short term and long term career goals essay examples

• Applying For Scholarships

Writing Tips for a Career Goals Essay (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Mar 1, 2023

Get our best scholarship practices, insights & tips delivered to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

For your college scholarship essay, you may be asked about your career goals. The scholarship committee wants to see how investing in your education will help your career. Do you have a definitive plan? Will a college education fit into that plan? These are the answers they want to see.

In this guide, we will provide some scholarship essay examples about career goals to jumpstart your essay writing.

Writing tips for career goals scholarship essays

Here are some quick tips for writing career goal scholarship essays:

• Write about career goals that tie into the scholarship. This doesn’t mean you have to lie about your career goals to make them fit. Find a way to relate them to the scholarship committee or other elements of the scholarship.
• Be precise about your career goals. Avoid vague statements that suggest you do not have a plan. Judges like to see determination because it shows they’re making a worthy educational investment.
• Discuss how your education will help you achieve your career goals. The scholarship will assist with your education. Show a connection between the two so they can see why you deserve this scholarship.
• If you mention multiple goals, indicate which one you feel most strongly about. Longer essays may allow you to mention a backup plan, but the committee needs to see where your focus lies.
• Avoid cliché statements. Describe how your specific talents, experiences, and degree pursuits will help you succeed.
• Point out solutions, not problems. You may mention struggles you’ve had in the past, but pinpoint how you will learn from them. Moreover, show how those struggles led to your career goals.
• Organize your thoughts in a fluid manner. This will most likely be in chronological order, starting with your degree and progressing through your career growth.
• Write, revise, rest, revise. This goes for any essay writing. Write the first draft from start to finish. Then read through it and edit any grammar or flow errors. Take a break, preferably overnight, and then re-read your content with fresh eyes.

The fastest path to earning scholarships

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships.

Example 1: Scholarship essay about career goals (100 words)

In a 100-word scholarship essay, you need to quickly make your point. There is not enough room for a lengthy intro or backstory. Use concise, comprehensive statements to deliver the most information in the fewest words.

I’m a sophomore at Texas Tech University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Companion Animal Science. After graduation, I hope to attend Texas A&M to become a veterinarian serving rescue organizations and animal shelters. I was born and raised in the south, where it is common for people to abandon animals in rural areas. Those animals then go into a rescue – emaciated, frightened, and confused. I want to work with rescues to provide affordable veterinary medicine to the animals they save. This scholarship would help me continue my education and potentially save thousands of abandoned animals in the future.

Word count: 99

Example 2: Scholarship essay about career goals (250 words)

With a 250-word scholarship essay, you have a little more room to discuss the details of your career goals. You can explain situations from your past that inspired your career pursuits. You could use one paragraph to talk about your short-term goals and another to talk about your long-term goals. Just make sure the big picture ties into the scholarship.

My name is Patrick Holden and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and minoring in linguistics. I plan to become an English teacher, but this wasn’t always what I had in mind.  When thinking about my future, I always saw myself in some sort of corporate office, perhaps as an executive assistant or a loan officer at a bank. My father works in the finance office for a car dealership and my mother works at a call center. I assumed I would follow a similar, albeit boring, path in life. In my junior year of high school, everything changed. My English teacher inspired me in ways I could have never imagined. She got me to love writing, literature, etymology, and everything about the English language. She made me want to be a better student in all of my classes, and she helped me see the value of education. I decided then that I wanted to inspire other students just as she did for me. My parents are unfortunately not able to contribute much toward my college expenses. I have earned a tuition scholarship based on my ACT score, but I still need additional funding for books and supplies. English majors have particularly high book costs because we have to purchase multiple books for each class. With the help of this scholarship, I could afford to continue my degree and become an English teacher.

Word count: 240

Example 3: Scholarship essay about career goals (500 words)

With 500 words or more to play around with, you have plenty of space to talk about your career goals. Maintain the same theme throughout the scholarship essay. Each paragraph should connect to the next, and they should all work together to describe your career plan. Avoid making disconnected statements for the sake of word count. In the end, the scholarship committee should have a clear view of your educational plans and professional aspirations.

Internet marketing has gone from an optional method of advertisement to a vital step in business outreach. Even small businesses in remote towns look to the internet to attract customers and spread the word about their services. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing with an emphasis on Digital Marketing. With this training, I will be able to enter a profession that will only grow year by year. When I was younger, I found print advertisements to be fascinating. I loved reading the newspaper with my father just to see the full-page ads in between stories. When I got older though, those ads became less appealing because they were not adaptive. They seemed dated, static and ill-fit for changes in society. That’s when I discovered internet marketing. It was still in its infancy when I was in middle school, but by the time I graduated high school, it had become a staple in business development. I loved the way internet marketers had to constantly adjust to fit Google’s algorithms, new mobile devices, and new audiences. I knew this was the career for me. Originally, I planned to focus solely on business marketing because there were not many digital marketing degrees available. Over the last two years though, several schools throughout the country have developed internet marketing courses that explain fundamental methods of search engine optimization, website analytics, and more. These are the foundations I will build my career around. The best part about internet marketing is that there is always something new to learn. I can use my creative mind and exploratory nature to try new advertising methods that help businesses succeed. Every time they do well, I do well. This is the kind of job fulfillment most people can only dream of, but my educational plan and job prospects will allow me to achieve it. I have picked up some freelance jobs online to supplement my studies and help pay for my education. It is difficult to maintain a steady stream of income in freelance because I spend so much time on my school work. This scholarship could offset some of the costs and reduce my workload as a whole. While I will still work throughout the semester and full-time in the summers, having extra financial aid would greatly reduce my stress in college. I look forward to a future where I can use my marketing skills to help business owners achieve their career goals. I plan to spend the first few years after graduation working for a successful, long-standing digital marketing company. After I have enough on-the-job training to feel confident in my abilities, I will open my own internet marketing company in Chicago, where my family lives. I have a clear picture of where I will be in the next 10 years, and I know this degree is going to help me get there.

Word count: 481

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Related Stories View All

How to Fund Your Top 10 MBA

LIFE Scholarship

Get the Latest on Scholarships (And Much More) With This All-Round Amazing Student App

Get started with scholarshipowl.

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships

Career goals Essay: Short-term and long-term goals

What career goals should you write in your MBA applications? How do you ensure that the short-term career goals are aligned with the long-term goals?

Vibhav Agarwal sure knows a thing or two about crafting winning MBA applications. He’s helped many applicants get into the most selective programs in the world.

In this post he shares some tips on tackling the career goals MBA essay .

by Vibhav Agarwal

I may probably know where I can be in the next 3-5 years. But beyond that who knows, right?

Think of it this way. MBA education is going to be one of your biggest investments – not just with money, but with the time and effort as well.

So, it’s very important that you focus on the right things in terms of coursework, network, placements etc. during those 1-2 years that you spend in the college.

( Take it from us, time flies in a b-school, the more your priorities and goals are clear, the easier it is to navigate those ten thousand opportunities that you will get at the school to do something or be a part of something)

Now, who better understands the importance of this prioritization than the ad-com? And this is their rationale of asking this question.

They want to see and understand the clarity a candidate has in terms of being able to understand and showcase the clarity in their short-term and long-term career goals.

Let us tackle the key requirements for short-term career goals first.  

Short-term career goals

Short-term goals are those where you see yourself as soon as you graduate out of the school. These goals need to be a very precisely defined in terms of industry, geography, set of companies you are aiming at and the role that you are looking for.

You are expected to have complete clarity on the skillset required to do this role, the key responsibilities you will be handling and the results that you are expected to showcase in the next 1-2 years.

The ad-com wants to understand the above from your essay and then ascertain whether “you” the candidate have a realistic chance with the MBA education and his current experience to gain that role in light of the skillsets required for that role and the competition posed by the typical MBA class.

In this context, there are typically 3 scenarios that candidates are likely to define their short-term goals. A quick disclaimer first.

Disclaimer: We’ll include some representative examples to clarify the key principles. Blindly copying these career goals in your essays, without understanding the bigger picture, is sure to backfire. More on this in the last section.  

1. Career Progression

This is the scenario when you are already performing a role in the similar industry and you would like to accelerate your progress in terms of the career ladder or in terms of the organizational brand.

