Have you ever been asked what your goals are? Five year goals? Ten year goals? Does anyone ever really think in these terms? What do you mean ten year goals? My goal is to get through this paper so that I can start studying
for finals. Well I’m going to put this in a different perspective.
When you graduate you are going to be looking for, just about, any job in your field. Right? True, but within six months, you will start thinking about what you like, and dislike, about your present position. This is when you really should start thinking about what job do you ultimately want in life.
A number of years ago I had the privilege to manage a very large project. This project from beginning to end was about a year and half long with the ending date as a solid day, May 15th. A project like this can seem overwhelming but it is a as simple as setting a series of goals and staying on top of them to make sure that you are staying on schedule.
Managing a project of this size is not much different than managing your life. You need to see the end product and then evaluate what it is going to take for you to get there. This may mean that you need to position yourself to be able to take on new tasks. Stay caught up with the work you are assigned so that you will be available to take on more work when it arises. Perhaps it will even require studying of some aspect of your field when you get home from work. You need to keep your eyes open and be in a position to take advantage of any opportunity to learn new skills.
My father once told me a story of while training his replacement pending his retirement. The young man asked the CEO, “What are the priorities?” My dad reprimanded the young man for asking the question saying, “It is your job to know the priorities.” What he was saying is that it is the job of the subordinate to understand the job of their boss.
I have taken this to heart and my goal has always been to “Do” my bosses job. When you can think like this, you will be learning the skills needed to be the boss. Because, you are allowing your boss the time to work at even a higher level, you are adding to the value of the company. Your contribution to this effort will not go un-noticed.
What are your career goals? What are your goals for life? 5 year/10 year?
Photo by -12°C
