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With the start of the new semester, it is important to think of what you specifically want to achieve in terms of your career journey. Creating SMART goals will help you stay on track to make this semester one for career development.
First off, what exactly is a SMART goal? A SMART goal is something that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. This allows you to really think about what you want to achieve and how it can be realistic.
The first step is to think of something specific that you want to achieve. Maybe you want to secure an internship for summer 2023 or you want to receive a job offer at the end of your internship. These are two examples of specific career goals.
The next step is to think of how you will measure the goal. Starting with the goal of securing an internship for summer 2023, you can measure this by applying to ten different job postings each week. For the goal of securing a job offer at the end of your internship, this can be measured by asking your manager regularly for feedback on how they think you can improve.
When thinking of your goal, you also need to make sure that it is achievable. To do so, you can ask yourself if the end goal is reasonable. For instance, if you are only a first-year student wanting an internship that requires more years of experience than you have, it may not be achievable.
Your goal also needs to be relevant and align with your career goals. Think about why you are setting this goal- do you want to work in marketing to gain experience in public relations? Be sure to identify why you are setting this goal.
The last step is to make your goal timely. You will want to make a timeline of when you want to achieve your goal. This can mean that you plan to apply to five jobs within the month and if you do not get a job offer by May, you can reevaluate and meet with your carrer advisor so that you can try to figure out why.
Overall, creating SMART goals can help you stay on track in your career development journey. Setting aside time to think about your goals and how you plan to achieve them will help you be successful in the long run.
