Although it may be hard to believe, we are nearing the half-way point of 2015. Take a minute to evaluate the intentions you had set at the beginning of the New Year. Do you feel as though you have made the progress you so desired? Whether you answered yes or no, it’s a great tool to re-evaluate your progress thus far. In order to realize your long-term vision of eventual success, you must first accomplish the myriad of immediate, realistic tasks right in front of you. To learn how to set short-term goals, start with something simple, but not too simple, so you’re also learning something new in the process. Here are three short term goals for 2015 to enhance your job search.
1. Networking/Contacts
Acquiring professional networks and contacts is a short-term career goal that may be extremely beneficial in the long run. Attend job fairs, informational meetings and training sessions to meet like-minded people in your field; you can also find them on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Keep in mind that career success doesn’t only hinge on what you know, but also who you know.
2. Remove Obstacles
A short-term goal for your career is to remove obstacles getting in the way of your long-term goals. Choose short-term goals that will help knock down any barriers between you and long-term success. Take time to always identify, envision, and re-assess your long term goals. Any sort of measurable positive achievement is the most effective target when looking at removing obstacles from your progress.
3. Education
Furthering your education should be on your list of short-term career goals, since most careers require some sort of advanced schooling. Even if you don’t presently have the time or resources to return to school, list the steps you’ll need to take to get yourself back on track. These might include finding out if your job offers tuition assistance or reimbursement, researching academic scholarships in your field, gathering your transcripts from the other schools you’ve attended, or simply searching for schools in your area that offer the courses you need.
Short-term goals are very useful for getting a handle on practical approaches to situations and time frames. It’s sometimes better to break your forward planning down into short-term goals, because they’re easily defined, and you can analyze them in detail, quickly. Having a few good, practical short-term goals is always a good idea. It keeps you moving, and getting things done, in terms of time management.