News :Evaluate Career Goals to Plan for Future

Posted on Monday, March 02, 2009

To keep your career moving forward, it is wise to periodically re-evaluate your career goals and fine tune your plans for the future. A regular review of your career goals will help you position yourself to take advantage of career-enhancing opportunities as they arise.

• Assess. Honestly assess your skills and abilities. Think about daily activities that bring you the most – and least – satisfaction. Which aspects of your job you would like to devote more time to? To assess your strengths and weaknesses, consider the results of recent performance reviews. Factor in work style and personal characteristics. Does your current job utilize your talents? Challenge self-limiting beliefs.
• Determine. Set new career goals that increase your competitive marketability. Each job should improve your skill set, knowledge and technical expertise, and better position you for the next job.
• Plan. Plot the steps it will take to reach each goal. Will you need to take additional courses or earn a new certification? Consider the consequences of each step. Will a class impact your work hours? Can you take it online?
• Write it down. Write down your new career goals and what you need to accomplish to reach each one. Refer to your plan periodically to keep yourself on track.
• Act. If you need to increase your skills, sign up for a class. Update your resume so you’re ready to act when an opportunity presents itself. Re-tool your network. Maintain your current contacts, but strive to add new contacts to expand your opportunities.

Be open to new opportunities, but don’t be hasty in making career decisions. Carefully consider the full impact of any decision. The current recession may temporarily put the brakes on your plans for advancement until the job market improves. Use the time to increase your skills. Don’t get discouraged. When things improve, you’ll be ready to act!

Sources:
http://interviewteacher.com/blog/your-career-goals-for-the-new-year/
http://www.theworkbuzz.com/new-year-new-career-goals/careers/327
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careerdevelopment/a/careertips.htm
http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers/articles/1247/Top_5_Tips_How_to_Boost_Your_Career_in_2009
http://www.hsj.co.uk/workinglives/2008/12/career_goals.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Steps-to-Setting-Career-Goals&id=556100
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1130-Getting-Ahead-6-Success-Strategies-for-a-Bad-Economy/

The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today