How to Make Your Goals Work for You

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Searching for a job is hard work, and job seekers often find themselves losing sight of their overall goals in the process. Sending in resume after resume and filling out a stack of applications can make goal setting feel useless. But setting goals can ensure that you’ll work harder and push yourself further, even as you work to get a job. Keeping yourself motivated during your job search and even after you land a position is vital to your career success.

Be specific

Motivating yourself for success starts with making goals, and those goals need to be specific. The SMART goal mnemonic starts with specific, because a goal that is too general can’t be attained.

So, if you’re looking to add more experience to your resume, don’t think, “I want to further my education.” Instead, say, “I want to complete my master’s degree within the next two years.” In a job search, you would say, “I want to land an entry-level position within an IT company before the end of the year,” instead of just, “I want to get a job.” The more specific your goal, the more motivated you will be to push toward it.

Get accountability

Have you told others about your goal? Sharing your goals with others can help you stay accountable with your goals, bettering your chances of success. Tell those around you who you know will offer their support, and ask them for some accountability.

For example, if you have a specific goal of sending out 15 resumes a week, tell someone who is close to you, and ask them to inquire about it on Friday. If you know they will check up on you, then you are more likely to succeed in the task.

Let the small stuff slide

When you have a goal to reach, learn to let the small things slide. You won’t hit a home run every time, and worrying about it won’t improve your situation. You’ll receive a rejection or be turned down for a position. You may never hear back from a resume you sent to a promising position. But these are small obstacles in light of your overall goal. Keep the big picture in mind at all times, and don’t allow your failures to outweigh your successes.

Celebrate your victories

One of the benefits of having specific goals is that you know when you have reached them. For instance, if your career goal is to earn a specific title within your company, then you know you have reached it when you are awarded that title. A celebration, whether it’s dinner out with friends or a special date night with your significant other, will motivate you to work even harder to reach that next goal.

Remember: Your career goals are like the address to your destination on a long drive. Without that address, you will never get where you want to go. Not having specific career goals can mean your job search or career advancement will feel like driving to a destination without a road map. Give yourself that map by creating specific, attainable goals for yourself.

About the Author

Lindsey Harper Mac is a writer living in Indianapolis. She writes on behalf of American Intercontinental University.