Career development is an important part of life. This starts with setting up career development goals effectively. Career development is enhanced by your personal, family, social, environmental, and national development.
Development in a career can be achieved by setting and achieving specific goals. There are many things that help to set up career development goals. In my opinion career goals need to be set up by considering the following questions/things:
- What do your parents want? What will make your parents happy and proud?
The first choice is to ask the parents. Obviously, you want their happiness. It’s important to consider which field your parents suggesting to you. You also need to consider what are your choices. Parents know more than a child so it’s not a good option to ignore their aspirations.
I know that you may have differences in parents’ choice but in this case, you need to talk to them. So when you set or choose your career then it’s important that your parents, family, and husband support the journey. It’s important that whatever you do, your parents and the family will be happy.
- What are your personal dreams? What do you enjoy and what kind of experiences do you want to get in the future that makes you happy?
You may have materialistic goals such as a car, house, money, position, power, respect, and any kind of other passion. You also need to identify what type of experiences you want to get, such as adventures, creativity, leadership, and the power to change.
And also what kind of things will make you happy. Once you know yourself and talk to yourself about the future that you want for yourself then it will become easy to handle thoughts and options.
- If married, what kind of husband do you want to be?
Your career impacts your family life positively and negatively. Such as many entrepreneurs and job holders do not have time for families and kids. There are various situations and desires in everyone’s life similar to family, so it’s important to set career development goals based on the aspirations of your family. Such as your wife/husband can consider traveling to new destinations once in a quarter, they may want to contribute to kids’ education, and your parents may want you to support the family financially and socially.
There are various things that you need to match. So that when once you will start or upgrade your career you don’t feel frustrated and alone. Your success is your family’s success. And your family’s happiness is your happiness. It’s not good if you’re enjoying luxuries in the metros and your parents are fighting for good health and wealth.
- If you’re at the point of marriage then what kind of future you’re looking for?
How you want to live after marriage. what kind of wife/husband is best for you? Do they support your job and business? Is there anything that can cause the problem? Such as your salary or income. Will your wife/husband be with you during your struggles? Can they compromise in your struggling times? These are things that have to consider while setting career goals.
- If you’re a single mom then what kind of present and future do you want for your kids and family?
You want your kids to be well-educated. So that they don’t need to repeat the struggles that you did so far. They will start after you. It means you want their success and for their success, you need to set the goals that will help you to support kids’ education, marriage, living, and lifestyle.
- How much per month income is really important for you right now and how it will be after 3 years?
When you set career development goals it’s important that you consider, how much income per month you need this year, and how much it will be in next year. As currently it’s good to get 20,000 to $1000 per month but next year you need $1500 per month. Or you can consider min. 30% growth rate in your income per month. Money is important to everyone but it’s important that you know how much you need and how much you want. And at least you need to get what you need.
- What are the top traveling places you want to travel to in the future?
Might be you can set up your career development goals based on the destinations you want to travel to. Such as Paris, France, London, the United Kingdom, Rome, Italy, Bali, and India, top traveling places. So you need to set your career development goals that will help you to travel to such places financially, physically, and mentally. You can set goals to become a travel blogger.
You can become the tour guide. Or you can get 30 days holiday a year from your company.
- What type of luxurious things do you want in your material world?
What type of car, bike, home, and living space do you want for yourself? How much that will cost? How do you get each item one by one? Which one do you need first and which one is the last? Considering these things will help you to find the right job, the right career, and the correct career development plans. If you’re not enjoying the fruits of labor, then it means you need such career development goals.
- What makes you peaceful?
It can be materialistic things or spirituality. You need to set career development goals that are connected to your interests. For example, you can be a fashion designer, perfume creator or seller, or graphics designer if materialistic things make you happy.
And you can be a writer, teacher, or coach if spirituality gives you peace of mind. It’s important to what will give you peace of mind, Is it money, respect, sleep, friends, or social media. So that later you don’t need to struggle in completing daily life business and personal jobs.
