How to Be Successful in Your Career
Establish goals., Identify your next career move., Make a plan.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Establish goals.
It is always better to have a destination before you begin a trip.
Lay out your career goals by differentiating between short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.
Your short-term goals should support and lead to your medium term goals, which then do the same for your long-term ones.
When writing your goals, remember to be as specific as possible, including time limits and measurable levels of success, like a certain position or annual salary.
You might consider some of the following questions when working up your plan:
What is your passion, and does your current job feed it? Does your current lifestyle and job make you happy, or do you find yourself wanting something different? What does success look like to you? For example, "In three years, I want to be an assistant manager, foreman, etc." might be a medium-term goal on the way to the long term goal, "In ten years, I want to be a Vice President." -
Step 2: Identify your next career move.
Since you’re building your career, where do you want to go? You’ll need to determine if you want to stay at the same institution or company, or if you will need to find somewhere else.
Decide what kind of change you want to make, whether it is a lateral move at a bigger company, a move up at a similar company, or a switch to nonprofits, and start doing research.
How often do the kinds of jobs you want come up? This can often be key in planning a next move, if the kind of job you want is rare.
When one comes up, you will need to pursue it strongly. , You can start with where you want to be in the next year or few years, and then craft a plan for your career as a whole.
Discuss your career with your mentor and family.
Figuring out how you want your career to turn out on your own is one thing, but a mentor and your own family can often have different perspectives.
Talk to others to see how feasible your ideas seem to them.
Create a timeline for your plan with goal milestones and planned actions at certain points. -
Step 3: Make a plan.
Detailed Guide
It is always better to have a destination before you begin a trip.
Lay out your career goals by differentiating between short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.
Your short-term goals should support and lead to your medium term goals, which then do the same for your long-term ones.
When writing your goals, remember to be as specific as possible, including time limits and measurable levels of success, like a certain position or annual salary.
You might consider some of the following questions when working up your plan:
What is your passion, and does your current job feed it? Does your current lifestyle and job make you happy, or do you find yourself wanting something different? What does success look like to you? For example, "In three years, I want to be an assistant manager, foreman, etc." might be a medium-term goal on the way to the long term goal, "In ten years, I want to be a Vice President."
Since you’re building your career, where do you want to go? You’ll need to determine if you want to stay at the same institution or company, or if you will need to find somewhere else.
Decide what kind of change you want to make, whether it is a lateral move at a bigger company, a move up at a similar company, or a switch to nonprofits, and start doing research.
How often do the kinds of jobs you want come up? This can often be key in planning a next move, if the kind of job you want is rare.
When one comes up, you will need to pursue it strongly. , You can start with where you want to be in the next year or few years, and then craft a plan for your career as a whole.
Discuss your career with your mentor and family.
Figuring out how you want your career to turn out on your own is one thing, but a mentor and your own family can often have different perspectives.
Talk to others to see how feasible your ideas seem to them.
Create a timeline for your plan with goal milestones and planned actions at certain points.
About the Author
Richard Alvarez
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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