Turning Long-Term Career Goals into Achievements From Dreams to Reality

Long-term career goals are milestones you set for yourself to achieve in the long term, not in a few weeks or months, but in years. They are the key to keeping you focused on your career path. Consider them the blueprint to helping you achieve the outcomes you want to see in your life.

7 examples of long-term career goals are:

  1. Gain leadership experience
  2. Gain global experience
  3. Publish professional articles
  4. Build your network
  5. Build new skills
  6. Start your own business or side hustle
  7. Earn a new degree
  8. Become an expert or thought leader

When setting long-term career goals, it is helpful to use the SMART formula (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely) to create actionable goals that are possible to achieve. When discussing your long-term career goals with interviewers, prepare your answer ahead of time and follow these steps:

- Discuss relevant aspirations that relate to the job opening and the company's objectives

- Outline a plan for achieving your goals and briefly describe the steps you are planning to take

- Focus on how you can benefit the company and how your goals align with its values and vision

- Highlight your achievements and skills that demonstrate your potential and suitability for the role

- Match your goals with your experience and show how you have progressed along your career path

Setting and achieving long-term career goals can help you advance your career, increase your salary, gain new experiences, learn new skills, and fulfill your aspirations.

How to write a long-term career goals statement

A long-term career goal statement is a written declaration of your professional aspirations that you plan to achieve in the future. It usually includes specific accomplishments, job titles, education, experience, skills, and a timeline for achieving them1. A long-term career goal statement can help you focus and advance your career by showing your motivation, direction, and potential. You can include this statement on resumes, cover letters, and undergraduate and graduate program applications.

To write an effective long-term career goals statement, you can follow these 7 steps:

  1. Reflect on your wants and needs: Think about your passions and the things you care about. What do you want to achieve in your career? What are your strengths and interests? What are your values and priorities? How do you define success?
  2. Do your research: Find out what skills, qualifications, and experience are required for your desired career path. Look at job descriptions, industry trends, and salary ranges. Identify any gaps or areas for improvement in your current profile. Research potential employers or organizations that align with your goals.
  3. Ask yourself important questions: To clarify your goals, ask yourself some questions such as: What is my ultimate career objective? Why do I want to pursue this goal? How will this goal benefit me personally and professionally? How realistic is this goal given my current situation? What challenges or obstacles might I face along the way?
  4. Set SMART goals: SMART stands for Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely. Use this formula to create actionable goals that are clear, focused, and attainable. For example, instead of saying “I want to be a manager”, say “I want to become a marketing manager at ABC company within five years by completing an MBA degree, gaining three years of relevant work experience, and developing my leadership skills”.
  5. Develop an action plan: Break down your long-term goal into smaller steps or milestones that will help you achieve it. For each step, list the tasks or activities you need to complete, the resources or support you need, and the deadlines or timeframes you have set. Track your progress regularly and celebrate your achievements.
  6. Adjust accordingly: Be flexible and adaptable as you pursue your long-term goal. Review your goal statement periodically and make any necessary changes based on new information, feedback, or circumstances. Seek feedback from others who can help you improve or guide you along the way.

Here are some examples of long-term career goals statements:

How to track my progress toward my long-term career goals

Sure, I can show you how to track your progress toward your long-term career goals. Tracking your progress is an essential part of setting and achieving effective goals because it can help you prioritize tasks, estimate timeframes, monitor achievements, and adjust strategies. To track your progress effectively, you can follow this steps²⁴:

- List each of your goals: Sit down with your computer, phone, or pencil and paper to list out each of your long-term goals. Make sure they are SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely) and aligned with your values and vision.

- Create smaller tasks to help hit each goal: Break down each long-term goal into smaller steps or milestones that will help you achieve it. For each step, list the tasks or activities you need to complete, the resources or support you need, and the deadlines or timeframes you have set.

- Assign reasonable deadlines to your goals: Set a specific date for when you want to accomplish each long-term goal and each step along the way. Make sure your deadlines are realistic and achievable given your current situation and resources. Use a calendar or a planner to keep track of your deadlines and remind yourself of what's coming up next.

- Review your progress regularly: Check in with yourself periodically (for example, weekly or monthly) to see how you are doing with your goals. Compare your actual performance with your expected performance and evaluate what's working well and what needs improvement. Celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for completing tasks or steps.

- Establish a reward system for yourself: Motivate yourself to keep working toward your long-term goals by setting up a reward system for yourself. For example, you could treat yourself to a movie night after finishing a challenging task or buy yourself a new book after reaching a milestone. Choose rewards that are meaningful and enjoyable for you but don't interfere with your goals.

- Build a schedule to follow: Create a daily or weekly schedule that outlines when and how you will work on your tasks or activities related to your long-term goals. Allocate enough time for each task based on its priority and difficulty level. Stick to your schedule as much as possible but be flexible if things change or unexpected situations arise.

- Forgive yourself when you fall off track: Don't be too hard on yourself if you encounter setbacks or obstacles along the way. Recognize that achieving long-term goals is not always easy or linear and that sometimes things may not go as planned. Learn from your mistakes and failures and use them as opportunities to improve or adjust your strategies.

Tracking your progress toward your long-term career goals can help you stay focused, motivated, and accountable throughout the process. It can also help you measure how far you have come and how close you are to reach your desired outcomes.