How to Accomplish Your Career Goals

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More than ever, professionals are being forced to change jobs more frequently. Follow these great tips for your career goal achievements.

1.    LinkedIn Profile and Resume Maintenance

What accomplishments have you made in the past year? Write them down to help you determine your market worth. This will also help you during bonus and review time. Always keep your social networks up to date, such as your LinkedIn profile, as well as your resume. Hiring managers and recruiters in the job market are always looking at professional profiles online.

2.    Set Lunch Dates With Influential People

Connect with people within your organization who have higher positions, so when a project or position opens up, you will be more likely to be thought of. Write down a list of people you know professionally and personally, and then set up lunch dates or phone conversations to discuss career information and advice. Also use this time to personally get to know them. It really is who you know, not what you know to get ahead.

3.    Don’t Forget to Network!

Network yourself to at least one to three people every month outside your current company to develop your networking skills and stay connected to the industry. Reach out to 10 people who you lost connection with and reconnect. Ask them to connect you with professionals they know, and when you meet with them, bring something valuable to the table.

4.    Attend Job Industry Events

Attend monthly events and join your professional associations at Eventbrite, Meetup.com, and other communities online. Find out the time and dates, and then add them to your calendar so you don’t schedule anything too close. You want to have enough time to travel.

5.    Use Professional Images

Polish your professional image with updated clothing, accessories, eyeglasses, and hair. It is essential to make a good impression. You can update your look with even just a piece or two of new apparel, especially if you don’t usually shop each season. Don’t dress too trendy, though because that can be unappealing. Look in the mirror to see what you can add or eliminate.

6.    Schedule Meetings Quarterly

Set up meetings to discuss your professional development with your boss. You manage your career. therefore, you need to take the initiative to plan routine professional development meetings. Ask your boss questions, such as, “What are your expectations of my position and department over the next quarter?” Also ask what improvements could be made from the previous quarter. Constructive criticism is sometimes necessary to make you improve professionally. Skype is a good option if your boss is not in the same office.

7.    Review Your Career Goals

Manage your own expectations, as well. Every six months, review your career goals with yourself and make necessary adjustments. This will help you measure your successes and progress so you can evaluate your accomplished goals as well as your remaining goals.

8.    Planning, Persistence, Patience

You will have structure and direction if you have a plan that is well thought out. Break down your plan into a weekly schedule. Whether it is short or long term, make it very detailed and stick to it! You will have good focus with good intentions.

You will be rewarded if you work hard at it and take your time. It is very simple! Stick to your plan protectively and consistently try to make it even better. Set yourself challenges, rise to them, face each one as you go and your confidence will grow.

9.    Criticism is Good

With each feedback and criticism you receive, you will actually do better, even though sometimes it feels like a distraction. Take the career advice and let it help you. Carefully listen to the advice and positively respond.

Overview

Your resume and professional network profiles, such as LinkedIn should always be up to date. Even when you are not searching for a new job, it is possible that a new great opportunity could arise. Remember to use professional images. Also, make lunch plans occasionally with higher ranked individuals, because it isn’t so much what you know as it is who you know.

Network yourself as much as you can. Attend job events and join professional associations. Don’t forget to schedule quarterly meetings with your boss to review your work and to allow constructive criticism so you can improve for the next quarter. 

Lastly, plan you career goals with yourself and re-evaluate them bi-yearly to make them even better if possible. Measure your success and progress as you go.