For example:

• I am a consultant in big4 consulting firm or KPO who wants to move into McKinsey or BCG
• I am a software engineer with product development experience who wants to move into product management role in a Silicon Valley tech firm
• I am a commerce graduate with CA or CFA background who wants to move into Investment banking or Private banking in a top-tier bank
• I am working in a corporate law firm and want to shift into M&A or strategy team for a big conglomerate

  Such shifts are very logical and easier to explain and manage. The requirements remain the same when it comes to explaining in the short-terms goals essay, but your ability to visualize yourself in that role and showcase the skills you bring to the role are easier to explain since you are already have counterparts or seniors who are performing that role and can explain the difference between it and your current role  

2. Career Shift

This is the scenario when you want to “shift” into a more exciting role in probably a more exciting industry and organization. So basically, you are looking to change your industry, role profile and probably geography as well. This scenario accounts for more than 60% of the candidates who want to do MBA. For example:

• I am a project manager in IT services firm in India who wants to get into product management for a B2B SaaS product in US
• I am a team lead in a semi-conductor firm who wants to get into business development roles in an IT services or IT product firm
• I am a software engineer in a tech firm who wants to move into a business strategy role with a bigger tech firm/start-up
• I am a client-side consultant with an IT-services firm who wants to into corporate finance role with a top-tier tech firm
• I am an entrepreneur who wants to become a product manager in a tech firm

  Such shifts require a lot of introspection and research. The ad-coms would like to see what is your understanding of the role, what skills are “transferable” from your current role into the new role and on top of it, how will the MBA help you gain the skillsets that are missing.

They also want to get a clear understanding of the role from your viewpoint in terms of key responsibilities, performance metrics and impact areas.

In order to showcase all the above in the essay, we recommend that candidates leverage LinkedIn and their networks to connect with at least 2-3 people who are actually performing that role they aspire and have a frank conversation to gain a clear and deep understanding of the role.

Once they do that, they can also discuss their present roles and gain an understanding of the transferable skills that can be leveraged for the new role. This understanding is paramount to showcase in a good short-term goal essay.

This helps convince ad-com that you stand a good chance of being shortlisted for that role based on your CV and pedigree during the placement season..  

3. The management consulting bug

One of the biggest aspirations for all MBA candidates who want to shift roles and otherwise is to get into management consulting with a top-tier firm like McKinsey, Bain or BCG .

Irrespective of their current roles and backgrounds, the consultant role is actually the one where your MBA performance and business acumen take precedence.

But even then, when you are showcasing it as your short-term goal, you need to have a clear understanding of the skillsets that define a good consultant and where have you demonstrated those skills in current roles.

For example, skills like problem solving, management communication, data analysis are cornerstones of any good consultant and they need to be showcased in your CV as well as essay.  

Long-term career goals

Coming to long-term career goals, essentially the easiest path and the one taken by most of candidates is to showcase the career ladder growth as the long-term goal.

So, you see yourself as a partner in the consulting firm, you see yourself as a product management leader in the tech firm or as a CXO of a conglomerate.

These are all acceptable as long as there is a clear and straight-line path between short-term and long-term goals. The ad-com sees the logic and ambition here and that’s a tick from their side.   The other category is those who aim to turn entrepreneurs. That is also acceptable as long as there is a defined synergy in your short-term and long-term goals.

As long as ad-com sees that the skillsets you are gaining in short-term career and the industry knowledge and network you are building shall be used in the entrepreneurship venture you are aiming for, they are happy to give you the tick.   Now, if you have read till here, you get to know a little secret. The reality seldom matches the essay. Once you get into the school, there are new interest areas, new avenues that you may end up exploring or change your mind to take a safe bet and stick to same industry.

But it’s important that the story you present in your essay showcases your ambition in a logical way in line with your current career path and also in line with how the college can place you (Read How important are MBA essays ).

After all, their reputation is built on the alumni they have the best positions in top-tier firms!   A strong application generally is one which is able to create a cohesive and persuasive story not only about the career goals of the applicant, but also dovetail it into his past achievements, his extra-curriculars and his personal highlights.

This is the most important ingredient to a successful application.

An admissions consulting team like MBA Crystal Ball, can not only help you discover the right set of career goals, but also help you create an overall impactful story. One that will impress the ad-com enough to invite you for an interview.  

You’ll find some of Vibhav’s success stories at the end of this article: Career Change from Software IT to Product Management after MBA .

And here’s a success story of an ISB reapplicant who used career counselling for MBA admissions .

Mini-MBA | Start here | Success stories | Reality check | Knowledgebase | Scholarships | Services Serious about higher ed? Follow us:                

12 thoughts on “Career goals Essay: Short-term and long-term goals”

I have large experience (8+) in big CPG companies in India in varied sales and marketing (mid-managerial) functions (Sales, Sales Development, Trade Marketing, Customer Marketing). My short term goal is to leverage my experience and work as a strategy consultant with McKinsey for CPG clients. It will not only add to my managerial skills but also help me build and gain insights into cutting edge innovations in the industry.

(Long term Goal) After working 3-4 years as a strategy consultant, I would like to take up a senior management role (Head of Business, CXO) and work in a CPG startup firm in India providing and implementing cutting edge strategies and solutions to break ground and win the market. The startup setup in CPG is a new booming space in India and given the customer base and demand for CPG products, there is tremendous scope in the coming years.

How does my short term and long term goal look? Would this be put down as being too unrealistic? Pls help.

Tough to say per say since consulting is a very common goal. It’ll eventually depend on how well you explain the need for MBA to begin with, and then, why consulting. Why not say CPG itself? Start from there.

Dear Sir, I am currently pursuing B.Tech Marine Engineering and will be sailing in 2021. I plan on sailing 5-7 years and then settle onshore. Although, I am uncertain about the career options available to me. Certainly, I have considered doing MBA and pursuing a job. But at this point, it’s very confusing to have a clear mindset as to what is to be done. I’d highly appreciate if you could guide me and tell what I should be doing and where I should be looking for some more guidance.

Once you’ve sailed for a year or so, see if you want to explore this intervention with us, if still unclear: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/career-counselling

I am a BE (EEE) graduate with following details: 1. 10th – 85% 2. +2 – 94% 3.BE – 81% – 2008 passout

I have Two Years of Experience in Software Testing in ADP India Pvt Limted(2008-2010) and Currently working as Manager in Powergrid Corporation Of India Limited (A Central Govt Mahartna PSU) from 2010. Profile in ADP: Test (Automation) Engineer in ADP – Dealing with Tax and Financial Services for Clients in USA Profile in POWERGRID: 1.Was incharge of execution of Power Transmission Projects of 400kV ,765kV level with Cost of Projects ranging from 250Cr-700Cr. 2. Worked as Special Technical Assitant to Executive Director of Southern Region,India which exposed me to various functions of Organization line HR, Contracts (Procurement Services), Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Operation of one of the Largest Power grids in World etc.. 3. Was part of Competitive Bidding group in Transmission Project which involved preparation of Bids for the projects, Financial Modelling for calculation of returns, Cost Control etc.. As seen from above I have many dots and all of them needs to connected and hence want to pursue a proper MBA.

Now I am interested to do Global MBA in USA . GRE:320. TOEFL will write in July-2020.

How are my chances to get into reasonably Top MBA schools in USA.

Overall profile looks decently poised. We don’t do profile evaluation here. For that, you can start here: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/profile-evaluation

I have persuing my MBA in finance and human resource. I want to do study PHD in management in USA. Please guide me how it is possible.

@Jasbir, start here: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2018/04/11/phd-after-mba/

Sir i have completed my B tech in textile technology in 2017 since then i am unemployed and preparing for ssc and banking exam. Now in 2020 i would give cat ,mat exam . What are chances of getting a decent or mediocre mba college with a gap of 4 year with no experience and what problem will i face in getting my job

@Ravi, gaps are always very tough to explain: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/04/01/how-to-handle-career-gaps-in-mba-applications/

Beyond chasing another education, you should make a very hard attempt at starting your professional journey first.

Thank you for this amazing exposition. I am currently working as an in-house counsel in a reputable professional regulatory body and I intend to do MBA for the purpose of advancing my career. However, I am not exactly sure what are the career goals for an in-house lawyer like me who seeks to do MBA. I would be glad if I could get some perspectives from you.

@Mide, you are approaching the thing from the wrong end. Don’t decide to do MBA and then figure things out. Think first about what you’d like to do in your career ( https://www.mbacrystalball.com/career-counselling/ ) and then, work backwards from there to assess whether MBA is even needed. Don’t consider an MBA as a be all and end all.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

• Apply For A Job
• Applying To Multiple Jobs At The Same Company
• Applying for a Job In-Person
• Personal Mission Statement
• Corporate Titles
• Career Goals Essay
• Internal Applicants Only
• Vision Statement

Find a Job You Really Want In

Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success.

Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for.

Key Takeaways:

When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship.

Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay.

Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.

What is a career goals essay?

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals, example career goals essay prompts, career goals essay examples, tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals, what to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed, career goals essay for a scholarship faq.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

BLS – Career planning for high schoolers

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

How To Apply To Multiple Jobs At The Same Company

5 Tips For Getting Hired At A Remote Customer Service Job

How To Label An Envelope (With Examples)

A Guide To The Starbucks Application Process

• Career Advice >
• Apply For Jobs >
• Application >

How to Write an Awesome Essay About Your Career Goals

• Before you begin, ask yourself a few key questions like:
• What are my short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where do I see myself in ten years?
• What events in my life have led me to have these goals?
• What major will help me reach my goals?
• What skills do I need to reach my goals?
• What impact do I want to have on society?

Career Goals Essay Template

Need more inspiration.

After you brainstorm the responses to these questions, look for common themes, or pick out the most interesting stories. You can build your main essay “thesis” or idea around this.

