Having long-term career plans, or milestones for progressing in your career, is very important for several reasons which are enlisted below:
• It can orient you toward career development
Setting long-term career objectives can cause you to concentrate on where you wish to be professionally in the future. Once you articulate these targets, you are more likely to think about them as you are employed or make career-related decisions.
• You can develop plans for achieving each goal
By setting professional targets that are achievable over an extended period of time, you can easily identify the items you wish to try and do to attain everyone. For instance, the activities for achieving a long-term career goal can include getting an expert credential, training in an exceedingly particular skill area, or gaining industry experience in exceedingly specific job responsibility.
• It can demonstrate your suitability for employment
At an interview, you will be able to use the long-term career goals you developed to point out to an employer how you complement corporate values or expectations. For instance, if you aim to develop computer applications that change the way during which people work, an employer who is committed to developing innovative software for companies is probably going to determine you as an honest appropriate footing in programming or management.
• It can communicate positive personal traits
Most companies favour employees with specific character traits because each profession requires precise soft skills. By developing long-term professional goals, you can use them to demonstrate that you simply have key soft skills in relevance being goal-oriented, motivated, organized, and determined to succeed.
IN WHAT MANNER TO ANSWER, 'WHAT ARE YOUR LONG-TERM CAREER GOALS?'
You can use the following steps to answer:
1. Identify your professional goals
To answer this question effectively, preparation is essential. Before the interview, choose the professional changes you would like to enjoy within the next five years. Then, develop clear targets for achieving them. Long-term professional goals can include obtaining a promotion, improving your efficiency rate in project completion by 50%, learning a replacement skill, or obtaining a knowledgeable credential.
2. Research the corporate and also the position
If your targets resonate with the hiring manager, you are more likely to induce the duty. Find out about the company’s business goals, interests, and values before the interview via press releases, corporate website, employee testimonials, and other online and offline publications. Additionally, read the task description thoroughly. Then, make a listing of the keywords accustomed to describe corporate objectives and employee expectations.
3. Align your professional goals to your employer
Use your company research to decide on goals that complement the corporate to which you are applying. While you will have several long-term career targets, select a maximum of four objectives, which are likely to best match your employer’s goals and values, for the interview discussion.
4. Communicate goals that are relevant to the duty
When asked by the hiring manager to debate your professional goals, articulate goals that relate to the corporate and therefore the position you are applying for by using keywords you found during your study.
5. Summarize a practical plan for achieving your goals
Inform the recruiter of the items you have got already achieved in respect to reaching your targets. Additionally, discuss the steps you propose to require within the future to realize your aspirations. for instance, gaining specific managerial experience may be a step to attain your goal of getting a promotion. Similarly, being involved in professional associations may be a step in building your professional brand.
GUIDELINES FOR ANSWERING 'WHAT ARE YOUR LONG-TERM CAREER GOALS?'
To answer the question competently, you could use the subsequent tips:
• Show the hiring manager your drive to attain goals
Speak enthusiastically about the items you have got already achieved that have helped you progress toward your goals. For instance, if one of all your goals is being a manager within the next five years, you’ll mention working as a supervisor and visiting leadership seminars.
• Write down your answer to the question when preparing for the interview
Noting down your response to the question on your professional goals allows you to correct any language errors and enhance it. This also gives you the chance to concentrate on your delivery during your preparation.
• Keep your answer on career goals concise
Formulate to answer the question on your professional goals briefly. You would be able to do so by editing your written answer to, ‘What are your long-term career goals?’ till each target is brief and clear.
• Memorize your answer to enhance interview performance
As a question about your career goals could be a standard question in most of the interviews, committing your answer to memory can facilitate you to avoid forgetting your talking points or having awkward pauses during the interview. Once you finish writing your answer, repeat it to yourself until you can communicate it without making any mistakes.
• Practice answering the question before the interview
Use role-play with a friend or face yourself to a mirror and practice responding to the current question. Keep working on it till your response looks is self-assured and persuasive.
– Chandni Sethia