What are your career objectives now and in the future? You might have been asked this during a job interview. Having ambitious career goals can help you land a job, but it’s also important to follow through. A decent manager will uphold your endeavors to pursue those objectives, but at the same time there’s a mental, close to home, and (obviously), monetary advantage to accomplishing those objectives, too.
Setting and working toward short- and long-term goals is important whether you’re applying for new positions or looking for ways to advance within your current company. Having said that, it’s not always easy to know what goals to focus on. The next time you do a career goal visioning exercise on your own or with your workplace mentor, the information in the following post should be of assistance.
You could inquire, “What are your career objectives?” is the adult equivalent of the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you were 6 years old, you probably knew what to say better. You ought to channel that equivalent degree of certainty while discussing your vocation objectives to a questioner.
Isn’t that easier said than done? especially if you are unsure of your objectives or what they ought to be in the first place. That struggle is real to us! To assist you with sorting out your vocation objectives (and answer the feared inquiry question), we assembled this aide.
What are future career goals?
To aid in your professional development, career goals are specific milestones you can reach along the way. Your objectives are in line with your chosen field of work.
Choosing a career objective involves a number of different aspects. You will learn more about that later, but to summarize, setting career goals entails:
- Determining which of your current skills or experiences are necessary for your current position.
- Examining your aspirations for the future.
- Determining whether additional experiences or skills are required to reach the destination.
- Putting together a plan that will help you get there in a planned and timely manner.
Vocation objectives are targets. Things, positions, and circumstances in your professional life that you have resolved to accomplish. They can be short-term, like getting a promotion or a certification, or they can be long-term, like running a successful business on your own or working as an executive at the company of your dreams. They ought to be the kind of prize that inspires you to get started in your career, regardless of how they sound.
How do I choose my future career goals?
There is no right or wrong approach to setting goals for your career or job. However, experts recommend following a fundamental rule: to employ the REAL approach to development goals.
The acronym REAL stands for:
- Relevant: explains why it is important and useful.
- Experimental: implies an activity for growth that will result in increased insight.
- Aspirational: identifies an area in need of improvement.
- Learning-based: conveys outcomes that are centered on increasing capability.
Center around these qualities when you need to make a lifelong change or to climb the stepping stool in your ongoing field by putting forth lengthy and momentary objectives.
Set SMART goals:
The other way around to set future career goals is to define SMART goals. You must have attempted to make at least one New Year’s resolution at some point, right? If you’re like more than 80% of people, they probably only lived for a short time.
So, now that you know what you want to do, how can you overcome the odds and set goals that are easier to stick to? If you haven’t heard of SMART goals before, now is the time to learn about this fantastic goal-setting concept. The acronym SMART stands for the following:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
The basic idea is to break down big goals into smaller, more manageable chunks that adhere to these ideas. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to reach each milestone as you organize the steps and schedule your goals.
Access to a planning process is provided by tools like Toggl Plan, allowing you to set everything up exactly how you need it while tracking your goals. You’ll be able to stay engaged as you move through each step thanks to the engaging design and user-friendly interface. With outlines that cover week by week, month to month, and, surprisingly, yearly standpoints, you’ll have the option to screen all that whether you’re chipping away at present moment or long haul vocation objectives.
Why is it important to have a future career goals?
First, aside from the job interview, you should have a career goal because it will help you. Improve yourself, not to impress the interviewer, your relatives, or your Tinder date. Having a career objective will keep you focused and prevent you from falling into a routine where every day is the same and you forget why you work.
It gives you a goal, steps to take, and progress to make. Now let’s return to the interviewer and the reason for the question. Your response tells them around two things:
- How long do you intend to be employed by them?
- What keeps you working?
Every interviewer will ask you straight up why you want to work for them because they are curious about it. Notwithstanding, this question lets them know something that the “For what reason would you like to work for us?” The interview query does not.
They will be able to determine whether you will be a short-term or long-term employee based on your career objective. Is this a position that you will hold for some time, or is it just a temporary stop until a better opportunity presents itself?