Once you’ve got the main idea, create an outline to put your ideas into essay format. This will give you a general idea of structure.

You can use the career essays template below to give you some ideas. But remember that some rules are meant to be broken, so don’t be afraid to be innovative and think outside the box!

Also, when you’re done, head over to Going Merry to apply for the Career Goals scholarship essay bundle (one essay, one application, multiple scholarships!). You might as well make that essay count. Sign up for Going Merry to apply for scholarships more efficiently.

Here’s a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown:

Paragraph 1 : Establish the main theme of what you’re going to talk about. It should also grab the reader’s attention. For example, instead of starting your essay with something generic (e.g. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a zoologist), get creative with it! Try something like My greatest memory as a young girl was going to the zoo for the first time or While most kids play house or school, I always wanted to play zookeeper.

Paragraph 2 : Elaborate on what inspired your career goals. Perhaps it was a relative, a TV show, or simply an experience that you had. Remember that old writing adage, “Show, don’t tell.” In other words, try to demonstrate your interest with story or description. 

Paragraph 3 : Discuss your short-term career goals and your intended major. How will your intended major help you reach these goals? What skills do you need to learn to reach them? At the end of the paragraph, try discussing how your short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term goals.

Paragraph 4 : Focus on your long-term goals and the impact that you hope to have on society. If you’re not sure what your long-term goals are, don’t sweat it; they’ll probably change anyways. You can instead focus on the difference you’d like to make overall. And don’t worry too much about the size of the impact…remember that just doing what you’re truly passionate about has a massive impact on those around you.

The last paragraph is your conclusion. You can use this paragraph to summarize what you discussed in the previous few paragraphs. If you want to be even more creative, try ending your essay with a question for your readers or a new insight. Good luck!

And now that you’re ready with that essay, put it to good use! You can recycle that same essay, when applying for the Career Goals Scholarship Bundle. We’ve joined together multiple scholarships (all requesting essays on career goals), into just ONE simple application! See more info here , or just sign up to get going.

Check out examples from other students just like you. Here are links to some great career goal essay examples:

• Example 1  
• Example 2  
• Example 3  

Or maybe you’re looking for help with an academic goals essay — we’ve got you covered there too.

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics !

Sign up for Going Merry today, and upload your career goal essay right to your profile. It’s that easy!

• Recent Posts

• 7 Outstanding Oregon Scholarships for 2021 - November 6, 2020
• Great Scholarships for Students in Ohio for 2021 - November 4, 2020
• 38 Weird Scholarships for Unique Students in 2023 - August 2, 2020

Ready to find scholarships that are a match for you?

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

February 29, 2024

• Writing Your Career Goals Essay

Check out all the blog posts in this series:

• Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay
• Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose
• Revise and Polish Your Application Essays

Your career goals essay demands a laser-like focus. A personal statement, by contrast, allows for some flexibility in its content, though you can – and often should – discuss your career goals. But a career goals essay has a particular and packed agenda. In fact, the prompt for a career goals essay could actually include multiple questions, and in such cases, you want to make sure you address each of them.

For example, in 2022, Kellogg asked applicants to its one-year program to respond to the following prompt: “Please discuss your post-MBA career goal, the current experience you will leverage to support the transition, and the Kellogg 1Y opportunities that will help you reach this goal.” 

This prompt has three parts: (1) What do you want to do post-MBA ? (2) Why is the 1Y program appropriate for you? And (3) what experience has so far prepared you to succeed in your target role? 

So, always pay close attention to your target school’s prompt to ensure that you answer all the questions within its “single” question. 

Three elements of a successful career goals essay

In addition to having a distinct theme , your career goals essay should achieve the following:

• Highlight specific career achievements. Choose from your most notable or defining experiences. These could be related to your work, community involvement, or extracurricular activities. The experiences you select should showcase your leadership skills , creative thinking, collaborative abilities, and personal reflections about what you learned or gained.
• Explain why your experiences and influences make your career goal a logical and wise choice.
• Demonstrate why you are suited to a particular field as a result of your education, experience, abilities, and enthusiasm. Ideally, the material you choose to include will also allow you to prove your knowledge about industry trends and suggest how your abilities and strengths can help you contribute to that field.

It’s a very tall order to achieve all this.

Putting these elements together to create your goals essay

Let’s take a look at a sample MBA Goals Essay and see how these three key elements are incorporated.  

You should be able to easily recognize why the writer’s opening is attention-getting for all the right reasons. The writer introduces herself as the supremely busy executive she visualizes becoming in the future. She trades large amounts of stock, rushes off to a Zoom conference, hurries downstairs, flags down a taxi, then hops on a plane. As she describes this whirlwind of activity, we can practically feel her heart pumping.

After establishing her voice and personality in this opening, she offers context for her MBA goal. Notice that in writing about her work as an accountant for a major firm, she provides relevant details, including how many years she has been in the field, her bilingualism, and her specialty area as an auditor. This information is her springboard to explain why she is pursuing an MBA: she’s bursting out of her limited role as an accountant. Her eyes and ambition are set on a larger playing field as an international investment manager.

Write an essay, not a list or CV

Outstanding career goals essays are not lists of an applicant’s roles and achievements. Instead, they have a narrative flow and arc that convey the candidate’s palpable excitement about their career choice. This writer’s enthusiastic, dreamy first paragraph achieves this, and she returns to that image at the end, where she paints her idealized (if frantically busy) future. She also proves her seriousness by noting that she registered for the CFA exam.

Connect your career goals to your reasons for choosing a particular program

Many essay questions, especially those for MBA programs , will ask why you have chosen the school you’re applying to. Be prepared to respond knowledgeably and enthusiastically. And the only way to become knowledgeable – and enthusiastic – is by visiting campus in-person or virtually, attending student recruitment meetings, participating in forums, reading student blogs, watching videos of students speaking about their experiences, communicating directly with students and/or recent alumni, and otherwise doing your homework. As part of your research, make sure you have familiarized yourself with the courses and specializations that are relevant to your goals.

Summary Tips

• Focus on answering each and every question asked in a career goals essay prompt. Often, there is more than one.
• Highlight specific achievements vividly and in a way that shows that your career choice is logical for you.
• Do the research so you can write about why the school is a good fit for you and do so with genuine enthusiasm.

In the next post in this series , we’ll explain how to take all this advice and apply it to create an exemplary first draft.

Work one-on-one with an expert who will walk you through the process of creating a slam-dunk application. Check out our full catalog of application services . Our admissions consultants have read thousands of essays and know the exact ingredients of an outstanding essay.

By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. She is also the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools . Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• The Winning Ingredients of a Dynamic MBA Goals Essay , a free guide
• Grad School Personal Statement Examples
• Focus on Fit , podcast Episode 162

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

What Is a Career Goals Essay?

An opportunity to expand, what to avoid in a career goals essay, final thoughts, how to write a career goals essay.

Updated January 15, 2024

All products and services featured are independently selected by WikiJob. When you register or purchase through links on this page, we may earn a commission.

As the name suggests, a career goals essay is a personal document that outlines your professional plans.

It describes your educational and work history, and your ambitions for the future.

A career goals essay is generally used in three situations:

• When applying to a school or college
• When applying for a scholarship to fund education
• When applying for a new job

It allows the reader to better understand your personality and fully appreciate why you are making the application.

Career goals essays help admissions staff and hiring managers to select the ideal candidates for a position.

What Should a Career Goals Essay Contain?

A little backstory.

This essay is an opportunity for you to allow your personality and experiences to shine, so avoid generic statements.

The document should be personal and concisely describe your life experiences.

You should explain why you have chosen this career path.

If there was a pivotal moment in your life that led you to this application, be sure to highlight it.

Outline Your Goals

The main focus of the essay should be your goals for the future.

Readers want to see that you are ambitious and driven, with a genuine passion for the role or course you are applying for.

These career goals should be split into your short-term goals (looking over the next one to three years) and your long-term goals (which might look as far as 10 years into the future).

Show How This Application Will Help You Reach Your Goals

Critically, your career goals essay must show how this degree or job will help you achieve your goals .

If your long-term goal is to become a veterinary surgeon, studying a veterinary medicine program will obviously be essential.

However, your goal may be more nuanced than that. For example, you might want to become an expert in a particular piece of technology or software. Your application must show how your success in this role will enable you to become an industry leader.

This will also emphasize to the reader that you have done your research and understand the skills required for that particular sector.

You will have likely submitted a CV and covering letter at other points throughout the application process.

Remember, your career goals essay should complement these documents rather than repeat them.

This letter allows you to expand on the points mentioned in the earlier documents, aligning your previous experience with your goals for the future.

If you are writing a career goals essay as part of an application for a new job, be sure to refer back to the job description and person specification.

These documents highlight the exact type of individual the employer is searching for, so be sure your career goals essay matches the content in them.

Most career goals essays will be submitted via email, so an appropriate title is essential.