- What things make you strong?
Strong means you want to be physically and mentally fit. so that your career development goals will be around the things that will make you strong. For example, learning new skills, joining Jim, regular morning walks, exercise, meditation, teaching, and writing & reading.
Now consider the following things:
After the personal and career desire analysis it’s important that you think about the following things to set the best career development goals:
- What is the best way to achieve 70% of the above things?
Now create the path. Find out and write all the options that will be possible to achieve the above dreams. For example, you can choose to become a software engineer but then it’s tough to get 30 holidays each year for traveling, but you can get a car, home within 3-4 years after a good job. But then you can choose to be a freelancer in which you will earn the money, as well as get time for traveling. You can be a blogger or writer, in which there is no time bondage etc.
- How much time will it take to achieve the above desires?
Whatever you select above, you must outline the time frame to achieve your 1st goal. , 2nd and 3rd goals. Do little research, and look at history that Is if there is anyone who does similar things that I am going to accomplish. Learn from history, execute in present, and hope for the best future. For example, after a job and 1st success (whatever) you will buy a CAR, then after 2 years, you will buy a home.
- How will you manage the failure?
You also need to think, if you fail twice to make your dreams a reality you will do in that condition. Will, you give up or start again? What will be your approach at that time toward your career? Such as If I fail on the first attempt I will learn again and I will try again to achieve my goals.
- Do you need support? If yes, what’s that?
Do you need any support to achieve your career development goals? If yes, who is that? parents, family, money, knowledge, society and friends, and your own attitude. Who will support you? For example, if you want to be an entrepreneur then you need the support of your family, money and knowledge, and the trust of friends, and society on you.
- What type of goals do you need to set up to achieve the above dreams?
Now, what types of goals do you need to set up to achieve and make your dreams a reality? It means what type of course and degree you will do and which one is the best goal.
Remember, nothing is perfect in the world. No one ever gets everything. If someone has money then they don’t have time for family. If someone has political power then they don’t have respect. If someone has the greatest respect then they don’t have money. There are many things in life. Life, career, and business become complicated once you start looking for perfection. Only God is perfect.
etc.
So now we have ideas about what we want. Now it’s time to set up career development goals that will help you to make your dreams a reality. But remember, you need to conduct little research before finalizing what will be helpful to achieve what kind of dream. And once you’re ready, then believe and convert your imagination into reality with creativity and focus.
Following are career development examples based on the above consideration and situation:
1. Get Knowledge/Update/Upgrade your skills:-
The first goal is learning the skills that will help you to achieve the above desires/dreams. If you can identify the most valuable skills that are required right now in your company then you can learn that and present yourself as an option for the company. The company will be happy to promote you and increase your salary. An increment in your salary will help you to save money for the car and home or travel.
If you’re a web developer and looking to increase your income, then you need the latest and updated knowledge about your trade. For example, you should have knowledge of Artificial intelligence, and cloud computing infrastructure development so that you can code as per the demand. And if you have the knowledge you can charge higher prices for your labor.
In whatever trade or job you’re in, your first and foremost important career development goal is to become a master in your trade. So the more you learn, the more you earn. And learning means here that you experiment with your knowledge, launch a new product, launch new services, bid for bigger projects, take bigger challenges and obviously learn skills online.
So there can be the following learning goals for your career development:
- Learning Python Programming Skills
- Learning Digital Marketing Skills
- Learning Website Development
- Learning Digital Marketing
- Learning Entrepreneurship
- Learning Leadership skills
- Learning Financial Stability Skills
- Learning Communication Skills
etc.
Related:
Best Online Web Development Courses for Beginners
Essential Online Basic Computer Courses for Beginners
2. Income Goal:-
It can be $2000 per month and you can achieve this goal if you are skilled in any area of business and job. And the $2000 goal is 2nd most important career development goal. To achieve this goal, you need to align your working hours around $2000 per month and need those skills, support, and work that will help you achieve $2000 income.
