Top-quality education of their children is a high-priority agenda for parents in India, at least for the urbane folks. The opening up of the Indian economy with economic reforms in the early 1990s brought with it an influx of alternative career opportunities. The IT, ITES, hospitality, healthcare, fashion, journalism, aviation, and various other industries opened up a plethora of professional choices for students. Parents also heaved a sigh of relief because they no longer found themselves constrained by the conventional “Doctor” or “Engineer” career choices for their children. But the happiest of the lot were the students, who got opportunities to explore their passions and interests in so many varied & interesting fields.
The compensation packages went skyrocketing, and so did the job benefits that came with these career choices – Opportunities to travel both domestically & internationally, stock share with employers, fancy condos, and chauffer-driven cars. The working hours went into a frenzy because we were no longer catering only to domestic clients but had our colleagues, counterparts, and clients spread out in all different time- zones across the world. Amidst all this growth-chasing rat race, somewhere, we have forgotten to either set out or re-visit our professional goals that we had once happily defined for ourselves.
Research at a university in California has proven that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you pen them down. Provided they are realistic, and you have given sufficient thought while defining them. Ready to grasp the very essence of what it is to achieve your goals? Keep reading on-
1. Identify What You Love — and Make a Mission Statement of your Life
This is it — the single most important word is not Job, it is love. Your primary, overarching, life-defining career goal must center around what you love. You figured out what you loved when you were young, and then somewhere along the way, you lost it in the noise, the pressure, and the clutter of everyday life. It’s time to probe and find out what your inner purpose is – that inner calling that gives you the most kick, the most high! Once you have laid your finger on it, go all out to marry your inner purpose & outer purpose. Find out ways & means as to how you can use your profession to fulfill that inner calling.
2. Charter your professional resume around what you love
It could be as simple as associating with a creative pursuit of fine arts or engaging in philanthropic work. Crafting a great resume is about more than landing a job. It is about learning how to think from someone else’s perspective. If you can imagine what someone else wants to see in a great resume, you can view other things from their perspective, too, and that’s important in the professional world.
Follow these handy tips while crafting your resume-
- Provide your name, work experience and corresponding titles, education, and relevant skills.
- Consider the position you’re applying for carefully and focus on information relevant to it.
- A one-page resume with just the correct wording is very appealing to interviewers.
- Be essential, but let your personality shine through.
- Check for typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes.
3. Create ultra–smart professional goals
We all know about the S (Specific), M (Measurable), A (Achievable), R (Relevant), and T (Timed) goals. In addition, you need to push yourself to make these smart goals ultra-smart. How do you do that? Don’t settle for the same level of output every day. And definitely don’t settle for low standards. Think about quality and do your absolute best. Strive to be better in whatever you do every day.
4. Use your Thought – Power & Imagination to achieve success
Have you ever come across the saying, “Think carefully because what you think tends to manifest”? Use your thought power to help you manifest your professional goals. Fill your mind with thoughts & vivid images of success, picture yourself, and enjoy the moments of accomplishments and abundance, and as you do so – soon they will become a part of your reality. There may be testing times as well when things don’t seem to go in your favor in your professional pursuits – this mental work filled with optimism & enthusiasm will help you stay positive and help tide over those situations with relative ease.
5. Use your strengths & weaknesses as a bouncing board
To be able to achieve your goals, you must draw out a comprehensive view of your strengths and your weaknesses. No matter what you have been told by your parents/bosses/siblings/colleagues – remember you are a UNIQUE bundle of goods & not so goods! No one is perfect – The key to success is in developing an innovative strategy of using your strengths in your career pursuits and seeking help from peers/colleagues/friends where you lack. Not only will this help you bounce forward with a much greater force, but you will also develop a solid self-esteem about your being. And finally, the KP team suggests that it become a brand that stands out. The fastest way to do so is to craft your professional goals, keeping in mind a larger good – so that every time you accomplish your goals, the benefits spill beyond your periphery – it could be your colleagues/friends/family/or general community.
