Pinpointing Your Career Goals
June 7, 2005 — -- For many Americans, the job they have today will likely not be the job they have down the road. Tory Johnson, chief executive officer of womenforhire.com, says it's not uncommon for people to change careers as many as four to seven times in a lifetime.
Johnson appeared on "Good Morning America" to discuss why people makes those changes and what to do if you're not one of the procrastinators, but someone who knows what you want, but doesn't know how to get it.
Below are some tips from Johnson to find the right job for you.
Here are some specific strategies to help you pinpoint a career goal:
What am I really good at? What do I love doing? What excites me? What bores me? What frustrates me? These kinds of questions help identify strengths and weaknesses. To help you pinpoint those specifics, focus on your knowledge, skills and abilities.
The key here is to focus on hard skills, not just behavioral traits. The worst offender: "I'm a people person." That could apply to retail sales, nursing, a school teacher, a TV producer. So when you're doing this exercise, go beyond those basics.
Ask those closest to you their opinions of your strengths and talents too. Sometimes friends and colleagues think of you as the "go to" person anytime they have to write a letter because your writing and editing skills are exceptional. Or maybe you're a computer whiz who can fix any bug.
Additionally, think about the tasks that you enjoy doing -- things that make you happy -- and figure out what skills are involved. For example, maybe you love shopping and interior decorating, so perhaps a career in retail merchandising is up your alley.
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