The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics - your skills and interests, likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. You may then match your “profile” to a specific job or career goal.
People tend to fall into their careers and then gravitate towards the roles that fits them best. It is highly advisable to identify aspects of your present and past jobs that will help you determine your career goals, such as traits or skills that are required, aspects of the previous jobs you liked and disliked, skills you have developed through education, jobs, hobbies, volunteer work, clubs etc.
We believe a career should be looked at a bit like a project and by using the techniques explained below, you can propel your career to the highest levels within your field.
Carve out a chunk of time
Career visioning cannot, and should not, be rushed. It’s also something that may take several attempts before things begin to clear and you start getting a grasp of your ideal future. Conduct a self-assessment to determine current skills, interests, and values. In addition to an assessment of current job strengths and areas of improvement, ask questions such as:
• What do I value?
• How satisfied am I in my current job?
• How well does my job meet my needs?
• If I wanted to make a change, what would it be?
• How do others see me?
• How do I want to be seen?
• What makes me happy?
Review core work values
Core values are governing principles that help you make rational decisions consistently. If you compromise any of your core values, you will find it becomes easy to disregard your entire value system. Therefore, you should only deviate from your values if you have identified that a few of them are no longer applicable or needs alteration. It is beneficial to follow values that will help you make the right decisions along the journey. When we have solid core values that govern our decision making; we become more judicial. As a result, we are able to align our decisions and actions in times of crisis and change; giving us an edge over most other people. Answer the following questions as you begin considering your personal core values:

What are my moral absolutes?

How do I define right from wrong?

How would I define ethics as it relates to work?

What values will help me build strong relationships?

Suspending logic
Remember that with a career vision anything should be possible to accomplish, so find a way to turn off any negative thinking that will block you from thinking big. Don’t assume the future is limited to what is happening today.
Setting career development goals
Goal-setting techniques are used by successful people in all fields. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure your progress and continuously motivate yourself to progress towards the vision you have for your ideal work life.
You will be able to see forward movement in what might otherwise feel like a long, pointless grind. By setting your goals and and taking action towards them, you will raise your self-confidence. Express your goals positively, rather than framing them in terms of what you don’t want. Try to be precise in setting dates, times, and amounts so that you know when you have achieved your goals. Set priorities so that you know which of your goals to focus your attention towards and helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals. Write your goals down so that you can visually be reminded of them and so that you can craft them to be precise and clear. Break down your goals into small, achievable tasks so that you get frequent opportunities to accomplish them and feel motivated to take on other goals.
Finally, set realistic goals that you can achieve and that are in your own control.
Career exploration
Once you have determined your skills, strengths, and interests, you can use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that “fit” your profile. Career ladders identify opportunities for possible career change or promotion from one job classification to another.
An excellent way to research a career field is to talk with individuals who are working in that field. Most people are happy to talk about the kind of work they do, and people who are performing the job can often provide you a more realistic description of what the job is really like. Explain that you are exploring your career options and are considering their field as a possible career. Ask them for an honest assessment of their job, such as the pros and cons of the work, the most rewarding features, and the most frustrating aspects.
Developing a plan of action
Develop a plan of activities to reach your goal. Think of this plan as a step-by-step statement of the specific activities needed to reach your goal. These activities or objectives should focus on enhancing your education, skills, knowledge, or experience and should be measurable and tailored to achieve your specific career goal. You must be able to recognise when you are working towards your goal and when your goal has been accomplished. Be specific and set dates. You may also consider scheduling a meeting with someone that you believe can provide you constructive feedback on your plan.
Pursuing your plan
The personal development aspects of a career development plan can be successful only if you are committed to the plan. You should be prepared to commit a portion of your own time and effort to accomplish this plan. Completing your planned work experience and/or training activities is your responsibility. You’ll need to seek help when necessary, be flexible, and periodically reassess your career development plan.
It’s always helpful if you identify your own priorities and adopt a good attitude towards attaining your goals. One of the most crucial steps in becoming fully effective is to know your worth. People with a good attitude take the initiative whenever they can.

Collected from Dhaka Tribune