There are two types of goals you must set, both short-term and long-term

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1 Why set Goals? To get your dream job, you will need to set some realistic goals first. Look upon goals as navigation tools, a sort of 'sat-nav' for the journey on your new career path. Goal setting is particularly useful if you are planning to enter a career or industry that is popular or particularly competitive, which can be daunting for anyone. There are two types of goals you must set, both short-term and long-term Having goals, whether short-term or long-term, have a positive effect on your outlook and will help you to: Stay motivated Plan your career direction Increase your self-confidence Stay focused on what is important to you Track and record your progress and achievements One of the key ingredients to finding a rewarding job is to identify your goals. Knowing Yourself The first step in developing a career goal is developing self-awareness. Self-awareness forms the foundation for effective career planning and is an activity that can be revisited at different points in your career life. Your career goals should be rooted in your own identity consisting of your interests, values, skills and experiences. Values Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work. Learning what you personal and work values are and accepting them is an important process if career goal setting is to be successful. Step 1: Identify the times when you were happiest Find examples from both your career and personal life. This will ensure some balance in your answers. What were you doing? Were you with other people? Who? What other factors contributed to your happiness? SERVICE\942bdccfb97d44898d70d7753f006930\Output.Docx Page 1 of 5

2 Step 2: Identify the times when you were most proud Use examples from your career and personal life. Why were you proud? Did other people share your pride? Who? What other factors contributed to your feelings of pride? Step 3: Identify the times when you were most fulfilled and satisfied Again, use both work and personal examples. What need or desire was fulfilled? How and why did the experience give your life meaning? What other factors contributed to your feelings of fulfillment? Step 4: Determine your top values, based on your experiences of happiness, pride, and fulfillment Questions to ask yourself are: What are my interests? What kind of skills do I have? What are my work related values? E.g. high paying job; making a contribution to society What are my ambitions? Step 5: Prioritize your top values This step is probably the most difficult, because you'll have to look deep inside yourself. It's also the most important step, because, when making a decision, you'll have to choose between solutions that may satisfy different values. This is when you must know which value is more important to you. Write down your top values, not in any particular order. Look at the first two values and ask yourself, "If I could satisfy only one of these, which would I choose?" It might help to visualize a situation in which you would have to make that choice. For example, if you compare the values of service and stability, imagine that you must decide whether to sell your house and move to another country to do valuable foreign aid work, or keep your house and volunteer to do charity work closer to home. Keep working through the list, by comparing each value with each other value, until your list is in the correct order. SERVICE\942bdccfb97d44898d70d7753f006930\Output.Docx Page 2 of 5

3 Step 6: Reaffirm your values Check your top-priority values, and make sure they fit with your life and your vision for yourself. Do these values make you feel good about yourself? Are you proud of your top three values? Would you be comfortable and proud to tell your values to people you respect and admire? Do these values represent things you would support, even if your choice isn't popular, and it puts you in the minority? When you consider your values in decision making, you can be sure to keep your sense of integrity and what you know is right, and approach decisions with confidence and clarity. You'll also know that what you're doing is best for your current and future happiness and satisfaction. Exploring your options Explore possible careers, companies and training organisations. This involves investigating career alternatives to your chosen fields Questions to ask yourself are: What is out there? What options do I have? What jobs fit my skill? SERVICE\942bdccfb97d44898d70d7753f006930\Output.Docx Page 3 of 5

4 Setting Goals For Job Seekers, S.M.A.R.T. Goals can be a powerful tool to guide the process. The first step to success is knowing where you want to go. The second step is having a plan to get there. Your long-term goal is your destination. Your short-term goals are your road map. Stick to your plan and you ll be well on your way. S M A R T Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic & Relevant Time Based Exactly what is it you want to achieve in your work life You need to be able to track the progress and measure the outcome Say what you are going to do You need to be realistic and also relevant to your work life Your goal should state the time period in which it will be accomplished Specific: Goals need to be something specific. Most of us have a big picture idea of what we want to achieve. We say, for example, I will find a new job or I want to change careers. That s not detailed enough. Saying, I will redo my resume this month is more precise. Now you have something specific to achieve. Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, when you re out of work it s important to expand your network. But, making new contacts is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is I will attend four networking events each month and connect with one person at each. Or I will update my linkedin profile and add one new contact each week. Those are simple, concrete goals that you can measure at the end of the week. Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. At one point or another, most of us have been unemployed. Looking for a job, particularly in this economy, isn t easy. One of the biggest problems, aside from finding a job, is keeping your moral up. Setting achievable shortterm goals that move you toward your long-term goal of finding a job will help you from becoming discouraged. Setting a goal of finding a new job in one month, for example, might not be reasonable. However, applying to at least three companies each week is doable. Don t set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach. SERVICE\942bdccfb97d44898d70d7753f006930\Output.Docx Page 4 of 5

5 Realistic and Relevant: Goals need to be realistic. As someone who s changed careers several times, I know it can be done. Within reason. While we can have a lot, we probably can t have it all at the same time. It s important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? What if moving into a new career means going back to school? Can you work full-time and juggle classes in the evening? Be honest. Time Based: Goals need to have a time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. If you re out of work, your savings may dictate your time frame. You may only be able to be unemployed for six months. However, many of us want to change careers or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress. SERVICE\942bdccfb97d44898d70d7753f006930\Output.Docx Page 5 of 5