Evaluate & Re-Evaluate: Vital Keys To A Better Career Goal

Career goal is the first step on the road of career. The next steps involve planning and execution. A career goal is itself a well-defined statement explaining how you intend to pursue your aim throughout the career. It is essential for every employee or job seeker to clarify their career goals, which further helps them develop practical action plans. 

For your plan to work efficiently, you need to keep evaluating and re-evaluating your goal. 

A monthly evaluation is necessary to see what is happening in your business or your career path and get an idea of what is working and what is not working. If you feel something is not right about it, then re-evaluate it. 

At the very least, you should do quarterly evaluations for your goals set for ahead months.

Where do you see yourself in next year’s? Are you going in the right direction?  

Think ahead to where you’d like to be in your career several years from now. Check if you are going in the right direction? This could be any sky-high goal that you might not achieve in the next decade but you want to reach eventually. Maybe you want to own a restaurant, manage a property in the Caribbean, achieve a certain salary level, or a specific position in the company.

What do you need to achieve in the short term?

Now think about the progress you’ll need to make this year to reach the long-term goal. This depends on where you are currently. Suppose your goal is to become an executive for an MNC, and you’re currently an assistant manager at a privately owned hotel. In that case, you’re probably not going to be able to jump to the executive level within a year, but you can make progress towards it by amplifying your skills. Your goals for 2021 could be to earn some certification, attend conferences, apply for a new better job as a general, or get into some research graduate degree programs within the next two years, which can help you boost your goal.

What’s your driving force to success?

You want to get a promotion because you’d enjoy the challenge of a new role, or are you seeking more money and recognition? It’s okay to put material considerations like money into your goals because money is itself a driving force that helps you work hard. We all ought to live a comfortable life. But keep in mind that working toward a goal for several months or longer will be easier if you have some intrinsic motivation, like fulfilling your potential, staying true to your values, or pursuing a passion. And if any of your goals are purely things that other people expect from you and not things you want, it’s a good idea to reconsider your plans.

Make a realistic and achievable timeline.

Once you’ve set some goals to reach your desired position, consider the timeline you made. Are these things you can achieve realistically within the set time limit? Evaluate if you can accomplish this. If not, try rescheduling things differently and judiciously. 

Do you have enough resources to meet your career goals?

Your goals might require assistance from other people, money, or other resources to achieve. Think about what resources you would need initially to reach it successfully, which are feasible and economical, get support from your seniors or colleagues. For example, If you want to go back to school but lack funds, you could look for a job with an employer that offers tuition reimbursement,

Enlist goals and prioritize them accordingly.

You might have conflict in your mind regarding goals, especially if they’re varied or ambitious. Make a note of which goal is your top priority, and think about ways to ensure you don’t get sidetracked, and think about their results in the long term. 

Re-evaluating your goals is also a good thing as times change, and what works today may not work tomorrow and further. So keep checking on your career and follow the path systematically.