In 2020, it will cost between $400 and $7600 to hire and train an employee. Money that employers have no desire to invest in employees who will only be employed for two months or less. Additionally, if you have a career objective, you will not apply for a position based solely on a job ad that stumbled into your path. If you were unemployed, you would apply for almost any position, so here you are.
If you have a goal in mind, this interview was not a fluke and the position you are applying for really fits your goals. This indicates that you will probably be more committed to the position, put in more effort, and have a positive attitude. The question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” is an alternative to “What are your career goals?” In the two cases, questioners are attempting to arrive at a similar point: your upcoming.
What are the 4 most common future career goals?
Career goals can be categorized based on their focus in addition to the two primary types, long-term and short-term.
These four are the most common ones:
- Goals focused on professional advancement
- Goals focused on leadership advancement
- Goals focused on educational advancement
- Goals focused on personal development
1. Goals focused on professional advancement
Each of these objectives aims to increase your efficiency and work performance; getting faster and better at what you do and moving up the corporate ladder as a result.
- Short-term example: A sales agent increasing their monthly sales by x%.
- Long-term example: Make a senior partner at a top law firm.
2. Goals focused on leadership advancement
There is a lot of room for career advancement in leadership. Improving your management abilities and aiming for positions with more responsibility are all part of these objectives.
- Short-term example: I’m working my way up to this restaurant’s manager position.
- Long-term example: Functioning as a chief at X organization.
3. Goals focused on educational advancement
There is always more to learn, whether you are just graduating or an established professional. These objectives are tied in with staying up with the latest with the new improvements in your field or simply gaining some new useful knowledge and unique.
- Short-term example: acquiring new programming skills.
- Long-term example: In no more than 11 years, successfully complete medical school, a surgical residency, and a state license to practice medicine.
4. Goals focused on personal development
Self-improvement and skills like networking and teamwork are emphasized in these objectives. They not only demonstrate that you are more than just someone who works hard at their job, but they also have a positive impact on your professional life.
- Short-term example: Taking an active role in your company.
- Long-term example: enhancing your ability to network.
How to answer, what are your future career goals?
There is, in fact, no formula for answering this question correctly. However, there are some pointers we can offer you to ensure that your response hits all the right points.
- Be relevant to the company
- Start with short-term goals and then move to long-term ones
- Back your goals with an action plan
- Preparation and Practice
1. Be relevant to the company
Let’s say one of your current objectives is to complete an online course in fictional writing and earn a certification. That’s a fantastic objective, but applying for a sales manager position will not benefit much from this certification at the interview. So this means, your response to this inquiry question ought to be connected with the position/organization you’re applying for.
Correct Example:
To become a Certified Public Accountant has always been my goal. I will finally have completed the education and work experience requirements to take the Uniform CPA Exam, which I am extremely determined to pass, in a year.
2. Start with short-term goals and then move to long-term ones
Typically, short-term objectives are steps in the direction of the larger long-term objective. They are also clearer and more specific. You can start by talking about these goals in your response and then move on to the long-term ones. Your plans will be well-thought-out, and your response will sound much more logical.
Correct Example:
In the coming years, I hope to discover some new talented authors. I would be able to build a solid clientele of authors and establish myself as an editor in the publishing industry by delivering a bestseller.
3. Back your goals with an action plan
A list of objectives is not very convincing as an answer. Instead, concentrate on one or two primary objectives and provide a brief explanation of how you intend to accomplish them or how they will benefit your career over time. This demonstrates that you have carefully considered these objectives and are certain of your aspirations for the future.
For instance, if your short-term objective is to learn a new programming language, describe how you plan to accomplish that (certification or auto-didactic learning) and how it will help you perform better at work (does it allow you to work on more projects? Does your employer gain anything from that?).
Adding more detail to that last sentence: Focus on the company.
Although they are asking about your career goals, they ultimately care more about the success of their company. No surprise here.) Along these lines, while discussing your objectives make a point to communicate how accomplishing them will likewise be helpful to your expected manager. Convince them that both parties will benefit.