‘The Career Goals of [Name]’ isn’t a title that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Don’t forget, whether you are applying to a school or an employer, the reader will have the job of sifting through hundreds, if not thousands, of applications .

Where candidates have very similar experiences and education, their creativity and personality will be used to make the final decision.

Example titles:

How a Digital Marketing Degree Will Allow Me to Support Sustainable Businesses

How My Next Role in Nursing Will Help Me Help Others

An Introduction

Your introduction should set the theme for the essay, and crucially, outline your why .

Many candidates find the introduction the most challenging part of the essay to write. Therefore, it often makes the most sense to write it last.

Your introduction should be an honest and personable account of why you have chosen this field of study.

Starting with a generic opening paragraph will not inspire or motivate your reader. Stay away from phrases such as “I have wanted to be a lawyer ever since I was a little girl.”

This sentence tells the reader very little about your current aspirations.

It can also damage your integrity, as we all know most small children dream of being a movie star or astronaut before the job of lawyer ever springs to mind.

Example introduction:

Most individuals in the US are lucky enough to never need the law to protect them. However, many fail to see how the intricate details of the constitution support their life every day. I have a particular fascination with criminal law after being introduced to the field by a family friend. The monumental impact a lawyer can have on the life and welfare of an individual truly astounded me, and I have spent the years since investigating the effects of the American legal system. This is why I have tailored my education so far to prepare me for a legal career. I work every day on developing my research and analytical ability, and now feel ready to dedicate myself fully to the legal field.

School-Specific Content

Admissions staff, tutors and hiring managers want to know that their applicants have done their research.

You can show them that you have done yours by adding a small paragraph straight after your introduction showing why you chose this school to study at or this company to work for.

First example of school-specific content:

[Insert company name] has an incredible global reputation, with clients in every continent. I can see that staff retention rates are incredibly high, indicating strong career opportunities and the prospect of continuous development. The company values show that diversity and integrity are of the utmost importance, and I would love the opportunity to work for an organization whose principles align with my own.

Second example of school-specific content:

[Insert school name] is well known for producing the highest caliber of graduates, with an excellent global reputation. The school leaderboards show that the grades from [insert school name] ranked within the top five in the country for the past 10 years. I would be proud to associate myself with an establishment that holds itself in such high regard and am thrilled at the prospect of learning alongside the best.

Your Long-term Vision

Remember, it is crucial you show why and how you are actively working towards these goals. For example, merely stating, 'My long-term goal is to become a lawyer with my own practice’ is worthless.

The reader wants to see how this goal aligns with your personality and why you have chosen this route.

The goals set out in this essay should be precise and meaningful .

Example of long-term vision:

Law is an area of study that affects us all. The law protects us, and I am fascinated by its impact on both an individual and global scale. Of course, I want to graduate with a top-class degree, but I am also passionate about the connections and network I will build along the way. My goal is to open my own practice one day, specializing in family law. At the moment, I volunteer in my local practice, gaining experience and building a network that will help me later in my career. I believe the combination of world-class education and hands-on legal experience will help me to achieve this ambitious long-term goal.

Your Short-term Vision

Next, it is crucial to discuss your short-term goals .

If you're applying to school, your short-term goals will explain what you aim to achieve throughout the degree or program.

For a job application, these goals will outline your targets for your first year in the role.

Example of short-term vision:

In the short term, my goal is to build a network in the legal sector. I have already begun doing this through my weekly volunteering role. However, this degree will undoubtedly allow me to meet a much broader spectrum of people. I am excited to curate this network with a range of legal specialists, from students at the start of their careers to tutors with many years of experience in the industry.

The Conclusion

As with any essay, your conclusion should summarize what you have discussed throughout.

You should not throw in any new ideas, subjects or theories at this point. Otherwise, it indicates to the reader that you have not cohesively written the essay.

Your conclusion should be about the same length as the introduction, mentioning your final goals and the name of the establishment you are applying to.

You must outline again why you want to work for this company or study at this school. Using a statistic or fact will show that you have conducted thorough research.

Example conclusion:

I am immensely excited to begin my experience with [insert school name]. Ultimately, this education will allow me to fulfill my dreams of becoming a lawyer and one day opening my own practice. I will bring hard work, determination and enthusiasm to the law school, never forgetting why I began this journey.

Vague or Weak Statements

Every sentence in your essay should be specific to you.

For example, statements such as ‘I want to study medicine because it will allow me to get a good job’ does not show the reader that you are passionate or enthusiastic about this position.

Discussing Financial Remuneration

Whether the essay is aimed at a prospective employer or a college admissions office, they want to see why you want the position personally.

Someone solely focused on the financial rewards will likely not have longevity in the career.

Controversial Topics

Of course, there will be times where politics and current affairs are relevant to the discussion.

However, showing a one-sided argument that doesn’t align with the readers can alienate your application before you even begin.

A career goals essay is an opportunity for your personality to shine through. It isn’t a test of who has the best grades or the most experience , but a chance to show how this job or degree can change your life.

Although the reader is excited to hear about your goals, they are more interested in how this role links to your ambitions.

Be sure to constantly reflect upon how obtaining a place on this course, or securing the job role, is intrinsically linked to your goals.

A word limit is often applied to career goal essays. Where there is no limit, be sure to write no more than 1,000 words.

This piece should be concise and to the point, showing the reader you can effectively convey your thoughts and ideas.

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

Or explore the Jobs & Careers / Career Planning sections.

• Online MBA Program Curriculum
• Online Student Experience
• College of Business Faculty
• Explore MBA Careers
• How to Apply
• International Applicants
• Online Community
• About The College of Business
• Career Resources

Get Program Details

Tips for mba applicants: the short-term and long-term goals essay.

When you're applying for a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) program , the short-term and long-term goals essay is an essential element of your application. Effective creation of this essay requires a clear strategy, covering all the subtle nuances of a successful response. This is your opportunity to convey to the admissions board, intelligently and succinctly, your top-notch qualifications, your future vision, and your goals as a successful business leader. Perhaps most importantly, you must elucidate why their MBA program is the perfect one to help you reach your highest aspirations.

Read on to learn expert tips for crafting a compelling short-term and long-term goals essay that details your aspirations as an MBA student and a successful leader.

What Is the Short-Term and Long-Term Goals Essay?

The specific wording of the short-term and long-term goals essay request may vary from one graduate program to another, but all MBA admissions teams rely on this essay to help determine if you’re a good match for their program. You will be asked to explain why the MBA program to which you’re applying is essential for achieving your career goals. In many cases, the essay requirement includes several questions; you must carefully consider all of them and address all of them within your essay.

The questions you’ll see in the MBA short-term and long-term goals essay request are likely to include:

• Why did you select this MBA program?
• How do you envision this MBA program further transforming your personal and professional growth?
• What professional benefits do you hope to attain from this MBA program?
• How do you envision your post-MBA future?
• What are your short-term professional goals?
• What are your long-term professional goals?
• How will this MBA program help you achieve your short-term and long-term goals?

To answer such specific questions thoroughly, you need a clearly defined sense of self-worth: an honest view of your personal qualifications, skills, experiences, and aspirations. You also need detailed thought and communication skills. Convincing the admissions team that you are an ideal candidate requires a concise, compelling response.

Drafting the Short-Term and Long-Term Goals Essay

In order to define your short- and long-term professional goals, you must have a specific understanding of the differences between them:

Short-term professional goals help define where you envision yourself immediately after attaining your graduate degree. They offer precise indications of your intended career path, including your preferred type of industry, company, role, skills, and responsibilities.

Long-term professional goals describe how you envision your career development well into the future, perhaps 20 or more years beyond graduate school.

Gather the important materials that detail your professional history: your CV, current or previous work evaluations, awards, certificates, and letters of recommendation. Use these materials to identify your unique professional strengths, skills, past experiences, and goals.

Carefully build a list of reasons for applying to the MBA program you've selected. Examine the program's published literature, keeping a keen eye out for specified educational outcomes that are closely aligned with your personal and professional goals.

Now it's time to draft your short-term and long-term goals essay. You're well prepared, armed with a full complement of information about your own strengths and those of the program to which you’re applying . Without regard for sentence length or structure, answer every essay question as fully and clearly as possible. Consult your documents for appropriate wording, titles, dates, and other important details. Brainstorm every idea and put it in writing. The resulting paragraphs will be your rough draft, which you’ll now set out to polish.

Refining the Short-Term and Long-Term Goals Essay

Start refining the paragraphs into concise, compelling statements that speak directly to the point. It’s important to set an optimistic tone from the start. Express yourself confidently, decisively, and clearly. Weave appropriate examples into your short-term and long-term goals essay, taking care to answer the questions fully, without exceeding word-count limits.

Use these five tips to craft an impressive, persuasive essay:

Immediately Command the Reader's Attention Begin with compelling statements describing your long-term professional goals and summarizing how your past experiences inform your vision of the future. Provide a synopsis of your strongest achievements and explain how they inspire your MBA goals.

