Learn what professional development goals are, why they are important, and how to set and achieve them using the SMART method. Find examples of SMART goals for different aspects of your career.
Professional development can be used to increase income, advance careers and make one feel fulfilled and satisfied at work. But in order to be effective and realize goals effectively you must set specific, attainable goals for yourself that you then act to reach.
In this post I’ll define professional development objectives, discuss their importance and walk readers through how best to create and meet them using the SMART approach.
What Are My Professional Development Goals?
Professional development goals are self-imposed targets designed to assist in shaping and furthering your profession. Examples include developing new abilities or knowledge relevant to your current or desired role; increasing productivity or performance on current tasks/projects; expanding relationships with colleagues, clients and mentors; seeking out opportunities or challenges which may further your career; or even attaining certification, degree or recognition to increase credibility or marketability – just to name a few examples of aspects of life where these goals may apply.
To increase income or satisfaction by receiving a raise, promotion, or changing careers that will bring greater income or increased satisfaction
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Establishing and meeting professional development objectives can significantly benefit both your professional and personal development. They keep you driven towards reaching your professional goals; assist in recognizing and addressing strengths and weaknesses; boost self-assurance in skills and accomplishments; demonstrate initiative and dedication towards current or prospective employers; increase value in job market competition; enable you to adapt quickly to changing trends and demands in industry sectors, provide a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment – these are just a few benefits of setting and fulfilling professional development objectives.
How to use the SMART approach to set and achieve professional development goals
Use of the SMART approach is one of the best strategies for creating and meeting professional development goals. “SMART” stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound objectives – these should serve as your standards when creating goals and setting standards to evaluate them against. Steps for applying the SMART technique include:
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Clarify Your Objective
A clear goal should outline your desired results or outcomes with specificity, along with motivations and a plan of action. For example: What specific result or consequence am I striving towards achieving? This specific aim provides answers.
What impact will my goal have on my career or personally? And, how will I evaluate my progress or accomplishments in reaching this objective?
Finally, who are my resources or individuals to assist me in accomplishing it?
An ambiguous objective might include something like, “I want to improve my communication skills.” For a specific objective, try taking an online public speaking course, practicing with colleagues and presenting to my team by the end of each month as ways of improving presentation skills.
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Quantify Your Objective
Measurable goals provide answers to queries such as, How will I know when I have achieved my objective? and ” How will I know if this objective has been accomplished ” (source).
What benchmarks or objectives must I meet along the journey? An example of a quantifiable target would be, for instance, reaching out to 20 new leads every week while following up with 10 existing customers each week and closing 5 deals each month – this would constitute a quantifiable goal.
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Make Your Objective Attainable.
A realistic and attainable aim should fit within your current circumstances, capabilities and resources – such as Can I affect and control this goal? . An attainable goal answers these queries directly.
Do I possess the abilities, information and resources necessary to reach this goal?
Is My Objective Unrealistic? “My objective is to obtain certification in project management by studying for two hours per day, taking mock exams every week, and passing my final examination within six months” would be an example of a feasible goal.
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Choose relevant goals.
An objective which meets your interests, values and career aspirations can be extremely useful and fulfilling. Relevant aims address questions like “Is this goal in line with my mission and long-term vision?” and “Will this aim help my career?”.
Is My Objective Worth My Time, Energy, and Resources? A goal such as learning a programming language highly demanded in my industry by taking an online course, completing a project, and adding it to my resume/portfolio within three months could be considered appropriate and worthwhile.
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Provide Your Objective with a Deadline. A time-bound goal provides answers to queries like when I intend to complete my goal or when this aim begins and ends.
How long will it take me to accomplish this task?
When is this goal expected to be completed both short- and long-term?
“My goal is to transition my career from accounting to marketing by updating my resume and cover letter, applying to 10 marketing jobs per week and landing one within six months,” is an example of a time-bound goal.
Setting and meeting professional development goals are central to your professional success. Applying the SMART method, you can develop specific, attainable goals that help realize your career ambitions.
Be sure to celebrate your victories while regularly reviewing and revising goals as well as seeking advice and encouragement from others – you’ll soon become an accomplished, successful and content professional if this becomes part of your daily routine.