Your career is on the upswing, and each day brings you closer to accomplishing your career goals. Yet, there is always room for improvement — and with Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) career goals, you can accelerate your career growth in 2021.   

Now, let’s look at five tips to help you set SMART career goals in the new year.   

1. Establish a Detailed Plan

You know you want to move your career forward, but you need to consider specific steps to help you do just that. If you establish a detailed career plan, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to accomplish your career goals.    

As you craft a career plan, consider what you want to accomplish both now and in the future. Then, you can determine which steps you’ll need to take to achieve your career aspirations and begin the process of making your goals come true.   

2. Monitor Your Results 

Career goals must be measured, so you can find out if you are hitting the mark or falling behind over the course of a set time frame. If you use metrics to monitor your progress toward achieving your career goals, you will be well-equipped to stay on course with your career plan in the new year.   

Keep in mind that career goals can be tweaked as needed throughout the year, too. If you find you are surpassing your expectations or falling short of your career goals, modify your career plan.  

3. Ensure Your Goals Align with Your Abilities 

Each career goal should align with your abilities and what you want to accomplish over the course of your career. Thus, you should evaluate your current abilities and how they can help you achieve your career aspirations. You should also determine if you want to enhance your skillset, so you can accomplish your career goals.  

If you are lacking certain abilities that may be necessary to achieve your career goals, you can enroll in classes or training programs to bolster your skills or build your industry expertise. In addition, you can leverage classes or training programs to further improve your existing skillset.   

4. Be Realistic 

You should not expect to accomplish your career goals overnight. Instead, it takes time for career aspirations to come to fruition, so you’ll need to stay focused to accomplish your goals over time.   

If you are struggling to accomplish your career goals, these aspirations may be unrealistic, and you should modify them accordingly. Furthermore, if you are accomplishing your career goals right away, you may need to set the bar higher, so you can maximize your career results.   

5. Make Your Goals Timely 

Each career goal should be completed over a specific period of time. This enables you to find ways to optimize the time at your disposal and accomplish the best possible results.   

Transform Your Dream Career into a Reality with Help from HCR  

At HCR, we can help you establish SMART career goals in 2021 and beyond. We can also connect you with top employers in the Greater Toronto Area and Southwestern Ontario, so you can quickly grow your career. To learn more, please contact us today.