them and others, as they recognize the reality that they have exceptional gifts. Setting goals to develop these gifts further can lead them towards new ‘lifetime’ careers.
Direction:
When planning your career, a lack of direction can prove to be a major obstacle in terms of possible success. The direction your career plan goes will be optional to some degree, but it depends upon you as a unique individual and the goals that you set. Not everyone has the same vision, or sense of direction, regardless of career options. Setting goals that help you to clarify your direction as part of the career planning process can also enable you to take a step at a time in the right direction.
Objective:
The objective you strive towards when planning a career or second career, has to do with the ultimate fulfillment of your personal desires. Goal setting, directed towards achieving that objective in your career life can make it possible. Be aware that while parents, teachers and others are often helpful and instrumental in creating career plans and goal setting, your individual career choice is something that only you can determine.
If you are positive, constructive and proactive in respect to career planning and goal setting, you can also expect to achieve your career objectives in a realistic manner.
