It is prudent at some point in your ascend up your career to take some time and analyze your long term career goals and objectives. This activity not only gives you a direction but also helps you to proactively plan for your future. This guide addresses several well-researched topics in which you can apply while you go through this process.
Factors to consider
When you access your long-term career objectives, there are several factors that have to be considered. One part of this assessment involves evaluating the activities that you are currently doing and those that you will be doing in future. By asking questions, such as,
... you create a way for you to be able to expand more on a truly insightful analysis of your career objectives.
The other part of this process involves exploring your knowledge, skills and abilities.
SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) Analysis
Always remember that you are a brand. Conduct a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) analysis of your personal brand. How do people view you as a professional? How do you want to see yourself as a professional? Explore the career opportunities once the strengths are identified. Keep asking questions regarding the sustainability of the options you have chosen. Always be open-minded and always look at both sides of the coin. What will happen if there is an economic downturn? These are the threats to the options you choose.
Once the SWOT analysis is completed, make a list of aspects of the job that you would like to work in the long term. To achieve the long-term objectives, of which the most important is the type of job, you need to create short-term career objectives. If you need to acquire a skill to achieve the long-term objectives, the acquisition of the skill becomes the immediate short-term objective. Even if it is called the long-term career objective, the look-ahead period is generally five years. The objectives need to be reviewed every five years. After the review, if there are skills to be attained further, an action plan needs to be drawn out to achieve the long-term objectives.
Long-term objectives
While assessing long-term career objectives, many people tend to draw out plans for the position. It may be worthwhile to consider the field rather than a position. If your skills as a mechanical engineer are in design and engineering, you may not want to build a career in construction even if it means you achieve your objective of a position. Similarly if you are an expert mechanical engineer in the field of rotating equipment, you may not want to accept a senior management role in piping area.
Identification of your skills and expertise is vital in drawing out a meaningful long-term career objective. In the examples above, consider yourself as a design engineer having interests in the construction field. You must assess your long-term objective of becoming a field engineer and draw short-term action plans to achieve it. If your current organization does not support policies of changing roles, you may want to consider joining another organization.
Assessing your long-term career objectives against the skills, knowledge and abilities you have is required at an interval of, say, five years. Gaps in skills and abilities should be bridged to achieve the objectives. Long-term career objectives may also undergo fine-tuning according to external factors such as market scenario. In a scenario where oil and gas industry is likely to do well in the long run, you may want to gain skills related to rotating equipment in the oil and gas industry. Self assessment of the objectives against internal and external factors can a go a long way in building a successful career.
Factors to consider
When you access your long-term career objectives, there are several factors that have to be considered. One part of this assessment involves evaluating the activities that you are currently doing and those that you will be doing in future. By asking questions, such as,
- Do I enjoy what I am doing to do it for the rest of my life?
- How will this job be affected by potential downturns and upturns in the economy?
- What are you career goals, obstacles and challenges to getting there?
- If money was not longer an issue, what would you do?
- Is what you are currently doing fulfilling and purposeful?
... you create a way for you to be able to expand more on a truly insightful analysis of your career objectives.The other part of this process involves exploring your knowledge, skills and abilities.
- What are your strengths?
- What weaknesses do you have?
SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) Analysis
Always remember that you are a brand. Conduct a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) analysis of your personal brand. How do people view you as a professional? How do you want to see yourself as a professional? Explore the career opportunities once the strengths are identified. Keep asking questions regarding the sustainability of the options you have chosen. Always be open-minded and always look at both sides of the coin. What will happen if there is an economic downturn? These are the threats to the options you choose.
Once the SWOT analysis is completed, make a list of aspects of the job that you would like to work in the long term. To achieve the long-term objectives, of which the most important is the type of job, you need to create short-term career objectives. If you need to acquire a skill to achieve the long-term objectives, the acquisition of the skill becomes the immediate short-term objective. Even if it is called the long-term career objective, the look-ahead period is generally five years. The objectives need to be reviewed every five years. After the review, if there are skills to be attained further, an action plan needs to be drawn out to achieve the long-term objectives.
Long-term objectives
While assessing long-term career objectives, many people tend to draw out plans for the position. It may be worthwhile to consider the field rather than a position. If your skills as a mechanical engineer are in design and engineering, you may not want to build a career in construction even if it means you achieve your objective of a position. Similarly if you are an expert mechanical engineer in the field of rotating equipment, you may not want to accept a senior management role in piping area.
Identification of your skills and expertise is vital in drawing out a meaningful long-term career objective. In the examples above, consider yourself as a design engineer having interests in the construction field. You must assess your long-term objective of becoming a field engineer and draw short-term action plans to achieve it. If your current organization does not support policies of changing roles, you may want to consider joining another organization.
Assessing your long-term career objectives against the skills, knowledge and abilities you have is required at an interval of, say, five years. Gaps in skills and abilities should be bridged to achieve the objectives. Long-term career objectives may also undergo fine-tuning according to external factors such as market scenario. In a scenario where oil and gas industry is likely to do well in the long run, you may want to gain skills related to rotating equipment in the oil and gas industry. Self assessment of the objectives against internal and external factors can a go a long way in building a successful career.
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