With every job you have, there are certain expectations that have to be met. Without them, you won’t evolve and there won’t be any significant growth. Employees with high-performance rates never settle with the results they have. They always want to overachieve and improve themselves with each opportunity. They are bent on nailing their next evaluation by setting clear goals that boost their workflow. If you want to be part of this group then you clicked on the right article.
I have gathered here a list of career goals examples for performance review that you need to put on your list. But first, let’s tackle some questions first.
What Are Career Goals Examples For Performance Review?
It’s true that most people believe that a career goal is strictly related to the position they are after within the workplace. But more accurately, those goals represent the steps you need to take in order to make that happen.
Career goals are objectives you set for yourself to improve your professional skills, productivity, and performance. Once you have the desired career in mind, whether it be a manager or business owner, you need to start planning. You will find it’s more efficient to recognize the steps you need to take and tackle them one by one until you reach your goal.
How To Set Career Goals For Your Next Performance Review?
I doubt you are a stranger to goal setting. Whether it be something personal, a career goal, or that New Year resolution you keep delaying, goals are an essential part of your life. The question is: How often do you actually reach your goal? A study has found that 80% of the population fail to achieve their resolutions. So how can you stand out? How can you make sure you are part of the other 20% percent?
One of the most well-known ways to do that is with SMART goals. Haven’t heard of it? This is an acronym which stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
The idea here is to break down your goal-setting process into baby steps that you can achieve without failing. If you approach it this way, you will be amazed at how much easier your goals are to reach.
Career Goals Examples: Short Term
- Check Out Feedback From Previous Reviews
Feedback is a great way to learn how to improve yourself on short notice. Most times, when we look at ourselves we miss important aspects that can help us be better individuals. But we can easily change that through feedback. When you go through that, make sure to identify patterns that may point to potential areas of growth. These may be either an area that you struggle with or skills that you were praised for but can improve further.
Let’s give an example. As a copywriter, you have received great praise for managing to deliver articles on time and not go over deadlines. For your next performance review meeting, you can try to maximize that timeline and send your work even earlier. Or if we go down the negative route, let’s say that during meetings you tend to repeat the same ideas over and over again. As a goal, you can try to be more aware of what you say and at the end of each meeting ask for feedback from your colleagues.
- Take Initiative
Everybody loves a person who knows how to handle situations and exhibit leadership qualities. If you want to work towards that goal, try to take initiative more often during tasks. It is easier to get overwhelmed with work requirements when you forget to do this. You may need to look outside the requirements of your company, get to know the trends in your industry, and apply uncommon techniques to achieve your overall organizational goals. This is a great way to advance your skills and career further.
- Work On New Ways To Motivate Yourself
Motivation is a handy tool in the workplace. Especially when you are drowning in tasks or you want to achieve something faster. Motivation helps you maintain high productivity and performance levels. Knowing what motivates you to do excellent work can help you retain your performance during busy times. Whether you have a to-do list at arms reach that you can glance over when you feel stressed, or simply need some type of way to relieve stress in order to achieve greater things, nothing is off the table. You need to find the things that are representative of how you normally approach work and improve them further.
- Be More Involved In Your Company’s Mission
Decide to attend and participate in both formal and informal meetings within your organization, and make sure to have your input ready when important issues are being discussed. This will give you access to major developments within the organization, which may not be available to the ordinary staff. With such information, you might be able to plan your goals and work accordingly towards them. It is also a good opportunity to know some new people and improve your social skills.
- Boost Your Networking Abilities
Your capacity to network with people and develop influence will often make and break your ability to progress and reach your career goals. The process of networking is much more than simply talking to individuals you work with. It is about developing social and professional contacts with whom you can exchange insights and information.
Start out by networking more often with people you already converse with on occasion. As you improve, you’ll feel more confident in starting conversations with leaders and other influencers in your field. This has the potential to open up numerous opportunities and get your name out there.
Career Goals Examples: Long-Term
- Gain A New Skill
No matter your current industry, there are hundreds of companies in the world looking for people with a variety of talents and abilities. The more diverse your skill set the better chance you’ll have of impressing your current managers or potential employers.
Now keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that learning kickboxing will get you further ahead in the insurance industry, for example. Make sure the new skills fall under professional development goals that are related to the field you are interested in. Identify things that will get you ahead of the competition and make it easier for you to move up the ranks.
- Advance Your Company’s Mission
One of the most important things that people may not realize is focusing on your company’s vision. You need to see your work as helping to accomplish the larger objectives of your organization. Then you can set performance goals to make it happen.
The popular story of the American president John F. Kennedy and a janitor is really helpful in this regard.. The president had visited the NASA space center and saw a janitor carrying a broom. The president asked the janitor what he was doing, and the man replied: “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”
It is very interesting because an ordinary worker would have answered differently. But this was not the case here. So it’s very important to see the importance of our “little” efforts in making our organization grow. This way we’ll become more passionate about our responsibilities.
- Improve Communication With Your Co-Workers
You need to bear in mind that you are not in competition with anyone in your organization. This may hit a lot of people because we are taught at a very young age that competition leads to personal growth. But in adulthood, things are quite different. Usually, if you want to go far, it is better to go together.
In that sense, you need the cooperation of everyone to achieve your work goals and the organization’s goals. Collaboration at work creates a healthy work environment where ideas are freely shared. You will be surprised to see your performance improve as you share ideas freely and collaborate within your organization. And you can do this in a myriad of ways, but one of my personal favorites is team building games. They are the best way to improve team bonding and have some fun at the same time.
4. Gain New Experience Working As An Intern In A Company From The Same Field
Did you know the fact that many insanely successful people began their careers as unpaid interns in their fields? People like Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Conan O’Brien all started as interns at the bottom of the totem pole. These apprenticeship opportunities provide access to invaluable work experience. You get a look into the job market, and in the end, a large number of people end up being offered positions with the company.
Whether you are a freshly graduated college student or someone who is looking to change fields, an internship may be the best way to get a close look inside your desired industry.
5. Learn A Foreign Language
There are many benefits to learning a foreign language. You will be able to expand your career opportunities, find more clients, make more friends, and earn more money. For all these reasons, this is one of the most valuable career goals examples out there. Of course, it may take some time, but in the end, it will be all worth it.
You might attain conversational fluency in a foreign language if you commit an hour daily to learning it over a period of one year. It’s even better if you can find a native speaker to practice with. And I am aware that most people don’t commit to learning a foreign language because it takes time. I often hear: “This will take 3 years for me to achieve the fluency I desire and in three years I will be 32.” Well, in three years you will still be 32 to so why not be 32 with a new language on board?
