Your Career Goals

In today’s competitive, social media-driven environment, it’s easy to get frustrated or complacent. But if you stay focused on your purpose for living and working, you’ll stay motivated to be busy and active at home and successful at work. To be self-motivated, stay positive and remember why you’re working. How does each task you complete relate to your own life and to others? How are you making a difference and contributing to something important? If you want to accomplish more, you need to think of the big picture.

As you begin your job search, look at as many positions and opportunities as possible. The more knowledge you have various prospects, the better prepared you’ll be to make a confident, educated decision about your career.

Your level of professionalism at work can help you earn the respect and admiration of your bosses and co-workers and determine whether or not you receive a raise or promotion. If you focus on the way you present yourself in the office, you’ll see the rewards of your professional demeanor and behavior.

Switching careers can be exciting, but also overwhelming. Whether you’re starting to lose interest in your current pursuit or you’re interested in something that brings home more money and greater benefits, there are many reasons to begin daydreaming about a new career path.

A sense of autonomy at work is important. When you feel in control of your time and responsibilities, you feel more satisfied and more motivated. But gaining this flexibility and freedom is tricky, especially as many companies are expecting even more of employees when they transition to working remotely. Still, more and more companies are open to flexible working arrangements to keep their most talented and productive employees happy.

Resumes should tell the employer about your experiences, skills, and work history. It’s the first step in screening candidates, so without a good resume, your job application will likely be ignored! You want to highlight items that demonstrate you’re a hard worker, you’re qualified, and you bring desirable skills to the job.

Creative trends come and go and it’s tempting to keep ignoring it all and keep plugging along with your head down, especially if you have a secure job and you’re relatively successful. But the truth is that if you’re not attempting some of the popular practices, or at least keeping track of them, then you’re not protecting yourself and you’re missing out on big opportunities—not only for growth, but also for prestige in your industry.

You should always be thinking about how to advance your career. Even if you’re unhappy with your current job, you can still appreciate the skills you’re picking up and how they’re preparing you for the next step in your career. Embrace the experience you’re receiving and the contacts you’re making as you set goals to reach the next level. With hard work and initiative, you can become an indispensable asset, ripe for either a promotion or a better position at a new company.

Most of us, no matter how old we are, still want the approving nods from our parents as we navigate our careers. After all, they know us better than anyone, want what’s best for us and are armed with wise perspectives that come from a lifetime of experiences.

For a decade or two, every piece of advice on careers seemed to be about the business world—Wall Street or the tech boom—and most of these jobs required pricey college degrees. But sometimes those business careers are less stable, and those degrees aren’t necessary to make a solid living.