Setting Goals in College

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.