BRIDGE Blog

New Years has come and gone and now that we are in the early stages of March have you been able to keep up those goals that you vowed to accomplish on that cold night two months ago?  Maybe you want to save more money or lose those extra few pounds from the holidays, whatever it is it’s not too late to get yourself back on track and achieve your goals in 2009.  

I’m sure you’re sick and tired of hearing about all of the bad news out there in regards to the economy.  Regardless of whether you are happily working or looking for your next opportunity, it’s a smart idea to set up career goals because the first step to getting what you want is knowing what you want.  Maybe you already set career goals for New Years, are you still making a conscious effort to keep on track with those or have you changed your mind and want something completely different now? 

First, start by asking yourself “What do I really want?”  A promotion?  A new, exciting opportunity?  Just something to pay the bills and get back in the job market?  Your goal can be as specific or general as you see fit.  Maybe you want to learn some new skills on the job or get that certification you’ve been thinking might set you apart from other job seekers.  Whatever it may be, once you have made your decision you can follow through by making a plan for how you will achieve your goal. 

Before you make your action plan, don’t forget to do your research.  If your goal involves salary, check out recent salary surveys for the year of 2009 to see where you fall in comparison to other professionals in your field (see the links in this month’s BRIDGE newsletter for more salary information).  Finding out how you compare to your peers can also help you focus your goals.  If your goal is to advance in your career part of your action plan could be to take some classes to sharpen your skills or to attend local networking events to scope out the local business scene.  Research local class schedules or check out the latest publications on the skill you’re interested in developing.  You can also find event calendars to see what’s going on in the area for networking, volunteering, and community events.  Think about different ways you can make yourself stand out so employers know that you will be an asset to their company. 

If you take the time to sit down and map out how you can achieve your goal it will make it less daunting.  This will give you something tangible so you can see your goals in action.  Remember you don’t have to change everything in your life at once, in fact that is the best way to not achieve your goals, it’s too overwhelming.  Writing it down will make it harder to ignore, you can even post it someplace you see every day like on the fridge.   If you are afraid that posting it will only bring to your attention that you are falling short of expectations, maybe you’ve set your expectations unrealistically high.  Take the time to reassess every so often to make sure it is still something you really want and brainstorm new ways to reach your destination. 

The final part of achieving your goals is putting your action plan into ACTION!  Once you have set your goal and have some ideas written down for how you can achieve them, go out and do it!  You can start small, ask a friend to attend a local networking event with you or get a few people together and practice interviewing with mock interviews (remember Jon’s Interviewing Tips blog last month?)  Making it fun will help make it more effective because it will be something that you actually want to do.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help when it comes to updating your resume or writing a cover letter.  Check in with a BRIDGE recruiter to see what kind of opportunities are available and if they have any tips for what you can do to get where you want to go.  Remember to stay in touch because if there isn’t anything available at the time something is bound to come in.   

If you’ve gone off track from your New Years Resolutions, just remember you still have 10 months to make it happen.  By establishing realistic goals, making a plan, and setting it in motion you can make 2009 a happy, healthy, and successful year.  Good luck!   

Amy McDermott