When it comes to setting your career goals, it is crucial to write them down. Why? Because studies have shown that you are more likely to reach their goals when you write them out. We can all say what we want, but our desires can change on a daily basis. You might no longer want what you wanted last year or five years ago. As you learn more about the world, you start to want different things. When you put your goals to a document, it forces you to clarify what you want. It also gives you the motivation to take action. Moreover, you can look at it and celebrate your progress. On the other hand, you might be confused when it comes to starting. This course gives you information on how to accelerate your career in 30 days. If you are writing a career goals essay, read on to learn how.

Many graduate and undergraduate programs require an essay on your life, personal interests and career goals. For me, I can easily articulate my goals in a few sentences. However, when I’m asked to put it to paper, and in a concise way…well, that requires some thought and planning. Not to mention if graduate or undergraduate school acceptance depends on how well you convey your goals–it can be downright daunting. However, it doesn’t have to be. All it takes is some practice and thoughtfulness.

What Are Career Goals?

This is what you want to do with your professional life. It can be anything from getting hired by a specific company to holding a particular position. It can also span out five, 10 and 20 years from now. To illustrate, your first goal might be for an entry-level position at your dream company. However, 10 years from then, you might want to have a management position. Then, 20 years from now, you might like to work as a C-level executive. So, if these are your goals. You want to explain each one, in detail. How do you plan to get hired at the entry-level? How do you plan on moving up into management? How do you intend to acquire a C-level position?

All of these goals need research above and beyond some assumptions. For example, you could say you will work really hard to get into management. Nonetheless, is that specific enough? For the most part, no it is not. What do you mean when you say you will work really hard? There is a difference between working hard and working smart. You could lift heavy boxes all day. That is back breaking work, but will it get you into management?

So, you need to put your steps into detail. For instance, you can say you will strive for perfect attendance, take and complete offered train, work with mentors, ask for advice and follow the company guidelines for moving forward with your career. The same thing goes for the entry-level position. Instead of saying, you will obtain an interview, describe exactly what you would do to get that first interview. Moreover, detail all of the ways you will prepare to excel at your interview, as well. Think about it, do you understand the presence you exude? If not, you should check out this course on creating a 1000 watt presence.

Set An Outline and Structure

Your essay needs to start with an introductory paragraph, a body and a conclusion. It is the start, a middle and the finish. Essentially, you want to begin with a background for why you have the goals you have. Think of your audience. Do they know you or not? If you have never met, then you have to be extremely descriptive with your introductory paragraph. You only have a few sentences to make a good and lasting impression. Be careful with every word, and set aside time for revisions as they come.

For the body, this is where you put the meat, so to speak. This is where you speak directly to your goals and how you plan to achieve them. Sure, life happens when you’re making plans, but that does not mean you stop making plans. Give concrete examples of your goals and what you think you need to do to get there. Even if some of your logic is flawed or inexperienced, passion is what counts the most. Many times, there is no direct and sure way to reach our goals. They might even come to us when we least expect them to.

The conclusion should be a simple review of your introduction and body. Reiterate why you have these goals and what makes them important to you. You want to be professional, but it helps to add some emotion. Using emotional phrases helps us connect with others, and that is really what matters the most. It would be much more difficult to reach your goals without the support from others. If you need additional help, this course offers instruction on quality paragraph and essay writing.

Ask for a Second Opinion

Find someone you trust and ask them to read your essay. Have them tell you whether or not it sounds like you. While you want to sound confident, you do not want to come across as arrogant. Furthermore, you want to stay as true to yourself as possible. If someone were to ask you a question about your essay, could you answer them with ease? Do not write things just because you think they sound good on paper or because you think that is what people want to hear. What people really want is to get to know the real you.

Revise

Take a second and third look at your essay, if needed. When you’ve typed hundreds of words, it can be easy to miss the little things. Take a break and come back to it later, after you refresh your mind. Also, always run a spell check.

Writing a career goals essay is beneficial for you and your recipients. Your essay reminds you of your goals and why you made them. Your recipients might enjoy learning more about you. And, the icing on the cake is when you have reached your goal and can look back on your original writing. At the same time, you can also look into short term goals