3. Effective time management:-
You can’t achieve your learning goals and income goals if you’re not managing your time effectively. That’s why you need to value your time for a particular time period. Such as you want to save $10000 in the next 2 years in your bank account. Or you want to learn python programming skills in the next 6 months or you want to double the revenue in your business within the next 1 month or you want a promotion or you want to change the job etc. and whatever it is.
You need to use every minute of your time. it’s because once this time went, it will never come back again. And you can’t spend 2 days each week only on planning. You don’t need to spend the time to explain what you want and how you want, you don’t need 2nd thoughts or others’ opinions once you make up your mind.
I just mean here, that you need to use your time effectively only on productivity tasks and the tasks, the course, the skills, the people, the employee anything that will help you to achieve your income goals. It’s because when you manage your time effectively only then can spend time in learning when you spend time in learning, then you can produce quality in your work and services and once you produce quality in work and whatever you do, it will increase your income. An increased income will help you to make your dreams true. Nothing is free and for no one. If you can’t get it by luck, then get it by doing struggle and hard work.
4. Consistent Growth:-
Now the 4th goal is that you are growing as a human, employee, and entrepreneur. You’re doing better things than yesterday. Your company is growing, and your boss and the workplace environment are growth-oriented. Your company gives regular promotions and incentives etc. to people.
I just mean here, that doesn’t spend time with people who don’t want growth or not doing anything to grow as a human, as the company, as a manager, as an employee, as anybody.
So growth-oriented mindset is important to consider for career development. For example, you’re working in a company as a website designer for the last 2 years,s and your income and knowledge growth rate each year is 10%. Now you really need to think, about why I am only growing at a 10% rate in my career. Is it a fault of the company or your skills? Think, What I can do next that will help me to achieve a 30% increment in my income and knowledge.
If you’re in business, but only making $1000 net profit each month for the last 3 years and growing within only 10% then you need a plan, idea, knowledge, and sources to increase it to 30% or double the net profit next month. This type of growth-oriented mindset not only improves your career, and your employee’s career but also will be helpful in the development of your nation, city, village or whatever place you live.
5. Mental and physical health goals:
Don’t’ be only focused to earn money 24/7 but get some time to enhance your health and energy too. Health is wealth. Your $50000 income per month will not give you any happiness if you’re on bed rest in the hospital. That’s why don’t ignore your fitness for earning more dollars. Do proper exercise and try to eat good and healthy food.
6. Financial stability goal:
Your next career development goal is financial stability. It means you save money each month for personal development, family development, and kids’ education. It means you invest extra money in assets. You invest money on your own or other new startups and new businesses. You invest money in ways that grow over time. For example, you invest in property, you invest in bonds, you invest in a new home, you invest in parking, you invest whatever provides min. 10% return per annum passively.
7. National Goal:-
Your next career development goal is national development. I don’t mean go from here and join the army. I mean do the work that helps in national development directly or indirectly. For example, work in a company that is not a defaulter, and try to be honest with yourself and your company and don’t do or increase fraud.
8. Execution goal:-
Execution is the key to a successful career, business, and life. It means making sure that you’re executing the plans, working hard, and living your dreams. It means you should have an execution plan for each day so that you can create momentum to achieve your short-term and long-term goals.
9. Enjoyment of life:-
It means you have time for yourself. You have time for kids. You have time for plants and nature. You have time to travel. You have time for family/friends and you spend at least 2-3 days in a month or a couple of weeks in a quarter. So that you will keep connected with the people around you and spread happiness to others as well.
10. Reporting/Analysis Goal:-
The next career development goal example is reporting and analysis. It means you constantly check and report your performance and growth. This will help you to move faster toward your dreams.
That’s it, friend, what I know so far about career development. My goal is to help you with your career and business goals. and I hope you liked this article.
Don’t forget to share it. And if you have any questions, you can ask me.