Convey the Significance of Your Goals Widen the context of your goals by explaining why they are important to you and how achieving them will serve a greater good. Emphasize your analytical skills by identifying a problem you wish to solve in your career, and describing the benefits that may result.

Highlight Your Qualifications Promote yourself as the ideal person to achieve your long-term goals. Discuss your passion for success, detailing your relevant professional skills, specific work experiences, and related achievements. Summarize how your unique history and qualifications inspire and qualify you as the right person to achieve your post-MBA professional aspirations.

Discuss Your Program-Specific Goals Focus on the opportunities offered by this MBA program: the knowledge and skills you hope to develop, faculty members with whom you hope to study, local internship and employment that this program can help you pursue, and so on—all items that are unique to this MBA program, rather than common to many. Discuss your ambitions for expanding and strengthening particular skills during your time in the program. Detail ways in which you plan to utilize the unique benefits which your chosen program can provide.

Conclude With a Call to Action Your concluding paragraph should discuss the ways this MBA program will help accelerate your professional growth. Discuss your short-term goals by describing your immediate, post-graduation career plans and the ways in which they’ll empower you to reach your long-term goals. End your short-term and long-term goals essay with a confident call to action, requesting admission based on your clearly defined passion, personal qualifications and aptitude for successfully realizing your professional goals.

Make your goals your reality

Develop your business acumen, enhance your global perspective, and build a lifelong network in CSUMB’s Responsible Business Online MBA program . The entirely online curriculum offers in-depth experiences across the full spectrum of business administration, delivered with the flexibility to fit your schedule.

Take the first step toward the success you envision. Schedule an appointment with one of our Admissions Advisors today.

Return to Blog

California State University, Monterey Bay has engaged Everspring , a leading provider of education and technology services, to support select aspects of program delivery.

What Are Short-Term Career Goals? (With 12 Examples)

Short-term career goals are professional goals set to be achieved in the near future, like within the next day, week or month. They are often used to help advance your career and move you toward a long-term career goal .

Short-Term Goal Definition

Short-term career goals are intended to be accomplished at a point in the near future, such as a day, week or month. Good short-term career goals advance your career and put you along the right path to achieve your long-term goals.

“A short-term goal should impact your day-to-day work and be easy to track and measure success,” said An Vu, chief marketing officer of Zynga’s Small Giant Games. 

For example, your short-term career goal could be to cut the average number of bugs in a software update by half. That goal is measurable and can be tracked. It would also positively affect your daily work.

Another might be to learn a new professional skill, which you can measure by taking a course and receiving a completion certificate.

In any case, short-term goals serve as the roadmap that takes you from where you are to where you want to be.

Short-Term Career Goal Examples

• Determine what you want out of your career
• Expand your professional network
• Find a mentor
• Take a step toward improving writing and speaking
• Take on an extra project
• Gain cross-functional experience
• Learn a new concept
• Improve industry knowledge 
• Update resume and LinkedIn profile
• Transition to a new industry or field
• Get promoted
• Find a new job

Why Are Short-Term Career Goals Important?

Setting short-term goals is crucial even if you are not sure of which direction you want your career to move toward, said Iteeah Pounds, internship and co-op program and operations manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Short-term goals help guard against getting passed over for the opportunities you want, said B.J. Engelhardt, senior director of career services at Illinois Institute of Technology. Short-term career goals also help determine which skill sets to build upon and get you to where you want to be, he added.

Career goals are also far-reaching and should be reflected as you create your annual goals and discuss them with your manager during your one-on-one sessions, said Aliza Carpio, technical evangelist director at Autodesk. By taking this step, you declare for yourself and for your team where you want to be in the not-so-distant future. 

“The more you achieve your short-term goals, the closer you are to your long-term goals,” Carpio said. “The more you declare your long-term goals, the easier it is for you to determine your short-term goals.”

How to Set Short-Term Career Goals

There’s no one right way to set a short-term career goal.

“I think people can often run into decision paralysis in trying to define,  prioritize [and set] the right goals,” Vu said. “What’s more important is to actually begin putting your intentions into action — any short-term goal that moves you in the general direction of where you want to be is a viable step in your roadmap.”

Taking action not only builds personal momentum — it also unlocks new opportunities and routes that will ultimately lead to your intended destination, or perhaps even toward an option you hadn’t previously seen for yourself, she added.

Here are some actions you can take when setting short-term career goals:  

Find Accountability

Accountability is key, according to Gail Matthews, a psychologist and adjunct professor at the Dominican University of California.

In Matthews’ research , based on a survey of 149 participants who set various goals, it was the participants who shared their action plans with friends and updated them with weekly progress reports who accomplished the most.

“The positive effect of accountability was supported,” Matthews wrote. “Those who sent weekly progress reports to their friend accomplished significantly more than those who had unwritten goals, wrote their goals, formulated action commitments or sent those action commitments to a friend.”

Use the SMART Goals Template

Consider using a SMART goal format to set up your short-term goals. SMART goals are ones that are:

• M easurable
• A chievable
• T ime-Based

Visualize Your Short-Term Career Goal Set-Up

Organizing and prioritizing a number of short-term goals all at once may seem challenging, but Vu uses a workflow visualization kanban tool to map out her weekly, monthly and yearly goals.

“It helps to visualize everything,” Vu said. “Prioritizing from easiest to hardest often helps with deciding what to tackle first, unless there are deadlines, then you can plan your tasks according to schedule.”

Set Career Goals Through Journaling 

Frequently recording your thoughts in a journal is one way to set career goals, said Amber Roberson, vice president of sales at 3D printing manufacturer Carbon. 

Every year, Roberson takes a moment to reflect on the past year’s events. She reads through her journal to understand what happened and uses that information to make sure she’s still on track with her short-term goals, which in turn will help her to the next level.

When journaling, note if you’re having fun while you’re chasing your goals. Two months after setting goals, people who enjoyed pursuing their goal were more apt to continue that pursuit, reports the Harvard Business Review . 

Overall, as you set short-term goals, remember that life is unpredictable, said Sarah Sikowitz, director of career education and coaching at Harvard Business School’s Career and Professional Development department.

“We often get asked by our students and alumni, ‘I want to be X in 25 years, what are the exact steps that I should take to get there?’ It’s impossible to reverse engineer your career,” Sikowitz said. “You can’t know where life will take you.”

12 Examples of Short-Term Career Goals

Wondering where to start? Below, university career experts and executives, hiring managers and team leads from half a dozen tech companies offer advice for developing short-term career goals.  

1. Determine What You Want Out of Your Career

“Your first goal might be just to figure out what it is that you want to do for your career. You should reflect on what you’ve done up until this point, what are your likes and dislikes and you should talk to other people who are in the roles or industries you are interested in.”

— Iteeah Pounds, internship and co-op program and operations manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology

2. Expand Your Professional Network

“Networking builds up your connections, which in turn may yield a resource for potential mentors, and people who you can job shadow or do informational interviews with to explore career options, as well as to bounce ideas off of to formulate short term goals. Joining professional trade groups can help you expand your network, as well as committing to meeting six new people within the next six months.”

3. Find a Mentor

“Identify two or three people who exhibit exactly the thing that your long-term goal represents who could be your mentor . When you talk to that person, it’s really important to ask them for very tactical tips. You can say ‘I’m specifically interested in your expertise or skill in X,Y or Z. Can you tell me when you were starting out on this journey, what were a couple of things that you did early on that helped you get where you are today?’ Make your questions really tactical and specific so the person can give you the right tips.”

— Yasmin Kothari, product lead at Asana

4. Take a Step Toward Improving Writing and Speaking

“When I was an engineer, I realized that delivering my work product on time wasn’t enough to get to the next level. I saw that having a good command of the written and spoken word was something I had to practice and master. English is not my first or second language and in college, when you major in a STEM field, practicing communication skills wasn’t what got you the ‘A.’ But, once you are working with business partners and peers, having awesome communication skills differentiates you from others. In the beginning, I watched a lot of TED talks and tutorials on YouTube. I created a framework for how good storytellers and online instructors communicated, which I use today and share with others.”

— Aliza Carpio, technical evangelist director at Autodesk

5. Take on an Extra Project

“I worked at a mobile game startup where I quickly moved up from intern to marketing manager. During my three years at this startup, I took on as many responsibilities as I could manage and made the effort to become proficient until I could build my professional capacity. Establishing my ability to accomplish basic tasks inspired confidence in others to provide more opportunities for me to engage meaningfully in the work. The short-term goals were learning experiences that built my capacity and established my credibility among peers which led to greater opportunities.”

— An Vu, chief marketing officer of Zynga’s Small Giant Games

6. Gain Cross-Functional Experience

“During the first five years of my career, I had great responsibilities as an individual contributor but no leadership experience. So as a way to gain that, I took on small projects that had touchpoints cross-functionally. You start to build a coalition of people around you who will support your ideas and promote them and also lend their skills and time to advance the goals that you have laid out.”

