Short and Long Term Career Goals

Planning is one of the most important things that people tend to neglect when it comes to their career. Having a sound plan for the desired career path is very essential for one to enjoy his or work and have a successful career. Whether you like your current job or not, if you are looking for a career change, or if you are looking out for your first ever job as a fresherman, you must have a plan for your career. Well, it is easier said than done. But with little time and efforts it is possible for one to lay your own career path. A bit of vision for the future and discipline can help you draft and focus on your career goals, be it short term or long term.

Examples of Short Term Career Goals

Short term goals are something that you want to keep doing on a regular basis or something you want achieve in the next few weeks, months, or years. Well, it is quite a subjective term as people have their own understanding about short term goals which are subject to the nature of one's job and career aspirations. But generally, anything that you want to achieve on a regular basis or within two to three years period can be considered as short term goals. Some of the examples of short term goals are as following:

• Improving one's current business skills by taking out an hour on a daily basis.
• Aiming at handling new responsibilities and fulfilling them within speculated time frame.
• Keeping the work place clean, neat, and tidy everyday.
• Completing the tasks at least one day before the deadline.
• Never taking work and office tensions at home.
• Balancing the work and personal life efficiently.
• Never to keep work pending for the next day or next week.
• Taking up training sessions or joining hobby classes after or before office hours.
• Keeping one self updated with latest information and development in the field of work.
• Working on skills and educational qualifications required for higher or desired profiles.
• Enjoying the current job and giving one's best to the current job.
• Keeping an eye on new career opportunities and developing the required skills.

These were some of the generic short term goals that one can have depending on the nature of the job. For example, a short term goal for a writer could be, finishing seven articles within a week, or improving language and grammar skills by studying it for half an hour every day, etc. Similarly, a short term goal for a functional consultant could be to meet the clients and work on their problems in a month's time or take up foreign language classes to deal with clients from other countries, etc.

Examples of Long Term Career Goals

Long term goals are again very subjective to the nature of the work of an individual but they generally involve certain drastic and major changes in the career, such as job change, second career, or starting a business, etc. To achieve long term goals a person needs to be patient and dedicated and also have to work regularly towards achieving the final long term career goals. Many people refer to long term career goals as something that they want to achieve over a four to five years' span. Given below are some of the examples of the same.

• Aiming to achieve the highest position in the company. Say becoming a CEO, HOD, dean, or the manager of the company or the institute.
• Switching to a new job at a higher profile or to a profile that is completely different from the current profile. For example, a writer could aim to become an instructional designer after five years.
• Converting the hobby into a business or a career. For example, a person interested in baking can plan to start his own cake shop after few years while currently working with a local restaurant or a hotel.
• Retiring early is also a long term career goal for many. A person may plan a second career or make enough savings with the current job that would allow him to retire early.
• Having a private business and providing a consultancy to other companies is also one of the good long term career goal examples.

Many people do not know what they really want to do as in career wise and that is why they cannot really plan out their career goals. But even then having a temporary and flexible career plan is mandatory in order to find what you are really passionate about. For those who are clueless about their career path and career goals it is suggested to analyze your current job profiles, current lifestyle, likes and dislikes and then choose a career accordingly. So set your career goals right away and taste success whenever you want.