How to Reach Your Career Goal This Year - The Muse

How to Reach Your Career Goal This Year - The MuseHow to Reach Your Career Goal This Year How many times have you already said that you cant believe its September? And then went through your mental list of everything you said youd accomplish this year way back in January and felt resigned to the fact that those will now have to be 2018 goals?Well, before you write off the year, I have a little bit of good news for you. And that good news is that theres leise plenty you can do to set and achieve a new career goal by the end of the year Heres are four steps thatll get you to where you want to be1. Document Your GoalYour goal might be to get a promotion with your current company. Or you might want a fresh start at a new job. Or, perhaps you just want to learn a new skill. Whatever youre hoping to do this year, start by tuning out what everyone around you is working toward right now. No really, forget their goals and focus on your own. After all, just because Jaime wants a promotion, doe snt mean thats what you should want. Once youre focused on you, write your goal down somewhere thatll you see it a lot. A sticky note on your bathroom mirror, a reminder in your phone, a tattoo on your hand- whatever you know will work best.For example, last year I stayed on top of my goal by setting a calendar event for December 31st and creating monthly reminders for the first day of every month. This might sound silly (and maybe even a little annoying), but it really kept me on top of things. 2. Create a Game PlanOf course, choosing and documenting your goal is the first step. But if you want to achieve it by the end of the year, youll need to devise a game plan with smaller goals along the way. Not only will this give you a clearer picture of what needs to get done, but completing smaller tasks along the way will motivate you need to keep working toward your bigger goal.OK, now lets get specificIf You Want a PromotionDo a self-evaluation of your current skills. That could mean c omparing your achievements to what your original job description calls for. If you cant get your hands on that description, review your last three projects and be honest with yourself about what went well, and what didnt.Then, compare your list to a description of the role youre looking to land and identify areas where you need to grow. Once youve done this, set up a meeting with your manager to review your research and discuss what else you need to do or know to be eligible for a new title.If You Want to Find a New JobThere are a couple paths youll take here. If you want to make a career change, do some research on the types of roles you should be looking for, as well as any skills you need to learn to make it happen. Spend the rest of this year learning those skills and getting coffee with people in your new field.Now, if youre looking for a fresh start in a similar role, start looking for those openings. At the same youre going to want to update your resume, refresh your LinkedIn , and start prepping for interviews.No matter which path youre on, you really do need to reach out to your network after you complete this step and let people know that youre looking. They might not have anything for you right now, but youll be surprised by how many people sincerely mean it when they say theyll keep an eye open for you. WANT HELP GETTING THAT LAST WIN?We know career coaches who will help you with that.Hire one today If You Want to Learn a New SkillThere are lots of ways to do this, from reading up on it to taking a class. But my favorite way is to reach out to connections you know have mastered the skill. Ask them out for a coffee meeting and then document their advice and take it seriously when you dive into learning it.3. Find People You Trust to Keep You AccountableIm a big fan of creating calendar reminders and smartphone alerts when I have a goal to achieve. But those digital things cant tap you on the shoulder when youre slacking off. And when you need a kick in the pants, theres nothing quite as effective as an actual human being to keep you accountable. Find one or two people to help you stay on track, but make it easy for them. For example, you can create a Google document with your detailed plan and assign due dates for each action item. This will give your accountability partners a much clearer idea of what youre hoping to accomplish and how they can help you get there. 4. Be Open to ChangeEven after youve done all this work, things will probably change. So, stay up-to-date on the latest news in your company and your industry. You might find that a company shift requires you to tweak your plan a bit. Or, issues in your personal life may require more time than you initially thought they would. Or, you could discover that the skill you want to learn will take you an entire year. None of this means you cant achieve something awesome by the end of December. But rather that you have the freedom to shift gears when necessary. As you can n ow hopefully see, it is possible to pull off one more big career win this year. The best part? Even if you dont hit your original target, just starting this process will help you feel way more accomplished and put you on track to grow your career early next year.