What Are Your Future Aspirations In Regard To Your Career?

This question never really hit me until now I am required to write about it. I am certain the question seeks to find out where I intend to be in the nearest future and how I intend to go about it. Before this time, I didn’t know setting career goals would become advantageous to one’s growth. The importance of setting goals can never be overemphasized, as it seeks to influence the following professionally.

Direction

Setting goals help to create some form of direction. This in turn becomes a great way to map out what I expect from the future. By setting out a direction, I am aware about my desired goals which helps me focus or channel my energy towards doing that which makes the future manifest. In doing so, I eventually streamline my activities and focus on more meaningful career opportunities.

Motivation

Setting goals brings out the fire in you. It becomes a motivating factor which leads to more productivity on your part. By breaking down tasks into small easily accomplishable ones, one is able to work constantly towards achieving that set goal. At the same time, getting satisfaction at being mightily close the ideal career.

Accountability

Setting goals helps one become accountable in other to make sure he/she is disciplined. It is a structure known to be effective and can help one reach desired heights. People tend to feel a sense of responsibility when they set deadlines for themselves. They suddenly have that desire to complete that in due time, that which they have set out to complete. In the long run, it becomes a trait and sits well with prospective employers as they perceive you to be able to take charge situations without being told when to. It is important to think about the direction one’s career takes hence the importance of setting goals. These goals help one become disciplined to key in effectively in achieving elevated heights in ones chosen career. This is obviously the basic steps to take in other to achieve a healthy career path. This strong desire for higher achievement is a constantly evolving thing. Sometimes, it is static as different people do not push themselves to achieve more than they feel they can. That being said, I have a list of career aspirations I feel would bring stability to my personality. They are not sometimes directly linked but they will eventually improve my reasoning and performance.

Finding A Stable Job Security

I intend to become an expert in computer hardware installations. This is one of the leading IT jobs available worldwide and it takes a lot to become certified. In the process of being certified, one needs enough experience to go with it. What other way involves having experience other than being on the job? To gain experience on the job, one must have an actual job. But the problem lies on job security. Finding a stable job security seems to be on a list of most people in other to achieve a stable career. Yes, I buy the idea too. Without a stable job, I would not be focused on achieving my goals. Job stability revolves around two things, a regular pay check and a feeling of security. Once these two factors are guaranteed, I am certain I have solved some portion of the problems leading to non-achievement of my set goals. Funds are too important to be ignored, as they give the needed push one needs to advance, career-wise. Some people argue that job security is not and shouldn’t be a basis of finding fulfillment in one’s chosen career path. I tend to disagree and insist it brings balance while one focuses on other aspects that will eventually lead to career fulfillment.

Enhancing My Professional Skills in Order to Advance in Any Organization I Find Myself

This is another important aspiration I have which will positively affect my career path. Apart from finding that perfect job, no one intends to remain stagnant in his/her chosen career. I constantly want to enhance my skill set relating to the job. In becoming a great leader, one should be a great learner too. There are certain steps needed to enhance my skill set on a professional level. Having that learning mindset is one of them as it gives a positive attitude towards professional development. Learning new things and becoming smarter is very key for me. Asides learning every day, I need to examine my decisions. In today’s world, we need to critically examine decisions we take. Whether present or past decisions, there is a lesson to learn which in turn brings about positive improvement. It helps me make better decisions in the long run. Reading every day is also one form of enhancing my skill set. Reading widely and enough helps us see different perspectives when it comes to various events. This in turn broadens our horizons and places us at that level where we can incorporate new ideas into our work environment or businesses. The same can be said for writing. It is not enough to leave all the written work to an assistance. Writing helps one master the content and improves critical thinking skills. Building awareness for oneself is also evident while perfecting the skill of writing. It is not enough to just read and write as books can only take one so far. Attending training programs buttresses that aspect and opens one to greater networking opportunities. I also intend to solicit for feedback from employers and employees as a way of gathering information about my progress. This eventually leads me back to mentors who would offer tips on becoming successful in my chosen career path.

Educate Myself More

Nurturing our minds with new knowledge and information is crucial for our creativity. Combining knowledge with new information gives birth to ideas, hence the need for continuous education. In other to educate myself more, I need to take these three small habits very seriously. No man is an island of knowledge hence I can not know everything. It would be in my best interest to look up new words the moment I hear them. Learning a new word and referencing it every day is a better way to start in educating myself more.

Network More on a Professional LevelI think this is a more professional approach to developing onese

lf that people tend to ignore. Networking is the biggest form of self-improvement. Not just within the industry, but also outside your career path and industry too. No one should underplay how far networking can take you. Making networking a regular activity is one way to build it as a habit.

People should learn to pass on compliments especially when they admire one’s work or tenacity. In networking, only ask for things you can give. The downside of networking which people tend to encounter daily is the request for things via the internet which can not be requested for, in reality. Before trying to network, homework should be done on the individual so as not to get lost when they eventually step into their comfort zone. Using appropriate language is important and one needs to learn the act of email. It is important to keep in touch. Learning the skill of networking is important as it helps us to avoid the networking mistakes we could have encountered out there.

