Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.
Developing Your Own Career Goal
Prior to beginning work on this interactive assignment, read Chapters 5 and 6 and Gleeson’s article How Values-Based Leadership Transforms Organizational Cultures (Links to an external site.). After completing your career goal using the process below, you will attach it to your first post by Day 3.
My Goal Sheet
Many individuals may not know how to develop a career goal; follow the steps below to help you determine where to start. There are a few steps that can be helpful in determining your career goal, which include conducting a self-assessment, exploring industries and careers, and determining factors that are non-negotiable (e.g., geographic location, salary requirements, health care benefits, etc.). The final step of goal setting is writing the first draft of your goal.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
- What do you do well?
- What energizes you?
- If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
- What high school subjects did you do well in?
- What issues do family and friends come to you for help?
- What do you receive praise for at work or home?
- What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
- What is something you do where you lose track of time when you are doing it?
Step 2: Career Exploration
Explore job industries by researching the type of careers that use your interests and skillset. O*Net OnLine (Links to an external site.), the Occupational Outlook Handbook (Links to an external site.), and Bureau of Labor Statistics (Links to an external site.) are great web resources for career exploration, job analysis, and education requirements.
While deciding on a goal, consider your current lifestyle and where you would like to be in the future. Some helpful questions to consider are listed below.
- Does the career you want pay a salary that meets your needs?
- Will it offer you opportunities to advance?
- Are you comfortable sitting at a desk all day, or do you prefer to travel?
- Is the career you are considering likely to exist when you are ready for a job?
Step 3: Determining Your Non-Negotiable Items
Although we may not speak them aloud, we each have things we are not willing to compromise on. During this step, write out your must-haves for your future career.
To help get you started, think about the minimum salary you need to have, where you want to live, and desired work hours.
Must Have
Do Not Want
1.1.2.2.3.3.4.4.5.5.
Step 4: Pulling It All Together—Write the First Draft of Your Goal
Now that you have conducted a self-assessment, explored industries and occupations, and written down your non-negotiable items, what are your future career goals? Be as specific as possible.
Example Career Goal
I would like to become a project manager within a large organization (5000+ employees) utilizing my organizational skills, education in organization development, my ability to plan strategically, and my detail-oriented nature. Since I have a family, I must have a salary of $50,000 or more, work within 25 miles of Houston, Texas, and work a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. traditional work schedule.
Attach your paper as part of your first discussion post.