5 Questions to Stay in Action and Achieve Your Career Goals- This Year!

Have you already dropped your resolutions or commitments? Do you have career and money goals for the year? Are they aligned with your level of focus and effort? If you are seeking a federal job, or any new job for that matter, unless you are extremely well connected with decision makers you are going to have to plan and take action to achieve your goals.

If you’ve set goals but find yourself sitting on the sidelines then ask yourself why? How will you get these goals if you are not actively focusing on them? Who will hold you accountable if you are not taking the baby steps to get started?

How will you get hired if there isn’t a lot of hiring happening? How will you stand out? How will anything happen without your active participation.

Bottom-line: You have got to be creative, think outside the box and get in massive action. Here are 5 things you can do right now to make 2011 a year of goal setting and goal getting!!!

These 5 Simple Questions Can Lead to Career and Job Search Success:

1. Did You Write Your Career Goals Down? If you have not written your career goals for the year, write them down now. What do you really want to happen in your career this year? New job? New career? Relocation? New Income Stream? Promotion? Whatever it is, don’t just tell yourself put it on paper.

2. Have You Set a Timeline for Attaining Your Goals? Do you want to land a new job or income stream by the end of February? Within 90 days? Or by the end of December? Those dates will determine the type of actions, focus, intensity and support you’ll need. . For example, If your savings is running out, you need to set a short timeline and get going now! You don’t have a year to wait for interviews and call backs. You have to have a major emergency strategy. And honestly if that is that case, you should land that job first, then join NAFCA to land that federal job. Because landing federal jobs typically takes time. If you take inventory of where you are that will help you determine if you have selected goals in synch with your life and help you determine what type of support will get you there.

3. Have You Have An Accountability Partner? Let someone know who will hold you accountable. Tell them, ” I am going to land that new job within 90 days.” If you don’t tell anyone you won’t push yourself to get it done, and get into “no matter what” action. The reason personal fitness trainers, sports coaches and career coaches work is because of the accountability. Yes you can exercise at home on your own but will you? Do you? Yes you can set timeframes, stick to core strategies to pull you forward and market yourself in your career, but will you ? Do you know how? Will you do it consistently? Will you be persistent? If you declare it out loud you will find that you move faster, knowing that you are going to be asked about your progress. Usually this is not a best friend. Because your friend will let you slide. Tell someone at church to call you and hold you accountable. Work with a coach that will meet with you weekly or bi-weekly. This way you will know you are going to be given a list of to-dos and be asked where you are on them. We offer low cost group coaching to help you with accountability as well as ways to improve and answer specific questions.

4. Have You Identified Your Roadblocks? What is holding you back? What is stopping you?. If your job search has stalled identify where it has stalled and what specific action you can take to counter it. If the main employers you were pursuing are not hiring, you need a new plan. That new plan could be fill your pipeline with new job targets. If you are seeking federal opportunities you may need to start networking to move things faster. The federal process is not just a passive process of applying online. You can take charge of your search by #1- applying for more of the right opportunities.; #2- getting in front of federal hiring officials either at professional meetings or job fairs. Yes, that may mean getting in your car and driving a few hours. I’ve heard tales of people who flew to other cities just to get in front of federal folks, and they got hired. Was it worth it? Yes, well worth it.

5. Have You Found Your Red Bull? Where do you get the passion and energy to be consistent and persistent? It can be challenging to stay motivated especially if you are searching for a long time. Your passion for your career or your goals may be the only thing to keep you going sometimes. They are that important.

What is your career commitment for 2011? Let us know? Commit in writing! Share in the comments.