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.