|
Setting Career Goals
Many people know the importance of setting goals,
but few know how. Setting goals gives purpose to every activity in
which you participate. Every area of your life can benefit from
setting goals, including your career, your religion, your family
life, and your personal aspirations. Without setting goals, life
would be like sailing in the Pacific Ocean without a map. You drift
along aimlessly without knowing where you are or where you want to
go. Eventually, you will land somewhere, but is that where you
wanted to land? And what kind of shape will you be in when you do?
For many college
students, a career is the furthest thing from their minds. Usually,
the location of tonight's party and the money for tomorrow's pizza
dominate their thoughts. However, it is never too early for any
college student to start setting career goals. After all, the very
essence of college is to prepare for a career.
Graduating from college is not a guarantee that you will get a job
in the field you are pursuing. Although some will land a cushy job
right away, it is the exception, not the norm. Landing a career
requires a combination of talent, luck, and personal connections.
Not everyone has these factors working in their favor. This is why
setting career goals while in college is very important.
If at all possible, setting career goals should start during your
first year in college. This will be difficult because many college
students have enough trouble selecting a major, let alone an entire
career. But if you have passion and focus, you should be able to map
out a rough outline for yourself. College presents so many
opportunities that it would be a real shame to miss out because of
poor planning. You can get summer jobs, internships, and
extracurricular programs that relate to the field you want to
pursue. Any real-world experience you can gain is a tremendous
advantage in the job market. As well, you can gear your class
selection towards your career of choice.
Setting career goals makes landing a job much easier after
graduation. When you go to apply for a job, you will not be the only
candidate. The edge will usually go to the person who has real-world
experience. Depending on the field you choose, your grades might
also be a factor. But given a choice between two people, the one
with actual experience will be able to contribute to the
organization faster than the one without.
College is the ideal time to gain this experience because you are
not fully out in the real world. In most cases, you still have the
safety net of your parents' financial support. It is much more
costly and expensive to switch careers after a few years rather than
finding out earlier in college. That way, you can make a switch in
your plans before it is too late.
|