Correct Example:
I’m looking for a good time this year to sign up for a course to learn SAP FICO. As a financial analyst, I would be able to provide more accurate reports and assist the business in better planning and cost monitoring.
4. Preparation and Practice
Even if you think you know what you want to do in the future, it’s still important to be ready for this question. Practice your response after giving some thought to some objectives, both short-term and long-term.
25+ future career goals examples
You can set career goals for your work life and professional development in the examples below. It is essential to consider these objectives as only guidelines and to ensure that they are in line with your own career path.
The best examples of career goals will help you organize the steps you need to take to get the job you want.
- Shift into a new career path
- Experience career stability
- Advance to a leadership position
- Work towards personal development
- Earn a certification
- Earn a new degree
- Earn a promotion
- Become an expert in your field
- Gain a new skill
- Publish a book
- Increase your performance metrics
- Learn a new technology
- Be a mentor for someone else
- Cross-train in another functional area
- Expand your professional network
- Gain experience through internship
- Quit your 9-to-5 job
- Get a pay raise
- Develop a more efficient work process
- Start your own business
- Gain global experience
- Become a good communicator
- Improve time management skills
- Build your personal brand
- Start your own business
1. Shift into a new career path
One of the most significant examples of a career goal is the need to switch careers. Because it does not match their qualifications and skills, many professionals are dissatisfied with their current position or employer. People often have long-term career goals that include changing careers.
They want to find jobs with job descriptions that match the essential skills they have and potential employers.
2. Experience career stability
One of the most important career goals is stability. There are a lot of more qualified and experienced candidates competing for your current position in the job market. A good example of a career goal would be to learn new skills and meet new people.
You need to focus on expanding your experience, improving your time management skills, and developing your personal brand if you want to achieve your career objective of stability. Stability as a goal may overlap with other examples of career goals listed here.
3. Advance to a leadership position
Another common example of a career goal is becoming a leader. This career objective necessitates leadership abilities or training to acquire the skills necessary to assume project manager or similar positions.
You can also look for leadership training on your own and a mentor who will teach you the skills you need to succeed in your job or industry and take on a leadership role.
4. Work towards personal development
Self-awareness is necessary to your expert turn of events. Work on improving your interpersonal skills, interviewing skills, and practical experience. Along with your professional objectives, you must establish personal objectives as well.
You will be in a better position to succeed professionally if you improve as a person.
5. Earn a certification
A typical illustration of setting career goals for oneself is earning professional certifications. The reason for procuring a confirmation is to grandstand to a future or potential manager your abilities and capacities. It either qualifies you for a salary increase or demonstrates your expertise in your chosen career path.
Naturally, that raises the question, ” Where can I acquire certifications? Online learning services like Coursera, which offer a wide range of courses and certificates from well-known certificate-granting institutions, are some good places to start. You may be able to pay for such courses if your employer provides stipends for personal development and learning.
6. Earn a new degree
When you want to go beyond just certifications and instead want to pursue a completely new undergraduate or graduate degree, goal setting is another useful tool. With a new undergraduate degree or a Masters or PhD program, you might want to expand your skills or specialize in a new field.
Increasing your education and knowledge can help you achieve your own short- and long-term objectives. Just make sure the degree you want to get is appropriate for the positions you want to hold. Having a PhD may actually hurt your chances of getting hired in some fields because some employers may think you are overqualified.
7. Earn a promotion
A great short-term objective for your career is to be promoted. You will be able to move up the career ladder by being promoted to project management or leadership. However, a promotion should not be viewed as the end of your career. It shouldn’t be more than a stepping stone to other career goals.
8. Become an expert in your field
Another common example of a career goal with both long- and short-term milestones is becoming an expert in your field. You’ll be inspired to keep learning and take advantage of learning opportunities if you set this goal. Because you are the kind of person who is a thought leader, people will want to work with you or collaborate with you because of this mindset.
