Josh Stone asked:

Have you wondered why it seems some people are so successful in their career and others are not? This is true, since most people who are unsuccessful in their career give up their hopes and dreams. These are the people who settle for something lower than their own capabilities would qualify them for. They did not do the things which people who are successful in their career do, which is keeping their focus on their future path, and working towards it no matter what may happen.

So how did successful people attain their desired profession and achieve their satisfied career success? The first thing they did was to carry out a session of career goal setting. To perform career goal setting successfully, you must state your career desires explicitly and write them down. This provides you with a basic outline to follow when you set your ideal career goals. With your career goals written out, you know what your final destination looks like and can steadily work towards it.

Also, when carrying out career goal setting, be sure you do not assume that you can achieve your long-term career goals easily and successfully without effort. There is a risk in trying to reach the end without having some mid-term and short-term goals along the way. To prevent this potential mistake, always start from the end and work backwards, since this provides you with the elements for a successful career. Moreover, seeing it from the end to the beginning gives you an idea about how that the long term career goals is achievable.

Suppose you are attending university to become a doctor. Your parents persuaded you to have everything that was part of becoming a doctor written out in a detailed form. By asking you to perform the above steps, they were actually asking you to carry out career goal-setting on the way to becoming a doctor. This includes the short-term, mid-term and long-term career goals of yours. Because you knew everything that was covered in going to university, you were able to do better than the average student. You were aware of every element in pursuing that doctor career and this prepared you well for the challenges you have faced.

People delude themselves into thinking that having a successful career will come easily. However, when reality strikes, they become fearful and quit without achieving their goal. Being prepared mentally requires it of you to be disciplined and persistent in order to overcome fears of failure, and thus you can achieve your career goals. Always expect the best from yourself and do not settle for anything less than what you know you are capable of achieving.

Just about everyone wants to advance in his or her chosen occupation. No one wants to simply stay put. The nature of living makes people want to get somewhere else and grow. But few people, those not lacking a self-starter capacity, really know how to make their own advancement happen.

Career development is not very complex, which is not to say that it is an easy task to accomplish. On the contrary, it requires a tremendous amount of discipline and determination to be able to maximize the resources available to you, such as your time, money, and energy. However, once you have mastered the skill of using what you have to the fullest effect, you will be well on your way to personal growth and new career advancement.

Some things that many have found help them in their career prospecting are:

Reading extensively. In many fields, taking your time and reading is one of the best things you can do to educate yourself. An oft-quoted study shows that Americans on average read only one book each year after graduation. Obviously, in a rapidly changing world, one book per year is not nearly enough. If you expect to get anywhere in this competitive world, you will do your share of studying and researching, if only in the subject areas which will apply to your line of work.

A large number of self-development professionals say that anyone who aspires to be a leader in their industry must read for at least thirty minutes each day. After all, they say, reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. By keeping your mind sharp and by staying abreast of the news and developments in your field, you will have a decided advantage over those who simply do not bother to take this kind of time.

Another tip is to provide what is required. Whether you work for a firm or bravely operate your own business, a fundamental principle is to give your clients or customers what they want. If you are an employee, giving the customers what they want is really giving your boss, who qualifies as your customer in this scenario, what he wants in terms of work productivity. If you operate a business, this principle requires no further explanation.

Always try to find out what it is that is expected of you, and what people want to receive from you as well. As a business owner, this will mean conducting some market research. As an employee, this will mean making a study of your own company and finding the area where your unique skills are most certain to have an effect.

Whenever the hard work to get ahead seems to be too much, remember that the temptation to quit will be strongest just before you succeed.

Higher Career

John Groth asked:

Here it is mid-October and the other day I noticed a well decorated Christmas tree in a department store while the leaves are still on the trees and I was still mowing my grass. Talk about rushing the season. But maybe theres another season that needs to be brought to the present. Instead of waiting until the New Year to perform a thorough career check up, when the holidays and everything else is in the way, it now appears to be an excellent time for you to take a careful look at your career.