— Julie Lemieux, vice president of product experience at Sigma

7. Learn a New Concept

“Shifting from engineering to product was a big deal because I didn’t have the traditional business or finance background or competency like so many other product managers. I had to invest time and effort in learning about business models, financial mechanics and metrics, stakeholder management and research methodologies. I took online business courses and went to a local community college to learn basic finance. I also immersed myself in design thinking practice, which allowed me to become a design thinking coach for startups and use this practice in my daily work.”

8. Improve Industry Knowledge

“When I started at Asana, I knew that I really wanted to become an expert in the productivity tools space and an expert in the problems our enterprise users face. My teams are ultimately responsible for a lot of the retention and engagement of enterprise users. So, in the first few months, I made a short-term career goal to listen to at least one customer call in this space per week and at least one enterprise customer call per week. I also made it a goal to read through 10 random Net Promoter Score survey responses a week. Making that measurable and doable goal very early on was really helpful for me to understand the user and be very attuned to their needs and hear it from their own mouths. These short-term goals help my longer-term goal to become one of the world’s foremost experts and thinkers on how we can solve productivity problems for enterprise clients, organizations and teams.”

9. Update Resume and LinkedIn Profile

“Make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are updated and ready to go. This way, when you want to connect with people who are in an area that you want to further explore they will want to connect with you. They can see that you know what you’re looking for.”

10. Transition to a New Industry Or Field 

“I was in G.E. Healthcare and I wanted to make the transition to G.E. Aviation. I was really interested in some of the technologies that were coming out of aviation and was doing a lot of interesting things in digital aviation and 3D printing. I started networking with people in that particular business unit who were in my area of sales. Lo and behold, the networking that initially was self-serving actually ended up being very beneficial to my current business unit and we found all these amazing synergies that we weren’t exploring.”

— Amber Roberson, vice president of sales at Carbon

11. Get Promoted

“Getting a promotion is a very common short-term goal, where you say I want to be promoted into the role above me. If that’s your short-term goal, you need to figure out what you need to do to get promoted into that role, whether it’s through an annual performance review, your own volition, and set goals for yourself to achieve that promotion and record what you’re doing to service those goals you’ve set for yourself.”

— Sarah Sikowitz, director of career education and coaching at Harvard Business School’s Career and Professional Development department

12. Find a New Job

“If your short-term career goal is to do a major jump in your role, more times than not it’s actually easier to leave a company and go somewhere else to do that. If you think about it, if you’re doing very well where you are working, sometimes you’re kind of typecast and thought of for a certain level. I was a director at one company and wanted to be a vice president of engineering. Sometimes it’s easier to sell yourself somewhere else. A recruiter contacted me on behalf of the CEO at Interleaf and I became a VP of development.”

— Steph Bacon, senior director of portfolio strategy at Red Hat

Great Companies Need Great People. That's Where We Come In.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Professions & Career — Career Goals

Career Goals Essay Examples

Career goals essay topic examples, argumentative essays.

Argumentative career goals essays require you to present and defend a viewpoint or strategy related to your professional aspirations. Consider these topic examples:

• 1. Argue why pursuing higher education, such as a master's degree, is essential for achieving your long-term career goals.
• 2. Defend your perspective on whether adaptability or specialization is more important in today's ever-changing job market.

Example Introduction Paragraph for an Argumentative Career Goals Essay: The journey toward achieving our career goals often involves important decisions. In this essay, I will argue that pursuing a master's degree is not only personally fulfilling but also a strategic step toward realizing my long-term career aspirations in [your chosen field].

Example Conclusion Paragraph for an Argumentative Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the argument for pursuing a master's degree underscores the significance of advanced education in shaping our professional futures. As we contemplate our career paths, we are challenged to make choices that align with our ultimate goals.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast career goals essays involve analyzing the differences and similarities between various career paths, industries, or strategies for achieving your goals. Consider these topics:

• 1. Compare and contrast the career trajectories of professionals in two different fields, highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities each path offers.
• 2. Analyze the differences and similarities between pursuing entrepreneurship and working in a corporate environment to achieve your career goals.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Career Goals Essay: The pursuit of career goals often involves making informed choices about our professional paths. In this essay, we will compare and contrast the career trajectories of professionals in [Field A] and [Field B], shedding light on the challenges and opportunities each path presents.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the comparison and contrast of career trajectories in [Field A] and [Field B] reveal the diverse avenues available for achieving our goals. As we navigate our career choices, we are encouraged to explore the unique advantages each path offers.

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive career goals essays enable you to vividly depict your envisioned career, highlighting the responsibilities, impact, and personal fulfillment it offers. Here are some topic ideas:

• 1. Describe your ideal job in detail, emphasizing the specific role, responsibilities, and the positive contributions you aim to make.
• 2. Paint a detailed portrait of the work culture and environment you aspire to be a part of in your future career.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Descriptive Career Goals Essay: Our career goals are often shaped by our dreams and aspirations. In this essay, I will immerse you in the vivid details of my ideal job, showcasing the role, responsibilities, and the sense of purpose it offers on my journey toward professional fulfillment.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Descriptive Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the descriptive exploration of my ideal job underscores the importance of aligning our career goals with our aspirations. As we envision our professional futures, we are inspired to pursue opportunities that resonate with our passions and values.

Persuasive Essays

Persuasive career goals essays involve convincing your audience of the importance of a specific career path or the value of setting ambitious goals. Consider these persuasive topics:

• 1. Persuade your readers that pursuing a career in [your chosen field] will contribute significantly to societal progress and innovation.
• 2. Argue for the inclusion of career development programs in educational institutions to empower students in defining and pursuing their career goals.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Persuasive Career Goals Essay: Our career choices have the potential to impact not only our lives but also society as a whole. In this persuasive essay, I will present a compelling case for the societal importance of pursuing a career in [your chosen field] and the need for educational institutions to support students in their career aspirations.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Persuasive Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the persuasive argument for the societal value of careers in [your chosen field] emphasizes the transformative impact individuals can have on society. As we contemplate our career journeys, we are urged to consider the broader implications of our choices.

Narrative Essays

Narrative career goals essays allow you to share personal stories or experiences related to your career aspirations and the journey toward achieving them. Explore these narrative essay topics:

• 1. Narrate a personal experience that shaped your career goals and ignited your passion for [your chosen field].
• 2. Share a story of overcoming obstacles and setbacks on your path to realizing your long-term career aspirations.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Career Goals Essay: Our career goals are often inspired by personal experiences and pivotal moments. In this narrative essay, I will take you on a journey through a defining experience that ignited my passion for [your chosen field], shaping my career aspirations and determination to succeed.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the narrative of my journey toward realizing my career goals underscores the resilience and determination required to overcome obstacles. As we reflect on our own experiences, we are reminded that our career aspirations are within reach with dedication and perseverance.

10 Most Popular Career Goals Essay Topics in 2024

• Adapting Career Aspirations in the Age of Automation and AI
• The Role of Personal Branding in Achieving Career Success
• Navigating Career Changes: Strategies for Lifelong Learning
• Empowering Career Goals: The Impact and Importance of Scholarships
• The Impact of Globalization on Career Opportunities and Choices
• Mentorship's Role in Shaping Future Leaders and Professionals
• Success: The Importance of Setting Career Goals
• The Impact of Cultural Influences on Career Goals and Aspirations
• The Importance of Work-Life Balance in Career Planning
• Entrepreneurship as a Career Goal: Opportunities and Challenges

Ptcas Reflection: Physical Therapy Programs

Becoming a registered nurse, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Why I Want to Go to College

The hopes and challenges in achieving career goals, building of my personal leadership plan, my desire to continue learning computer engineering, let us write you an essay from scratch.

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Believe in Myself to Achieve Your Goals

Law – a career i want to pursue, a journey to achieve my career goals, planning of my career path, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

What is My Foremost Dream in Life

My ambitions to be a financial advisor, my personal goals and success plan, my career plan to succeed in marketing, my goal to pursue a masters degree in human resource management program, an overview of my business career plan, my further career goals: nurse and science tutor, my motivation for pursuing a career in the film industry, my personal objectives and my career goals, my dedication towards management and marketing to become a successful businessman, my goal to succeed as a doctor, why i chose the clinical psychology psyd program, it passion: the reasons of why i chose it industry, paving the way to my future career trajectory, analysis of the three types of goals in my life, i choose the medical career to help people, career research and career goal: college admission paper, my goal of studying and working in domestic marketing, being good at something doesn't mean you should make it your job, my career and education plans to become a chef, the pursuit of a degree as a special education teacher, relevant topics.

• Dream Career
• Personal Experience

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Bibliography

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Our Clients
• Tips & Advice
• Client Login
• Request Consultation

How to Get the Adcom Excited About Your MBA Career Goals Essay Plus an Example

In last week’s article, we provided some tips to ensure the short-term goals you share in your MBA career goals essay will resonate with the admissions committee. We shared that your post-MBA goals should be specific, realistic, and logical. This is all true, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. While a strong short-term MBA career goal will demonstrate to the admissions committee that you understand the type of companies that hire out of their program, it won’t get them excited about having you as part of their incoming class. This is where the long-term component of your MBA career goals essay comes in. By long-term MBA career goals, we mean your end game – where you see yourself at the pinnacle of your career. 

