Long Term Career Goals

When we are fresh out of college, how many of us actually have a clue about what we want from our careers? I would say, none! Yes! It's true. Unless and until we have had some good and some bad life and work experiences, we do not know what we want to do with our lives professionally as well as personally. However, once we have enough experience in life, we should waste no time and start with career planning immediately.

To be successful in one's career requires some goal setting. You should be very clear on what all expectations you have from your career and job. When we talk of goals, it includes both long term and short term career goals. Scroll down to know of some tips which will help you arrive at your goals.

What are Long Term Goals?
First of all, let's start with distinguishing between long term and short term goals. As the name suggests, long term goals are those which you plan to achieve over a longer period of time, anywhere between three to five years. On the other hand, short term goals are those that can be achieved in a year or so. The following examples will further help in your understanding of the same.

Example#1
For some people, stability in one's job and profession, can be a long term goal. Such people would stick to the jobs that they are currently holding and give it their best. For a company's growth, professionals who prefer stability in their jobs, are the main contributors and hence most sought after.

Example#2
Another example of a long term career goal is to start one's own business. Professionals who prefer flexibility in their jobs, are risk-takers and innovators, who want to earn equivalent to the effort they put in, usually set starting a business as their career goal.

How to Arrive at Long Term Goals?
To arrive at your goals, you should know yourself very well. You should know what are your strengths and weaknesses, what motivates you, what are your likes, dislikes and passions in life. Along with this, you should know what kind of personality you have - whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, social person. Do you prefer individual jobs or you are more comfortable as a team player? Focus on yourself and come up with a list of careers that you think you would want to venture into.

Define what success means to you. Is it financial stability that you are looking for or learning new things and gaining experiences? Knowing your own personal definition of success will further help you to determine your goals. Also, take into consideration your current situation. Be very realistic when setting long term goals.

In the end, out of the list of careers that you have prepared for yourself, keep on eliminating till you arrive at the final choice. Of course, arrive at it after a lot of thought and deliberation. For those of you who are already in some job, this exercise will help you to re-think about your goals.

Taking Action
Once you know the career path that you want to take, identify the qualifications and skills required to reach your goal. Some of the skills which are mandatory in the corporate world today to be successful in one's career are - communication skills, problem-solving, decision-making, team building, critical thinking, social skills, besides the basic managerial skills such as planning and organizing. So build these skills over the next couple of years for your career development.

Since the corporate world changes so rapidly, be prepared to bring some changes in your goals in the future, if the situation demands. One last advice before I sign off - when setting career goals, always be ready with the time-frame and the action you are going to take, to achieve them. This will ensure that your goals do not just remain on paper! Best of luck!