How is your career progressing? Where are you now, what do you expect in the near future and are you satisfied with your progress? Is it necessary for a new beginning?

Dont be like a lot of people that make job and career decisions based on only one or two factors. These decisions need to be carefully thought out before you change employers or to go into a different career. If you perform a wide-ranging career evaluation you wont be caught up in making career decisions on superficial slights or minor disparities. There are more important considerations that completely outweigh these minor short term distractions.

Instead of making career decisions based on short term factors like did you get the last promotion, is your current pay competitive or even how well you are getting on with your boss, your career assessment should be based on a whole range of factors. Dont make the mistake of hastily jumping into another job or becoming unemployed and later you have to regret the move.

Here are four basic factors involved in a Career Check-up. Take your time to carefully evaluate each factor.

What is Your Employers Situation? How well is your employer performing financially? Are sales and market share increasing or decreasing? Is your employer a leader and keeping up to date with the latest trends and technology? Evaluate your companys reputation in your industry and community, and how does this impact your own career goals.

Is Your Career Marketable? What is the current demand for your skills? Be honest with yourself and consult with others in the same position with other employers. Are you up to date with the professional demands of the job and the job one level above you? Examine this factor critically. We all, at one time or another, tend to inflate our skills and job knowledge. Whats been the recent experience of others in the same field that elected to change employers?

Is Your Own Professional Career Development on Track? Are your skills being used in your current job? What is your potential for future career growth? Does your present job utilize your interests and strengths? Is your current job challenging? Do you have a say in how your job is performed? Are your ideas sought and listened to? What is your potential to advance further with your current employer? And how does your future at your current employer mesh with your career plan?

What are Your Personal Preferences? Do you enjoy your job? Are most days positive? How do you feel about getting up every day and going to work? Is your job personally satisfying? Have you been thinking about changing jobs?

If you decide your current job and career situation is promising and rewarding, even in the face of minor distractions, this assessment will validate your current position. If you uncover areas that you need to improve, develop a plan to address the short fall. However, if youre faced with mostly negative answers, and there are limits on your career prospects with your current employer, you might consider looking at other employment prospects.

Higher Career

Tony Jacowski asked:

People usually look for a new career either when they are bored or when they are looking to do something new. Starting out a new career maybe scary for few people in the beginning, but it promises to be a completely new adventure in the long run.

Planning plays an essential part of success when embarking on a new career. The first thing to do when planning on a change in career is to check the prospects the new career has to offer you, both professionally as well as personally. It also includes forgetting the skills or experience that you have acquired from your old job.

It is obvious that if you’ve been working as an engineer for two years, you can’t use those skills if you have thoughts of starting out a career in writing, unless you’re writing on engineering subjects.

Given below are some of tips on starting out on a new career:

-Look for some support: Be sure that your family and friends support you with respect to your new career. Starting a new career doesn’t mean that you should shut them out of your social life. Keep yourself surrounded by positive people who drive you to achieve your goals.

-Recognize your strengths and weaknesses: It may also mean that you need to know your likes and dislikes. The reason why you’re starting out a new career may be because of something that you didn’t like in your previous job. Don’t repeat that mistake. See what you’re good at and try to improve the areas where you lack potential. Try and find out your passion, since that is an ideal way to start a successful new career.

-Talk to people who have gone through your experience: Knowing what other people went through in similar experiences and how they have achieved success will prepare you in advance to encounter problems in the future. People who have had experience in this matter provide great advice on change in careers. Try and dig out information on what amount of commitment it takes to change and start a new career.

-Keep track of emerging careers: Due to innovative concepts, new career options are sprouting up everywhere you look. Do your homework and look out for new and exciting career options before settling in for any one. The IT and retail sectors are on a roll. You will find many career options in these sectors.

-Groom yourself and create a good resume: Always keep your resume up-to-date – you never know when you’ll need it. The first impression you make is often a lasting one.

Starting a new career can be stressful; but by following the tips above, you can give yourself the best chance for success.

Higher Career