Don’t think small or hold back here, it’s ok to be ambitious. Top MBA programs aren’t looking for people who are afraid or unable to dream big. Exactly the opposite – they want to educate the next generation of leaders who will leave an indelible mark on the world. Intimidated? We get it! However, with some deep reflection, research and soul searching, we know your dream job is out there (or maybe it isn’t yet and your plan is to create it – that’s fine too!).

So that’s the big picture. Here are some guiding principles to use as you think about your long-term MBA career goals. At the end of this article, we’re also sharing a strong MBA career goals essay example from a past client that really puts our advice into practice.

1) Your Future Should Connect to Your Past

A great place to start when brainstorming your long-term career goals is with your past. Think about situations – whether early in life, in college, or throughout your career – where you’ve felt truly fulfilled or energized. What was it about these situations that made you feel this way? Is there a common thread between them?

As an example, perhaps in college you built a new campus organization from the ground up and loved the sense of ownership you had during the experience. Fast forward to your current job, perhaps the most exciting project you’ve been involved with was helping your company enter a new market or launch a new product. The connection I see between these two things is an entrepreneurial spirit, which is something that could absolutely factor into your ultimate career goal.

Beyond a linkage to your underlying passions or motivations, your long-term goal should have a more tactical connection to your past. It’s hard to make the case that you want to pursue a certain path if you haven’t had even a touch of exposure to it in the past. For instance, if your pre-MBA career is in investment banking, it would be hard to justify a long-term goal as the founder of a nonprofit (unless another part of your background is heavily social impact focused).

Said simply, there has to be a solid ‘why’ driving your long-term goal that the adcom will understand within the confines of your application and specifically within your MBA career goals essay.

2) You Don’t Have to Reinvent the Wheel

A common concern I work through with clients is how to differentiate themselves if their long-term career goals are ‘typical’. For instance, someone who followed the investment banking / private equity pre-MBA career path and wants to remain in the private equity space throughout their career.

Rest assured that targeting a finance career (or consulting, etc.) is ok! Remember that large portions of the graduates from top MBA programs go these ‘typical’ routes (see statistics at the far right of this table ) and a notable amount of them remain there for the long haul. Clearly the adcom is amenable to these goals.

I do, however, encourage my clients to make these types of goals ‘their own’.  Each of these careers has numerous areas of specialization, whether that be an industry focus, investing philosophy, etc. By identifying one about which you are passionate, rooted in past work or personal experience, makes the goal more unique and interesting.

If not an industry specialty, perhaps you are passionate about a certain leadership philosophy (like Ray Dalio, a Harvard Business School graduate, and his ‘idea meritocracy’) or a cause that could be tied in with your future career ambitions. The key, if you are targeting one of the more common post-MBA careers (and even if you aren’t, quite frankly), is to put your personal spin on the goal and tie it in with the values and passions that make you who you are.       

3) Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day – Your Career Goals Shouldn’t Be Either

As I said earlier, arriving at authentic, well developed long-term MBA career goals is hard – and that’s exactly why it matters to the admissions committees at top MBA programs. I find that many applicants rush to a conclusion about ‘what they want to be when they grow up’ without enough self-reflection and end up with a goal that is run of the mill and uninspiring.

Take the time to research where MBAs that have gone into your field of interest have ended up 10 to 20 years after graduation. Read about business leaders you admire and the path they followed to get where they are. Last and most important, network with alums of your target programs that have gone into your field of interest.  These things will get your wheels turning and help you develop a compelling narrative for your application, while inspiring you to set and achieve lofty goals.  

An MBA Career Goals Essay Example

To help put theory into practice, below is a career goals essay example from one of our past clients that does a particularly good job of incorporating the advice we’ve shared in this and last week’s article.

Prompt (Columbia Business School) : Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)

As a first-generation immigrant to the US, I was raised on the principle of investing in the future. My parents gave up their life in <country> to invest in better education and career opportunities in the US for me and my sister. When I moved to New York and struggled to learn English in 6th grade, I spent two months of my allowance on several pocket-size notebooks and pens that I carried around to jot down unfamiliar words that I would later look up in the dictionary. This habit earned me a few jeers on the playground, but I knew the long-term pay-off – mastering the English language – would be worth it.

This long-term lens continues to shape my career. At <Company>, I have stepped up to become the biomass industry lead analyst because I believe in the potential of the industry to be one of the long-term environmental solutions for carbon emission. I was particularly excited to lead a meeting in 2019 with a multi-billion dollar <Client> to share my biomass industry analysis, helping drive their investment in sustainable energy infrastructure. However, given the scope of credit rating analysis, I often find myself disappointed that I have no stake in the investment decision outcome. I want to be in a position to directly invest in companies that have a positive long-term impact. As such, I want to become an investment manager focusing in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing, which targets responsible investing opportunities.

In the next 3 – 5 years after CBS, I plan to work as a research associate for an asset manager or investment fund that has an ESG focus, such as Neuberger Berman or PIMCO. I hope to convert my summer internship into a full-time position at one of these funds, as did <Name> (’20). My goal as a research associate is to leverage my investing skills and application of ESG concepts garnered from my Columbia MBA, the Value Investing program and the Three Cairns Climate Fellowship in particular, to lead teams in crafting investment portfolios that meet the long-term investment objectives of ESG investors. From managing the entire investment process, I’ll understand every aspect that is factored into an investment decision, strengthening my analytical acumen and ultimately growing my network and reputation in the ESG investing community that will help me achieve my dream goal.

My dream job is to be the founder and CEO of a global ESG-focused investment fund that manages the entire ESG investment process in-house – from formulating the top-down ESG selection process to executing on the investment decisions – as most funds either offer ESG as one of many investment options or largely depend on third party analytics as an input to their ESG investment decisions. This tailored in-house investment approach would offer much-needed transparency, enabling investors and stakeholders to monitor the impact that their investments are making. From my personal experience, I fully understand what it means to “invest in the next generation”, and I firmly believe that ESG is a powerful way for investors to focus beyond monetary return.

Need help applying this advice to your own situation? We would love to help. Click here to schedule an initial consultation. 

Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.

MBA Career Goals – Crafting a Compelling Short-Term Vision

Older mba applicant here are some tips so that your age doesn’t hold you back, no comments, post a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Kick-Off Call Game Planning

Customized application strategy, career goal exploration & refinement.

With optional career chat with a post-MBA professional

Personal Brand & Story Development

Strengths & weaknesses analysis, resume strategy & review.

With Access to a Full Library of Successful Examples

School Research & Selection

Recommender strategy & review, essay strategy & review, application form review, test run with former m7 adcom, submit applications, video enabled mock interview & debrief, hear back from schools.

120 Long-Term Career Goals Examples (Copy and Paste)

In this article, I’m going to show you how to set long-term career goals that will impress your boss, your professor, or, well, even yourself.

The method we’re going to use to structure our goals is the SMART framework . This is an acronym that provides a clear and objective set of criteria for planning and achieving goals. 

SMART refers to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals. Each letter stands for a different aspect of the goal-setting process:

• Specific simply means clear and well-defined. Goals ought to be formulated clearly with no room for ambiguity.
• Measurable signifies that every goal should have criteria to assess progress or accomplishment.
• Achievable refers to the feasibility of the goal. Goals need to be realistic and attainable to sustain momentum. It means crafting a goal that you’re capable of reaching.
• Relevant speaks to the goal’s alignment with broader objectives. For any goal to be worthwhile, it needs to contribute positively toward broader objectives.
• Time-bound refers to setting a target date or deadline. This will create a sense of urgency and a deadline workload. Without a designated timeframe, goals can keep getting pushed back or forgotten.

So, let’s dig into some long-term career goals you can cut-and-paste, edit, and use as you will, to get on your path to success.

Long-Term Career Goals Examples

1. Managerial Position Earn a promotion to a managerial role within the organization in 3-5 years.

2. Certification Accomplishment Achieve a high-level professional certification in your field within 2 years.

3. Master’s Degree Enroll in and complete a Master’s degree relevant to your field in the next 4-6 years.

See Also: Long-Term Goals for Students

4. Salary Increase Negotiate a salary increase of 25% within the next 3 years.

5. Networking Growth Increase professional network by 50% via active participation in industry events over the next 2 years.

6. Expert Status Publish at least five articles in reputable industry journals to establish expertise within the next 10 years.

7. Promotion Achieve a senior level position in the company within 5 years.

See More 5-Year Goals Examples Here

8. Business Ventures Launch a self-started entrepreneurial venture within the next 10 to 15 years.

9. Successful Projects Lead and successfully complete five projects within the next 5 years.

10. Work-life Balance Secure a role with flexible working hours and/or remote work options within the next 2 years.

11. International Exposure Obtain a position that provides international travel opportunities within 5 years.

12. Skill Enhancement Acquire and demonstrate proficiency in two new work-related skills within the next 2 years.

13. Workshop Facilitation Plan, organize, and facilitate three professional development workshops for colleagues or juniors within the next 3 years.

