Do you have Career Goals?

Do you have career goals?  Do you even need them?  If you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated about the state of your career, it may be because you don’t have any clear career goals.

Let’s take a look at what career goals can do for you.

• They can help you focus on one clear direction in your life.  This isn’t about what others think you should do, it’s about what you want.  Setting a clear goal will help you make the decision about what is right for you.
• They can help to motivate you to succeed.  If you don’t have any goals, there is nothing to keep you moving forward.  There is no end in mind.
• Career goals help to reduce stress.  Instead of being caught in the “I don’t know what I want” scenario, setting a goal provides you with a plan and direction on how to move forward.
• Career goals will help you save time.  Without goals, we tend to move in a number of different directions without actually accomplishing anything.  Our time and energy seem to be all over the map instead of focused.
• Reaching  your career goals gives you a sense of true accomplishment.  If there are no goals, how can you accomplish anything?

Sometimes looking at a career change can be overwhelming.  Approach the change in a logical way.  Identify why you are looking at a career change, and what you are trying to accomplish.  Then, set the goal or goals that will help you accomplish this change.  They can be a mix of short term goals and long term goals, giving you several points of accomplishment.

If you’re not sure how to approach this potential major change, don’t be afraid to reach out to a career coach or career counselor for some guidance.  They can help you to identify what is important to you and weed through some of the distractions that are keeping you from reaching your dream job.

Do you know someone who is currently challenged with a career change decision?  Feel free to share this post by using the share links at the top of this page.  Also, if you’d like more career change assistance, feel free to check out the career coaching resource page.