Job Goals

There are some people who find happiness in their careers and you could be one of them. However, unfortunately, you could not just attain that level of fulfillment yet for reasons like 1. It is not in line with the degree you graduated from, 2. You do not like your work schedule, 3. You do not like your colleagues, 4. You do not like your boss, or 5. Your pay is not enough. There could be other reasons than that but those five are the most common reasons why there are people who do not find fulfillment in their jobs.

However, no matter what your reasons are for not feeling a single spark of happiness in both your current and previous jobs, there is one main reason why you could not do so and that is because, from the moment you stepped foot on the so-called real and corporate world, you did not have a clear job goal or career goal in mind. You either: 1. accepted the job offer because it has a big pay or 2. you are pressured to have a job.

There is a big difference when a person already has a clear job goal or career goal in mind before he or she sets out to look for a job or start paving way for his or her dream career and that difference is: ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment.

But having job goals or career goals just for the heck of it would not do you any good either. Your job goals would reflect the kind of vision you have for your own profession and career path.

Setting job goals are not that difficult if you could set your priorities and vision well from the very beginning because it is in that way that you would learn and know where to start in your planning and preparation.

Here are eight examples of job goals or career goals that you can set for yourself.

1. Increase your Knowledge

You can still learn while already having a job and it should even be a must that you should keep on learning because learning is a never-ending process. You could enroll in a class or an online class, attend a workshop, get certification for the new knowledge you have learned or attend training and seminars. Learning a new body of knowledge is important even if you are or not yet employed.

The constant thing in this world is change and with all the changes and the updates that are happening in this age, you must find a way to adapt to all the changes so that you can ride on and even level up your game.

Gaining knowledge is what makes you more valuable and efficient in your work. However, do not just enroll in random classes, training, seminars, and workshops. Take the ones that are related to your job or career so that the knowledge you have learned will have an actual purpose.

2. Get a Promotion

What’s more fulfilling than getting a promotion at a job that you love? Of course, we all know that getting a promotion is not really that easy– you have to work hard for it. Make a possible promotion your inspiration to be better at work. Some people think it’s toxic– that all we just want is a raise and recognition. Wanting for a raise and a recognition is not that really bad once you do it out of the good heart and you remain humble after receiving such blessings.

3. Have New Experiences

Gaining new experiences could also be one of your job goals. Experience, as they say, is one of the best teachers in life. It is in our experiences that we learn the hard but the best way. It is in our experiences that you also gain knowledge without opening books. It is in our experiences that we learn things that we do not learn from classroom discussions.

4. Attain a Leadership Role or Earn a Management Position

Not all of us have the skills to become a leader but if you have but you just keep on doubting yourself, maybe it’s time to rethink. What if your leadership can cause a relevant and positive impact on your job? Maybe it’s time for you to acknowledge your abilities and make use of it wisely.

5. Change Jobs

This kind of job goal is something that most people will get scared of but once you feel that you are not already satisfied with your job then maybe you should change your job but make sure that it is still related to your passion or your career so there will no more instances in the future that you will be changing jobs just because you do not like it anymore.

However, there could also be instances wherein the job you would transfer to is a far cry from the line of your previous job– it could be considered as setbacks. Most of the time, setbacks are important so that we would be able to earn a whole new body of knowledge that could be of great help to your passion or the career you aspired to be in for your entire lifetime. When such setbacks happen, also make sure that you take it as a means of improving yourself and not see it as a sign that you should be giving up on your dreams and aspirations.

6. Network

You might have long-term career goals or objectives and for that, you might going to need to have a strong network in the industry or career path you would like to spend your life on. Having a network simply means that you know some people in the industry who can help you with your long-term job goals. These people can give you knowledge and insights on how things work in the industry, the do’s and the don’ts and the things that you should focus and give time on. But most importantly, these people can give you opportunities that will help you achieve your job goals.

7. Improve your Communication Skills

Do you know that constant communication is important to have a healthy relationship? It is also important in terms of your relationship with the people at work. Communication is the basis of how your team at work will thrive and survive. If you lack in the communication skills department and has lost a lot of opportunities because of your fear and doubts, maybe it’s time for you to take this as a challenge to improve your communication skills.

Having effective communication skills is also vital for your personal development.

8. Feel Happier at Work

Sometimes, even if you are already at the right track and path of your career but your feelings are on the downside, maybe it’s time to give yourself a break from all the pressure and anxiety that you, your own self, is giving. Maybe you keep on messing up with your job because you are pressured to become perfect. Maybe you are not satisfied with the job you have right now because you keep on thinking that you are not valued by the people around you. When such instances happen, it is only your own self that could help yourself in rising above all the trials you face.

Categories of Job Goals

If you have a hard time identifying what should be your main job goal, you might want to take the following categories of job goals as your way of identifying what you might be want to focus on:

1. Productivity

Productivity is one category of job goals that refers to the worker’s capability to be able to do tasks assigned to and is able to do it effectively and not just for the sake of getting things done.

To become productive, one must know his or her priorities at work. It does not necessarily mean you have to do more than one thing at a time but it means how many tasks have you accomplished without compromising your focus and attention towards one ongoing task. Sometimes, productivity happens when you would already know how to manage your time effectively. You are considered productive when you have done most of your tasks for the day and that you still have a time for leisure at the end of the day.

2. Efficiency

Efficiency goes hand in hand with productivity. The tasks given to you should not only be done just for the sake of getting things done. You may have done a lot of things within the day but if the results have compromised quantity and quality, you have also both compromised efficiency and productivity. Your efficiency is your make or break since it affects your progress in your career.

Being efficient means that you are able to do a lot of tasks within the day and you have not affected the quality of the results– in fact, it should surpass more than what was expected from you.

3. Learning

Learning does not stop once you have already completed your education. Learning is something that happens for a lifetime. You could learn anywhere– even in your current workplace. But if you would want career advancements, it is often recommended that you should take further studies so that what you have learned from your degree, you would be able to add more fuel to it.

Change has always been the only constant thing even in the real, corporate world and with all the advancements that happen in every sector, everything has to be updated in order to adapt to the changes.

If you want to adapt to the changes as well, you could either take further studies related to the changes in your career, take special training, or attend workshops and seminars.

You might think that it is necessary to have more knowledge about your career but just think about the tough competition, “the survival of the fittest”, in the real, corporate world. Are you capable enough to compete against your sea of competitors with your current knowledge? It has been said that your weapon in this tough real, corporate word is your knowledge of things. Are you equipped enough for battle? Think about it.

4. Personal Development

Before we became one among the workforce, we were individual first. The development of our individuality is important in determining exactly how ready we are in the real, corporate world.

You might think that personal development is not an important matter and not related to your career success. News flash: it is an important matter and it is related to your career success.

If you have fully developed yourself, you will be ready to face various challenges at work. You could face challenges among your workmates and if you are mature enough to handle relationships, you will always find a way to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings.

Your personal development has an impact on your work and most especially in your career path because it helps you achieve both your short-term goals and long-term goals.