We all want to grow and develop in our career. But to do so, we need to set goals to give us direction. It just seems like common sense, but in fact many do not take the time to develop these long-term goals, instead simply taking each day as it comes.
If you have drawn up some career goals, congratulations. But that is just the beginning. There are things you need to do routinely to ensure you reach those goals. Here are a few.
10 Steps To Career Success!
1. Review your goals
From time to time, you need to evaluate the goals you have set, to see how they are holding up under changing circumstances. Your perspective, knowledge and interests will change over time, and so your original goals may no longer hold any relevance for you. You may need to tweak your goals, or even create new ones to fit your changing situation.
2. Create an action plan
A goal without a plan for achieving it is just a wish. After you have created a goal, you need to develop a step-by-step plan outlining what you are going to do in order to reach that goal. This may involve some research. As you revisit your goals, you may need to modify your action plans as well to fit changing circumstances.
You need to break down your long-term goals into smaller, more manageable ones and establish benchmarks, which will help you to create an effective action plan.
3. Record your progress
You need to keep track of the progress you are making, or lack of it. Are you moving according to your planned timeline, or are things taking longer than expected? Again, this may help you to identify where you may have hit a roadblock, and you will have to consider how to overcome it. It may also help you to determine if you have set the bar to low or high for your goals.
4. Read and learn
Learning never stops, and if you want to get ahead in your career and reach your goals, you must continue your learning. Reading is an essential part of this. Many business leaders incorporate reading into their daily schedule. Many CEOs read about 50 books a year.
5. Find a mentor
A mentor can be a great help in assisting you to reach your goals. A mentor is a more senior person who has the knowledge and experience gained through many years on the job. He or she can provide advice and guidance, helping you to avoid the pitfalls that result from inexperience.
6. Network
This is something you should be doing continually, maintaining and forming relationships among others in your profession. They can also be helpful in providing insight for reaching your career goals.
7. Enlist your supervisor
Talk to him or her about your goals. He or she can also be valuable resource in helping you to achieve them.
8. Try new things
You need to get out of your comfort zone and try out new experiences to gain new skills and knowledge. This could be something like taking on new assignments at work or volunteering in the community.
9. Take time to reflect
Ideally, at the end of each day, you should take 10 or 15 minutes to reflect on how the day went, what went well, and what did not, and what you could have done differently, and jot a few notes.
10. Get organized
This means not just having a neat work space, but organizing your work itself. It means establishing priorities for your tasks and assignments, scheduling when those tasks will be completed and how much time you will devote to them. It means focusing on the important stuff and not getting caught up in busywork.
Looking to take your career to the next step?
At Opti Staffing, we value quality over quantity. We care about our job candidates, our results and our relationships. We take the time to get to know our candidates, enabling us to make better matches with employers. We treat our people with respect, and establish long-term relationships. We have placed thousands of people since 1999. Give us a call today to see what Opti can do for you.