The networking idea only goes well when you do not expect anything in return. Expecting networking gains only makes it a farce and as such, may fail. The bigger picture is creating the networking cloud and allowing the perks to come naturally. Becoming a MentorThis is one aspiration I have always set that would help me in my chosen career. Being a mentor is not just lip service but being an actual advisor. A trusted one at that. It boils down to the fact that I am always there to offer a helping hand when the need arises. I have always seen myself as a problem solver but becoming a mentor takes it up a notch for me. It puts me out there so that I can be reached. I think I would function well on a short-term mentorship. Being a career mentor will sit well with me as I love to advice people on their choice of career paths. I may feel I have the basic requirements to qualify as a mentor but there are key characteristics and attributes that go with being a mentor. Approach each mentorship differently. Everyone is unique in his/her own ways with respect to building relationships. Always take out time to access your own style and readiness to mentoring someone. It takes a lot of commitment and you have to be ready to commit yourself. Reflecting on the following questions would give one an insight into what is required of him/her.

What kind of manager style do you naturally have/want? What expectations will you set in regard to your style and how best to work with you?How will you know when your mentee is successful? How will you use one-on-one time? How will you communicate what success looks like to him/her? What do you hope your mentee’s development looks like over the course of your mentorship? How will you explain your expectations for one-on-one meetings (if applicable) so you’re on the same page? How can you segment out his/her experience into phases to get to that point?Set expectations together in the very beginning. Going over expectations with your mentee becomes paramount once you have thought of the questions above. Answers need to be provided and it would be helpful if both of you sit down to talk about the answers together. Take a genuine interest in your mentee as a person. You cannot mentor someone if you do not take a genuine interest in the person. Becoming a mentor involves a personal relationship with the mentee. You can give mediocre advice without really knowing a person, but to stand out as an amazing mentor, you're really going to have to get to know your mentee on a personal level. Learn to ask more career-oriented questions. what is their working style? What is their dream job? what goals do they expect from their current job, and so on and so forth. Become an active listener. That is one way to get to know someone. It takes a more conscious effort to actually listen to someone speak and pay full attention to what they are saying. Know when to wait before giving advice. In giving advice as a mentor, it is important to listen attentively.

Assimilate all that is said before giving advice. One might feel pressured to talk the moment the opportunity arises but experience has shown not all feedback is helpful. In other to avoid giving feedback that are not helpful, take your time. Sometimes while talking, take calculated breaks. Improve your emotional intelligence. Being a mentor requires having emotional intelligence. Your mentee might be going through a time in life that might require you to get some answers. In getting these answers, you need to be technical in your questions. This is where emotional intelligence comes to play as it helps you control their emotions and get the required feedback you need. Being emotionally intelligent is a big part of mentorship. Don’t assume anything about your mentee - ask. As a mentor, you cannot imagine anything and everything. All you need do is ask and you will get most answers. Being a great mentor involves the mindset of breaking beyond the boundaries of your mentee by asking questions and not on the basis of assumptions. This helps you in getting to know your mentee well and makes you transparent at the same time. Be really forthcoming about mistakes you've made. The good thing about being a mentor Is that you tend to liberate yourself too. Being honest about your mistakes does not make you a weakling. It is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your mentee which would break more boundaries in his/her life.

On the long run, it helps build trust and gives them permission to share their own mistakes too. Celebrate their achievements. Celebrating your mentee’s achievements goes a long way in showing your sincerity. Majorly, you are building their confidence. This keeps them motivated and focused. Acknowledging their success satisfies their psychological need for recognition. How you go about celebrating their achievements is entirely up to you. Give more than you ask for. As a mentor, you must undergo sacrifices for the well being of your mentee. Give more than he/she requests for. Give advice or help freely. Never put them in a situation to repay a favor. Be happy for giving favors as it helps to ease anxieties. Seek out classes or projects related to skills your mentee wants to develop. Give your mentee helpful resources to succeed. Offer advice with respect to key areas of their life they want to develop. Take note of areas they may want to grow in look for opportunities to point them in the right direction. Solve for the long-term. Work with your mentee as if you'll be their mentor forever. That mindset will make it easier for you to give them long-term guidance, which will help them make decisions that outlive their time with you. If they work at your company, this helps them to give a larger input to the growth of the company. Always strike a balance as giving them a lot of privileges and ownership might result to a vacuum when they eventually leave. Lead by example. Lastly, nothing works best other than being a good role model. Leading by example is a great step in the right direction. You might not know it, but your mentee observes you effectively and your lifestyle will tend to rub off on him/her. They'll pick up information about your "ethics, values, and standards; style, beliefs, and attitudes; methods and procedures. If you are not aware of your own behavior, then you have no business being a mentor. At the end of the day, being a great mentor takes practice and patience. In the end, being a mentor will likely be as rewarding an experience for you as it will be for your mentees. These aspirations mentioned above would help me gain positive results in the pursuit of my ideal career path. After picking all of these, mentoring would feel like giving back to the society which is another career goal for me.