Career Development Goals And How To Eat An Elephant
It's an oldie but a goody. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course! You need to look at your career development goals in the same way.
It's almost certain that your long term career goal is further away than you can realistically imagine when you start. OK, it's something that you want, I'm not trying to distract you from that. It might be something that you dream about, it might be an obsession, but right at the kick off it's not your main target. It's where you are going long term, but not today.
Today you may have less grand ambitions, but they are equally important. Today you need to take a bite out of the elephant. Tomorrow another bite. You can't manage the whole trunk in one go!
A slightly silly analogy, I know, but accurate nonetheless. What you need is career development goals, plural, not just one. Too much can go wrong on your way to the ultimate goal. Things inevitably side-track you. That's life. Without a series of steps you don't have a manageable path, you have a single career goal which is likely one huge step and, sadly, almost certainly unachievable.
When President Kennedy said he wanted an American to go to the moon, he didn't have a clue about how that man was going to get there. He had a grand ambition, an end goal, but he had to break it down into achievable, bite-size pieces. He spoke to people who knew more than he did about science, about rockets, about communications, etc. Each of those people broke their goals down into smaller pieces, manageable bites.
The rest, as we know, is history.
Great ambition is a good thing, don't let anyone tell you you can't get where you want to go. Set your sights as high as you like and go for it.
But make sure you work out a reasonable set of career development goals to get you there. It's no good saying I want to be the CEO of Microsoft if you don't have a clue how to get there. Do your research. Look at their website, is there any careers information there? What about relevant press and magazines? What about forums and social networks.
Whatever your long term career goals, you'll need to do a lot of work before you get there. Exactly what will depend on what you have chosen to do of course, but take it one bite at a time and before you know it, no more elephant!
Questions and Answers
Article Tags:
career development goals
,career goals
,career development plans
,career development path
,career development
One of the toughest issues in making a good career choice and setting career goals is identifying what it is that you want. Even when it seems that you know what you want, you may still have doubts on if your career choice is the right one for you. In fact, even very successful people have some periods in their career path when they seem unsure about their career choice and goals.
Personal development has become increasingly popular in today's busy world for everything from career improvement and weight loss to public speaking. While the methods and tools used to achieve the desired personal development outcome may vary from high priced seminars to moderately priced books
Organizations today are facing several challenges and talent management is one of the greatest. According to a poll conducted by OI Partners, Inc., the number one challenge facing the HR profession is leadership development and succession planning.
A career coach can help you get on the right path toward landing the job of your dreams. If you are looking to climb the corporate ladder, a specialized type of coach called an executive coach will be able to provide you with the guidance you need to make the right steps in your career.
Today's world offers a vast array of exciting career opportunities in a wide range of challenging fields for students. CAREERWISE, helps students to make career planning. Find here more details on proper Career Selection here.
Successful career advancement requires developing some key skills that position you as a leader. As the saying goes, "If you want to be successful do what other successful people have done". By studying the success habits of others, you'll be much more likely to become successful yourself and you'll avoid having to re-invent the wheel.
Teaching English abroad in Vietnam is a unique experience for anyone who seeks to explore a beautiful country with a rich heritage. You may find people who say that it is not difficult to find jobs in Saigon, but the converse is true. It depends on where and how you conduct your search.
Thailand is a beautiful country with an expanding opportunity to teachers seeking opportunities to travel and teach. The steady demand for native English speakers means that any confident applicant with basic teaching skills can secure employment without difficulties.
Doctor jobs are growing in demand. Canadian research discovered that over four million Canadians lack a family physician Because four million Canadians don't have a family physician, the need for physicians is enormous Provinces throughout Canada are desperate to fill these vacancies.
Although Singapore is an island nation, it has grown to become a modern and efficient first world model country in Asia too. The infrastructure is remarkable and education sector largely successful.
Malaysia is a beautiful country with a thriving tourism industry. Like other emerging countries in Asia, the education sector spurs the knowledge-based economy. The education reforms have been instrumental in producing a quality workforce that satisfies the professional demands of various industries.
If you think about volunteering in Africa, it's unlikely that you think about comfortable rooms, a barbecue by the pool at the end of the day, or a stroll along a golden sandy beach. In fact that's exactly what you could expect. It's Africa, of course, but it's not all mud huts and malaria!
Ever thought about gap year volunteering? What about spending part of your gap year on an African safari? How about combining volunteering in Africa - where you can make a positive impact on the lives of some of the poorest people in the world - with an adventure holiday where you can go bungee jumping of Victoria Falls or white water rafting down the Zambezi? Now that's what I call an adventure vacation!
One of the areas of volunteering Africa which gets a lot of good coverage and publicity is volunteer orphanage work. Often we see TV and movie celebrities with a babe in arms, or sports personality kicking a ball around a dirt pitch.
Volunteer nursing in Africa is an opportunity to help those least able to help themselves. There are many opportunities across the country and many levels at which you can apply your talents. The big question for many is what kind of qualifications do volunteer nurses in Africa need?
What first comes to mind when voluntary work in Africa is mentioned? Wildlife perhaps? Africa has some of the most evocative animals in the world. Perhaps it's teaching? Or nursing? The fact is there are a remarkable number of African volunteering opportunities and anyone can take part. There's also the chance for excitement and adventure like nowhere else on earth!
Discuss this Article
