If you are thinking about making a career change, want to ditch an unsatisfying job, or are simply climbing the ladder at your current workplace, it’s time to assess where you are and determine exactly what you want from the future. To make a career pivot, you’ll need to create good goals and re-assess them as you go. Take a look at our guide to help you set the best career goals for the coming year.
1. Know Your Values
To create an actionable goal you need to know your own values and what are the most important to your career. Take some time to write down your 3 biggest accomplishments and your 3 most memorable failures at work. Try to give yourself advice in each situation. Reduce down your advice into just a few words and see if any common values materialize.Our values at American Institute have been defined as caring, respect, service, integrity, accountability, and innovation. We believe our students have the potential to become successful in a rewarding career if they adopt these values as well. Care, respect, and serve not only those in the community and in your work, but also in the classroom and at home. Commit to being accountable for your future and adopt an attitude of integrity in your work.
If you understand what values are important to gain success and avoid failure, you can then apply them to your current career. Are your values being met? Which areas are you lacking in most? Try to understand what motivates you and what your priorities are when it comes to career and work.
Be Ambitious
We’re always told to dream big, and why not reach for the stars when it comes to your career? It’s what you’ll spend most of life doing. The last thing you want is to set a goal that feels unmotivating, or even too easy.Choose a goal you’re excited about and that meets your values. To keep things balanced, be sure it is realistic and achievable. Achieving it could take time so be sure you can realistically make a plan to accomplish it. This could be dedicating a few times a week to professional development reading, taking courses online, or starting a new class that works into your schedule.
American Institute has tried to make many of our courses available online so students are free to create their own flexible schedules. For example, our Medical Coding and Billing program is a hybrid of campus and online work which offers more availability for students to ask questions and work at their own pace.
Write Them Down
Once you’ve decided on a few goals, the next step will be crafting a plan to help you achieve them. It’s important to write them down. Manifest your goals in a physical way to hold yourself accountable. If you feel comfortable, share your goals with a trusted friend or mentor. Make sure you have someone who is in the loop so you can stay responsible for your success. At AI, we have an incredible team of instructors and staff to guide you and support you as you move toward your goals.Come up with a timeline if applicable, and schedule out mini-goals you can accomplish along the way. This might look like meeting with your manager once a month, or getting certified in a new skill after 6 months. This can keep you motivated to keep working throughout the year.
If you are going back to school as part of your goal, check in with your representative every quarter. They can also help you to stay on track and offer advice going forward.
Identify Your Resources
Part of evaluating your goals will be looking at what resources are available to you. Perhaps you can download a new app. There are plenty of lifestyle change apps out there to help track sleep, diet, and exercise. But there are also apps you can utilize to help improve your productivity like Focus Booster and Rescue Time. Don’t forget job search and connective apps like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Slack where you can connect with employers, coworkers, and find new opportunities in your area.At American Institute you have many different resources at your disposal including our instructors. AI educators go the extra mile for their students and are dedicated to helping students find ways to make a change in their career outlook and work experience. Search out your teachers and mentors to see what advice they might have and get a new perspective on your situation and career.
American Institute has also implemented the Lift Program to our graduates. This program entitles any graduate to take 2 newly updated courses that were originally part of their program of study. This way their skills can remain current for the job market. See if you can find a similar program to update your work skills.
Reward Yourself
As you plan out your goals and define your values, be sure to focus on the positive. Reward yourself for any steps made in the right direction. The best way to stay motivated is to feel like you’re moving forward. Break down your goal into achievable steps and reward yourself each time you cross a hurdle. As you continue, always evaluate your progress and fine-tune your plan.You are capable of changing your career for the better! Don’t hold yourself back, and don’t reflect too long on any downfalls or plateaus.
What Are Your 2022 Career Goals?
We want to be part of your future success! If your career goals in 2022 includes getting and education that will help you find a rewarding and valuable career, learn more about the programs we offer. We would love to hear about the career goals you’re working towards on our social channels so be sure to share and tag us on our Instagram or Twitter! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2022.Want more information about our career education and training programs? Contact us or call our school at 888-387-5260.
