Career Goal Setting 3

The goal setting questions in the last section will take some real thought and honesty to set them properly. When you have answered these questions, you next have to begin to prioritize them. Let me show you an example.

John Smith wants to be the President of his company one day. Right now he is a mere data entry clerk. His company is a large corporation that works with computer repairs and security. John knows everything there is to know about computer repairs and can fix almost any computer he will ever look at.

He is efficient at using and finding hackers and securing computers so they are not hacked into. His boss is currently ignoring his advice so John is not sure how to go about getting to his dream of being president of the company someday which he is more than capable of doing already.

This is a time when John should begin to prioritize and decide how he can get to his goal. His ultimate goal is to be company president and he wants to accomplish this in 10 years.

John is currently 26 years old. Since he knows the what and the when, he must decide everything else. I opted to show you his possible steps in an easy to read table again:

	Steps for How	Steps to answer What	Steps for Why	Steps for When?	Steps for Where
1	I will make a to-do list.	I will put my ideas for improvement in it.	I want to move up the next position at work.	I will do this today!	I will do this in private.
2	How can I get noticed?	I will make a presentation showing my idea for improvement.	Because I can’t move up if no one knows I’m there.	I will do this the day it is finished.	I will do this at work.
3	How can I let my work be seen?	I will now show my superior my presentation.	I know my work is good and strong.	I will do this when I know my boss can't ignore me.	I will do this in my boss's office or invite him to my house.
4	How can I get the higher ups to see my work?	I will schedule time with a major company player to give my ideas.	I can't move up until I make friends with higher ups.	I will invite colleagues and higher ups to a cocktail party this weekend.	I will do this during a meeting.
5	How can I keep moving up?	Now that I'm getting closer to higher ups I will share my ideas verbally & get impression.		I will do this after 3 months of making friends with higher ups.	I will bring these up at meetings with backup presentation ready if requested.

This is just a sample of the first 3 months of John executing his goal to get higher up in the company.

Naturally, becoming president will take a lot longer than 3 months but getting closer to superiors and colleagues at work is a great start as long as you don't step on anyone's toes and build their trust. Over time, you can introduce your ideas and present them in a professional manner at the right time.

When you see that your company needs help on something, work in secret and bring in a finished product at the right time or schedule private meetings with your boss.

This shows that you are not only ambitious but also motivated and determined. It is a great way to move up in the company. In order to do this properly, you must take the steps in succession and not try to become a president in 1 year. That is unrealistic.

Although John will want to begin working for his long term goal of being company president, he should also begin by setting short term goals that will lead him there.

The first goal can start with moving up one position at work and continue on in this method. That way he can celebrate each promotion and advancement separately, rather than focusing only on his inability to make president right away.

From here, John should just follow the step-by-step methods mentioned in the previous sections for exact steps to attaining and setting goals. Just remember that you have to develop an action plan if you are going to succeed.

Career Goal Setting Continued...