There are two types of career goals: long term career aspirations / goals and short-term career goals. These goals are different and have a different impact on your career.
Short term goals should be achieved before progressing towards long term goals.
Examples of Short-Term Career Goals
1. Enhancement of Education/Expertise
Enhancing your education and expertise is crucial for your professional growth.
Skills can become obsolete quickly, and not updating them may result in job loss. You should spend at least an hour daily on improving your education and expertise related to your job profile.
2. Run through the Hierarchy System
Hierarchy is an integral part of the corporate world, and you should be comfortable working in any part of it.
It is important to know the workings of all parts of the hierarchy to maintain cordial work relations with everyone.
Progressing in your professional life requires sticking with a company for 2-4 years to maximize career potential before stepping up to another company position.
3. Increase in Responsibilities
An increase in responsibilities means that your job profile and position are improving in the company.
You should welcome an increase in responsibility and work towards getting your tasks and responsibilities increased. An increase in duties will result in an increase in resources available to you.
4. Enhancement of Finance
Finance plays an essential role in your personal and professional life.
Although working solely for money is not productive, it is important to make enough from the job to lead a comfortable life and maintain a good lifestyle.
Financial goals should be determined by first understanding your current financial status.
Long Term Career Aspirations Explained
Your career aspirations are necessary for your professional growth and personal development.
You should have a career vision that will act as a road-map to success. One way for you to evaluate your long-term aspirations is by asking yourself questions such as “What would I like to achieve in ten years from now?” This question will help you define your long-term and short-term career goals and objectives based on your career path planning.
Here are five examples of career aspirations that you can consider when developing your long-term plan:
- Traditional Career Success
This aspiration is for individuals who are motivated and inspired to enhance their professional skills to achieve advancement in their organization’s hierarchy level. You seek a position that has the potential to establish status, responsibility, higher salary, and authority. - Expertise
This aspiration is for individuals who seek positions that offer technical/professional enhancement and technological interest. You aspire to become an expert in your professional area. - Security
This aspiration is for individuals who seek a solid job that represents stability and predictability. You prefer to work at workplaces that offer long-term secured positions over advancement. - Freedom
This aspiration is for individuals who seek individualism. You want to gain autonomy for your thoughts and activities.
You are motivated by values such as freedom and independence. - Balance
This aspiration is for individuals who perceive their job/career to be of equal or less importance than other non-work values and interests such as family, religion, and personal issues.
You prefer jobs that respect your personal interests.
Examples of Long-Term Career Goals
1. Manager of Managers/CEO
The ultimate long-term goal for you should be to achieve the highest position in the company, becoming a Manager of Managers or CEO.
This position completes the full circle of professional life and signifies significant success.
2. Second Career – Career Change
Establishing a second career based on your professional experience or abilities, such as serving as a consultant or expert, is a long-term career goal.
Many workers have changed their career to a second equivalent one, such as from a film actor to a theater actor or from an investment banker to a real estate investor.
3. Retire Early
With technological advancements and other progress, you can achieve in ten years what took twenty years to achieve earlier.
Therefore, you can retire at an earlier age, such as fifty, by working towards achieving your ambitions in a shorter timeframe.
Conclusion
Your career goals are necessary for your professional growth and development.
Short term goals such as enhancing education and expertise, running through the hierarchy system, increasing responsibilities, and enhancing finance are important for achieving long term goals.
Long term goals, such as becoming a Manager of Managers/CEO, establishing a second career, or retiring early, require dedication and hard work towards achieving them. Therefore, you should set both short- and long-term career goals to ensure personal and professional growth.
Find the right career vision that will act as your road-map to success.
Identifying your long-term career aspirations can help you achieve professional growth and personal development.