9. Gain a new skill
Among the many examples of career goals on our list, learning a new skill might seem like a redundant addition. However, we will dissect this concept by stating that hard skills should not be your sole focus.
Instead, you should make it a point to identify and work on both hard and soft skills that could be important for your career path in the future. ZipRecruiter discovered, after analyzing its own data, that 93% of employers specifically ask applicants for soft skills. Therefore, time management, teamwork, communication, and problem solving should not be overlooked. These are being considered by current and future employers when making hiring and promotion decisions.
10. Publish a book
One of the best examples of career goals is to write and publish a book about your field. It’s a great way to show off your knowledge of the subject and establish yourself as a thought leader.
11. Increase your performance metrics
You can use key performance indicators to measure and evaluate your career objectives. Zeroing in on these numbers permits you to accomplish your Genuine objectives since you have something to hold back nothing.
There are numerous examples of this, but let’s concentrate on sales professionals. Common sales performance metrics for professionals in sales are the Net Promotor Score (NPS), Win Rate, Quota Attainment, and Conversion Rate. Developing a strategy to improve these personal metrics can greatly assist you in achieving your career objectives. If you don’t know how to get there, you might have to ask a mentor who has more experience and can help you get there.
12. Learn a new technology
Learning a new technology or tools that are essential to your current or desired position is another example of a career goal. Numerous businesses now rely on a variety of cutting-edge tools created by technological advancement to boost workplace productivity and efficiency.
If you are able to master these tools, you will be in a better position than others and increase productivity at work. To put it simply, it gives you a competitive advantage over your coworkers and will be viewed as a benefit to your organization.
The following are the tech tools that are in the most demand right now:
- Productivity (like GSuite)
- Digital marketing tool (such as automated marketing software)
- Programming
- Graphic design (like InDesign and Photoshop)
- Data analytics and visualization
If the company offers training for new technologies and tools, take advantage of it. Or on the other hand, you can do self-study, particularly in the event that it is a basic expertise required for your job.
13. Be a mentor for someone else
A couple of tips back, we referenced the significance of delicate abilities. Being a mentor is one of those career goals that can also help you achieve other goals because mentoring teaches you many soft skills that are in demand.
Being a mentor not only provides you with the essential soft skills you need to move up to leadership positions, but it also gives you other benefits. Mentoring can also help you build strong relationships with other people, which could be useful if you find that their talents, skills, or networks can help you.
Nearly anybody can be a tutor. Reverse mentoring is a great way for junior-level employees to connect with leadership channels and potential career sponsors, even if you’re new to the company.
14. Cross-train in another functional area
One proven method for expanding your skill set and becoming a more valuable asset to your company is cross-training. Expanding on your current position’s essential skills is important, but you shouldn’t limit yourself. Think of other ways to acquire new abilities that might not be applicable to your current position. This way, you’ll be prepared for new opportunities.
15. Expand your professional network
Numerous of your personal and professional objectives will be accelerated by expanding your professional network. It is also an end in and of itself. As you work toward your career objectives and professional development, you will be able to get the support you need by joining professional associations with experts in your field.
Participating in industry-related forums, attending training sessions or workshops, and joining conferences are all ways to make new professional connections. Utilize your professional connections to take advantage of new learning opportunities and obtain references for potential employment.
It goes without saying that joining LinkedIn is a great place to begin if you haven’t already done so. You can join industry-specific forums, but LinkedIn effectively controls the professional networking market.
16. Gain experience through internship
Consider applying to a major company’s internship program if you are a recent graduate or planning a career change. Learning how to start at the bottom and gaining sufficient hands-on experience in carrying out the various tasks and responsibilities required in your desired position are the keys to achieving your long-term career objectives.
Take, for instance, an internship that focuses on project management to acquire the skills necessary to succeed as a project manager.
We grasp the ongoing wavering toward temporary positions. Unpaid internships have been used by businesses in the past to effectively recruit young, impressionable workers. At the conclusion of the internship, that labor did not always result in an offer of employment. However, times have changed. Internships without compensation are slowly but surely dying out.
