How to figure out the next steps toward your career goals
Breaking down your to-do’s into manageable steps can help you plan and move toward your career goals.
Do you have an ideal job or a personal goal you’d love to achieve one day? If so, how close are you to reaching it? If your answer is “not very close,” don’t feel bad — you’re most certainly not alone.
For some of us, our goals may seem too difficult to accomplish simply because we don’t know where to begin. And because we feel intimidated by the long journey ahead, we might keep putting our dreams on the back burner. But here’s the good news: All we need to know is the next small thing we need to do.
Whether you know exactly what you want your future to look like five years from now or only have a vague idea, the only way to make real progress toward your goals is by figuring out your next step. Let’s explore what that process might look like for you.
Start by thinking about your plan
It’s hard to make a plan without a goal in mind, so let’s start there. What’s something big that you’ve wanted to accomplish? Maybe it’s learning a new language or getting a promotion at work. Or perhaps you want to build new skills to prepare yourself for an entirely different career path.
Once you have a clear goal, you can start making your plan. It’s important to remember that any plan requires three basic things — looking ahead to where you want to go, figuring out what you need to do to get there, and most importantly, staying motivated as you follow through.
You don’t have to create an elaborate strategy at this point. Instead, think of your plan like a series of steps you’re going to take to accomplish your goal. As you figure out what those steps are, it may help to think about your lifestyle, schedule, and different responsibilities.
Be honest with yourself about what you can manage without stretching yourself too thin. And remember, this is your plan. You get to decide what your path should look like, and there’s no right or wrong way to go about it.
Reflect: Some things are within our control — but not everything. When you make a plan, you’re choosing to do everything within your power to achieve your goal. Ask yourself: When it comes to my career goals, what’s within my control and what’s outside of my control?
Refine your plan with 5 questions
Now that you have a basic roadmap for how you’ll reach your goals, it’s time to polish it and clarify your steps. Try setting aside some time to think about your current role, what you’d like to change or improve, and what skills and resources you need to get there. Here are five questions to help guide you as you think through your career plan.
1. How happy am I with my current situation at work?
When you think about your day-to-day work, what excites you? What frustrates you? What do you wish was different? If you’re happy where you are, is there room to learn and grow? If you’re unhappy, do you want to take a new position in your current field or step into a role in a different industry?
2. Where can I improve?
Whether you’ve decided to stay in your current role or pursue a different one, take a moment to brainstorm what exactly you’d like to change and what you’d like to learn. What are your strengths? Where do you need to improve? What knowledge or credentials do you need to make the career change you want?
3. What can I do right now?
You don’t have to think very long term to improve your current situation. Think of one small decision or action you can commit to right now that will help move you toward your goal. It might be learning new skills through a college class or bootcamp — or perhaps researching what skills and expertise your dream job requires.
4. How would new skills benefit me?
Think about the skills you’d like to learn. How can investing in learning those skills benefit you and your future? How could they help you be more confident in your current role or prepare you for a different one? What new opportunities could they open up for you — both personally and professionally?
5. What resources do I have access to that could help me accomplish my goals? What other resources do I need to find?
“Resources” could mean classes, education benefits at work (like Guild!), or even people you know. Think about what’s available to you through your job and community. Who around you could support you as you pursue your goal by keeping you accountable or helping you build important skills?
Reflect: What’s one step you could make today that would bring you a little bit closer to your goal? Do you need to talk to your manager about your interest in going to school or figure out when you could block off time to study each week? Whatever it is, take that step today and see how you feel afterward.
Figure out your next step and go all in
Look at your plan again and ask yourself, What are the easiest things I can accomplish first? Don’t worry if your answer seems small. Achieving small wins in the beginning can actually help motivate you to reach the finish line faster!
As you think about which things you can do right now, get specific about what you’re going to do without overcomplicating it. Try to keep your next steps as simple and achievable as possible.
Write down the actions you just identified and ask yourself, Do I have time to do all these? You may need to get creative as you figure out how to make space in your schedule. And if you don’t have time for all of them, that’s okay — prioritize the ones you know you can accomplish now.
Once you’ve identified your next step, all that’s left to do is go for it! Taking on a new role or moving into an entirely new career may seem like a daunting journey, but you can achieve it by continuing to take the next best step in front of you.