Get Career Goals in Gear This Summer

0
1827
Rating :
(0 Votes )

Summertime %u2026 it%u2019s for relaxing by the pool, road-tripping and – if you are lucky – making some money. But summer is also a good time to chill out and think about your future career goals.

Summertime … it’s for relaxing by the pool, road-tripping and — if
you’re lucky — making some money. But summer is also a good time to
chill out and think about your future career goals. We help put it in
perspective, starting now, with eight simple rules:

Career Goal Rule No. 1: Figure out What You Enjoy
Do what you love.
It’s a phrase undergrads hear all the time — because those four little
words pack a lot of punch. “I definitely believe students should look
for subjects and careers they love,” says Leslie Stevenson, director of
the Career Development Center at the University of Richmond. “When you
love something, your natural interest in the topic translates to
enthusiasm and a willingness to invest more time in the area.” Don’t
know what you love? More on that later, so read on. …

Career Goal Rule No. 2: Keep It Real
While most
would agree that it is important to be passionate about your career,
reel in your expectations to align with reality. Your hopes of being a
professional athlete could be lofty, but consider segueing that passion
into an area such as sports medicine or broadcasting. And even if the
job of your dreams is attainable, it’s doubtful you’ll rise to the top
of your field right out the gate. You want to be the next great American
author? You might have to write your share of press releases, for
example, before ever getting published.

Career Goal Rule No. 3: Be Forward-thinking
Prediction
is an imperfect science. Just ask Wall Street. You never know what the
future will hold after four years in college, but sometimes it doesn’t
hurt to look ahead. “In conjunction with pursuing something you’re
passionate about, it also helps to pick a career with potential to grow
— especially in this current job market,” says former Fox News Channel
entertainment editor and film critic Bill McCuddy. “Never hurts to be
one step ahead of the game.”

Career Goal Rule No. 4: Pay Attention to People Around You
Talk
to relatives, neighbors and friends of the family about their career
decisions. Find out what they like about their jobs … and what they
could live without. Are you really cut out for being chained to an
office desk five days a week? Would you be more attuned to a position in
which you could work from home? Or maybe outdoors? Are you a people
person or do you prefer to work independently? We’re a little old to
participate in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, but you can make
arrangements to shadow someone in your prospective industry to decide
if you’re steering your career in the right direction.

Career Goal Rule No. 5: Think for Yourself
Just
because you come from a lineage of lawyers doesn’t necessarily mean
you’re destined to go into the family business. While it’s helpful to
pick the brains of those around you, don’t let parents or friends coerce
you into a career that you aren’t into, says career expert Sheila Curran of Curran Career Consulting and author of Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career. “Make the decision yours.”

Career Goal Rule No. 6: Take Stock of Your Work Experience
If
you’re interning (or, say, working part-time as a clerk) in the
industry that interests you, it’s likely you’ll be given mundane tasks
that bore you — and leave you thinking “This isn’t for me, after all!”
But before you throw in the towel, tune into your environment. What are
long-term employees doing? If you can, take the opportunity to talk to
them about their roles. Sure, you don’t want to spend your life making
copies. But have you noticed that Joe Executive gets to do a ton of
business travel? Or how Jane Vice President garners loads of respect
from her peers?

Career Goal Rule No. 7: Be Open to Changing Your Mind
In
some cases, your career paths can take a drastic detour from your major
— and that’s OK. “Most careers can be pursued with any major,” says
Curran. Take, for example, 2009 University of Virginia grad Brad
Costella. Shortly after graduating with a degree in electrical
engineering, Costella traveled to London to attend culinary school and
now dreams of being an executive chef: “I think it’s proof that having a
solid degree under your belt is a stepping stone,” says Costella. “I’m
following my real passion now.”

Career Goal Rule No. 8: Take Advantage of Everything College Has to Offer
If you’re still struggling to figure out your true
passion, Curran recommends engaging yourself in the college experience:
study abroad, do on-campus research and build relationships with
professors and staff. “A college education happens everywhere — in the
classroom, through extracurricular activities, on the athletic field,
through internships and beyond. Learning outside the classroom may prove
to be more important to your career than the subject of your degree.”

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

SHARE
Previous articleTake It Outside
Next articleTips for Making Road Trips Safer
Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”