17. Quit your 9-to-5 job
You have probably been told, “Don’t quit your day job,” that a person’s personal interests aren’t good enough to make a living from. However, that risk might be worth it if you are convinced that you possess the skills necessary to achieve your objectives and that your day job prevents you from doing so.
Just make sure that you don’t quit your 9-to-5 job without making plans for a backup. Have enough money saved for when your next move starts. In the event that your plans don’t go as planned, make sure you have the right connections in your network who can assist you in finding a new job.
18. Get a pay raise
We accept it. It is much simpler to say than to do to simply tell someone to “get a raise.” In any case, it tends to be finished, even in the present work market and turbulent monetary circumstances.
Find out what the highest salaries are for your chosen career field. Reaching that level should be one of your short-term career objectives. Use that information to your advantage when you ask for a raise, but be careful how you approach the situation.
A pay raise is not a frivolous objective. Instead, see it as a reason to keep going now that you’ve reached the top of your job or career.
19. Develop a more efficient work process
Your career can benefit in the long run if you come up with new and better ways to do your work. It demonstrates your initiative and willingness to support the success of your organization. If you want to impress your current employer and be considered for a leadership position or a promotion, it is essential to come up with new and more effective methods of accomplishing a task.
20. Start your own business
One of the best career objectives you can pursue is to start your own business. You can control how much you can earn and have room for professional development when you own your own business.
If you want to start your own business, look for something you are passionate about. Starting your own business could hardly be a more direct path for people who want to change careers as a career goal.
21. Gain global experience
Globalization of the work environment is rapidly occurring. Don’t limit your work experience to your home country if at all possible. Look for opportunities to collaborate with professionals in your field and international businesses. Make the most of the opportunity to learn from them and to impart your knowledge.
22. Become a good communicator
As we mentioned earlier, mentoring others can help you improve your communication skills, which are important soft skills. If you want to make a difference in your career, you need to have good communication skills. Especially, don’t anticipate arriving into an influential position on the off chance that you continually battle with or neglect to foster your relational abilities. Putting aside some counterarguments, great leaders.
23. Improve time management skills
Your capacity to make the most of your time can be extremely helpful in your pursuit of career advancement. The only resource you cannot recover is time. Make the most of your time by learning new skills and working as hard as you can. You will be on the right track to achieving your professional development objectives as a result of this.
24. Build your personal brand
A legitimate career objective is to build your personal brand. It’s how you set yourself apart from other experts in your field. After you have created your brand, you should put your attention on maintaining it and acting accordingly.
It could require a couple of years to fabricate your own image so be sufficiently determined to construct your expert vocation as you work on your image.
25. Start your own business
Even though starting a business might be more of a career goal for the future, you don’t have to wait any longer to get started. As it gets easier to use on a daily basis, the internet has simplified many aspects of being an entrepreneur. It would appear that anyone is able to make their own website and provide anything from products to customer service.
On the off chance that your expert objectives incorporate running your own organization, there’s never a better time than right now to foster your arrangement and begin finding a way the ways to fabricate it. Find what you’re passionate about and look for opportunities to start a business to change the industry.
Don’t work on your career goals alone
We’ll focus on a point we’ve discussed numerous times because it’s so crucial: Locate a mentor. Mentoring, according to the majority of CEOs, boosts profitability and efficiency in their businesses. That easily shows how much mentoring is important to successful businesses, as 84% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs.
Mentoring occurs naturally in every business. In any case, when it happens purposefully and is planned starting from the top, it becomes quantifiable. Goals are more doable with structure. Therefore, get a mentor. Also, if your company doesn’t offer mentoring, ask for it and join the team working on the program’s expansion.
Hey, I am Sachin Ramdurg. I run and manage futuredecider.com website that helps students, graduates, and professionals, to find and decide on their future career with ultimate future career advices and future career guides. I have an overall 12+ years of career guidance experience in multiple domains which has helped multiple students, graduates, and professionals to find the best career path for their future.