Career Goals: Achieving Them Starts With a Plan

We've heard an old saying that goes a little something like this: you can achieve anything you set your mind to, whether it’s a personal dream or a career goal.

And while you can certainly wing a good number of things, like what you’re going to do on Friday night, it always helps to have a plan for the big stuff.

When it comes to your career in particular, goal setting is essential to professional development and advancement. After all, if you don’t know what you’re aiming for, how are you going to hit the target?

By taking the time to set and work towards achievable goals, you can make measurable progress in your career.

Not sure where to start? Here are some tips on how to set goals to work toward Career Success!

4 Steps to Make Your Career Goals Come True

1. Define your goals.

The first step to setting any goal is exploring the world of possibilities and defining what you want to achieve. When it comes to your career, this could mean anything from landing a promotion to changing careers altogether. Once you know what you want, you can start putting together a plan to make it happen.

At this stage, you may only have a general idea of what your Career Success goal is – and that’s okay! We’re going to get a little more precise with them in the next step. But for now, think about some general questions like:

• What motivates me at work?
• Is there anything I wish I could do more (and less) of?
• What do I want to learn next?
• How do I know what kind of work-life balance I want?
• What salary am I looking for?
• Where would I like to work?

2. Make them SMART.

Now that you have a direction for your goal, it's time to develop it into a SMART goal. In other words, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This will help you create realistic targets that you can actually accomplish within a reasonable timeframe.

Need some inspiration? Here’s an example of how you can SMARTen up your goal:

3. Break your goal down into steps

Once you've defined your goals, it's time to start putting together a plan of action. This should include specific steps that you'll take to achieve your goals as well as deadlines for each task.

For example, if your goal is a Career Change, your plan might involve:

• Researching potential employers in your target field
• Reading job descriptions to learn more about different roles
• Updating your resume and cover letter
• Networking with industry contacts
• Developing any new skills you’ll need
• Organizing your finances to support a career change
• Applying for jobs that fit your qualifications

You can even break these steps down into smaller micro-steps if they still seem too large or daunting! As the saying goes, There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.”

4. Take action and measure your progress.

The only way to achieve your career goals is by doing. And as you do, measure your progress, whether it’s through an app you use daily, a weekly check-in with a coach, or a monthly personal review.

You might find that you get ahead of schedule over here, but fall behind over there – and that’s okay!

PRO TIP: As long as you work towards accomplishing each task on your list, you can always adjust your plan accordingly!

As you move each item from Doing” to Done”, give yourself a motivational boost by celebrating each small victory along the way! After all, achieving big goals is made up of many smaller accomplishments.

Let Us Help You Reach Your Goals

If you want to work towards Career Success, it’s essential to set goals and make plans. Take the time to set SMART goals and put together detailed steps to make them a reality.

You can make measurable progress in your chosen profession! (Oh, and don't forget to celebrate each small victory along the way). Before you know it, you’ll have reached your career goals!

Of course, sometimes we benefit from a helping hand. That’s where we shine at Uvaro! From Courses and Workshops that prepare you for real life on the sales floor, to one-on-one Career Coaching with experienced sales experts!

Ready to set the SMARTest goal yet? Check out our Career Success Catalog and take the next step toward a career in tech sales!