14. Efficiency Improvement Implement a strategy that improves operational efficiency by at least 20% within the next 4 years.

15. Award Recognition Earn professional recognition via an industry award or commendation within the next five years. 

16. Mentorship Become a mentor to at least 2 junior colleagues in your field over the next 3 years.

See Also: 101 Mentorship Goals Examples

17. Leadership Skills Undergo a leadership training program and implement new strategies in your work within 2 years.

18. Employee Engagement Develop and execute a successful initiative to increase employee engagement by 20% over the next 2 years.

19. Operational efficiency Reduce operation costs by 10% within the next 5 years.

20. Minimizing Turnover Implement strategies to reduce staff turnover by 15% in the next 3 years.

21. New Market Lead the company’s expansion into a new geographical market within the next 5 years.

22. Innovation Develop and patent an invention or process within your field over the next 10 years.

Read Also: 10 Year Goals Examples

23. Enhanced Productivity Increase personal productivity by 30% within the next 3 years.

24. Network Expansion Add 100 new professional contacts to your network in the next 2 years.

25. Public Speaking Deliver a keynote speech at a major conference within the next 5 years.

26. Technical Skills Master three new technical skills relevant to your work within 2 years.

27. Client Base Increase client base by 20% within the next 3 years.

28. Client Retention Improve client retention rate by 15% over the next 3 years.

29. Revenue Goals Exceed annual revenue goals by 10% each year for the next 5 years.

30. Cross-Functional Skills Work on a cross-functional team project within the next 2 years.

31. Sustainability Goals Implement a sustainability initiative in your workplace resulting in a 20% reduction in energy consumption over the next 4 years.

32. Further Education Complete a part-time, job-related continuing education course within the next 2 years.

33. New Languages Become proficient in a new language relevant to your industry within the next 3 years.

34. Sales Targets Exceed sales targets by 15% within the next year.

35. Vendor Relations Develop partnerships with 5 new high-quality vendors within the next 2 years.

36. Performance Metrics Consistently meet or surpass performance goals over the next 4 quarters.

37. Cost-cutting Propose and implement a cost-cutting strategy that saves the company 10% of its annual costs within the next 2 years.

38. Growth Initiatives Lead a new growth initiative that expands the business by 15% within the next 2 years.

39. Employee Training Conduct job-specific training for at least 10 team members within the next year.

40. Efficiency Improvement Successfully improve team efficiency by 20% within the next 2 years.

Long-Term Career Goals for Teachers

41. Curriculum Revision Collaboratively revise and update the department’s curriculum over the next 3 years to better align with changing educational standards.

42. Special Education Certification Enroll in and successfully complete special education certification within the next 5 years.

43. Increased Parent Engagement Implement strategies to increase parent-teacher meeting attendance by 50% in the next 2 years.

44. Classroom Technology Integrate at least three new pieces of educational technology into the classroom within the next year for enhanced learning experiences .

45. Student Exam Performance Increase student exam pass rate by 10% over the next 2 years through effective teaching strategies .

46. Peer-reviewed Publication Publish at least 3 articles in peer-reviewed journals in your specialized teaching field over the course of the next 5 years.

47. Extracurricular Initiate an extracurricular club or activity within your area of expertise in the next academic year.

48. Student Feedback Improve student satisfaction scores by 20% over the next 3 years.

49. Teaching Styles Learn and apply two new teaching methods to diversify instruction within the next 2 years.

50. Literacy Rates Improve the reading level of your class by 15% within the first 2 years using targeted literary strategies.

51. Grants Write and receive approval for at least two educational grants within 5 years to fund classroom projects or resources.

52. International Conference Present a paper at an international educational conference within the next 5 years.

53. Continuous Education Complete a specifically selected continuing education course every year for the next 3 years to enhance skills and keep current with teaching trends.

54. Teaching Award Strive to be nominated for a local, regional, or national teaching award within the next 10 years.

55. Advanced Degree If not yet obtained, plan for and enroll in an advanced degree program (like a Master’s or Doctorate in Education) within the next 5 years.

See More: List of Goals for Teachers

Long-Term Career Goals in Marketing

56. Campaign Success Achieve a 30% increase in campaign conversions over the next 2 years.

57. Enhance SEO Skills Master advanced SEO techniques and successfully implement them into marketing strategies within 3 years.

58. Industry Thought Leader Publish a marketing-related book and establish yourself as a thought leader within the next 10 years.

59. CMO Position Aspire to achieve the position of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) or equivalent within the next 10 years.

60. Brand Awareness Increase brand awareness by 25% in a new market within the next 3 years.

61. Social Media Presence Grow company’s social media following by 50% over the next 2 years.

62. Lead Generation Improve lead generation by 20% through targeted campaigns over the next 3 years.

63. Marketing Budget Secure a 15% increase in the marketing budget by demonstrating ROI from current campaigns within the next 2 years.

64. Data Analysis Gain proficiency in advanced data analytics to better inform marketing strategies over the next 3 years.

65. International Marketing Launch successful marketing campaigns in at least two new international markets within the next 5 years.

66. Client Portfolio Build a robust client portfolio with at least 5 major clients in your field within the next 5 years.

67. Product Launch Successfully lead a product launch with a 20% rate of conversion within the next 2 years.

68. Content Marketing Develop and implement a content marketing strategy that increases website traffic by 40% over the next 3 years.

69. Customer Retention Implement strategies enhancing customer retention by 10% within the next 2 years.

70. Market Share Increase company’s market share by 5% over a period of 5 years. 

Long-Term Career Goals for Nurses

71. Advanced Degree Obtain a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) within the next 5 years to further clinical competency.

72. Specialty Certification Gain certification in a nursing specialty (like Cardiac-Vascular Nursing or Pediatric Nursing) within the next 3 years.

73. Clinical Leadership Aspire to achieve a role in nursing leadership, such as department head, within the next 10 years.

74. Patient Education Develop a successful patient education program to increase adherence to treatment plans by 30% within the next 2 years.

75. Research Publication Conduct research and publish findings in a respected medical journal over the next 5 years.

76. Infection Rate Develop and implement strategies to reduce hospital-acquired infection rates by 20% within the next 2 years.

77. Mentorship Serve as a mentor for at least 3 new hires within the next 3 years.

78. Patient Comfort Improve patient comfort scores by 20% over the next 2 years.

79. Pain Management Implement a pain management protocol that reduces patient pain scores by 25% within the next 3 years.

80. Protocol Efficiency Propose and establish a more efficient triage protocol within 2 years.

81. End of Life Care Improvement Implement an end-of-life care program aiming to improve patient and family satisfaction scores by 30% within the next 5 years.

82. Disaster Preparedness Develop and deliver a hospital-wide disaster preparedness training program within the next 2 years.

83. Community Health Establish a community health initiative that reaches 1,000 individuals over the next 3 years.

84. Patient Recovery Decrease patient recovery time by 15% over the next 3 years through the implementation of enhanced post-operative protocols.

85. Continuing Education Engage in yearly continuing education to stay current with best practices in nursing care over the next 10 years.

Long-Term Career Goals for Leaders

86. Business Expansion Lead the company or department to an expansion of 30% over a period of 5 years.

87. Cultural Aspects Create and nurture a positive corporate culture that sees employee satisfaction rise by 25% in the next 3 years.

88. Succession Planning Develop a comprehensive succession planning process within the next 2 years to ensure leadership continuity.

89. Impactful Innovations Spearhead at least two major organizational innovations that significantly enhance its competitive position over the next 5 years.

90. Corporate Social Responsibility Establish a successful corporate social responsibility program that positively impacts the local community within the next 3 years.

91. Profitability Increase Through strategic leadership, increase company profitability by 20% within the next 5 years.

92. Team Productivity Enhance team productivity by 15% in the next 2 years through effective management and motivation techniques.

93. Leadership Development Establish a leadership development program within the organization that grooms at least 5 individuals for leadership roles within the next 5 years.

94. Crisis Management Develop and implement a comprehensive crisis management plan within the next 2 years.

95. Strategic Alliances Forge at least 3 strategic alliances that benefit company growth within the next 5 years.

96. Sustainable Practices Lead the company towards more sustainable practices, achieving designated sustainability metrics within the next 4 years.

97. Cost Efficiency Implement cost-saving measures that reduce overall operational costs by 20% over the next 5 years.

98. Employee Turnover Through effective leadership, reduce employee turnover by 15% in the next 3 years.

99. Company Reputation Improve the company’s reputation score by 30% within the next 5 years.

100. Leadership Traits Develop and demonstrate 3 new leadership skills over the next 2 years.

101. Employee Engagement Increase employee engagement rates by 25% within the next 3 years by implementing effective motivation strategies.

Long-Term Career Goals for Engineers

102. Project Management Role Progress to a project management role within the next 5 years to lead impactful engineering projects.

103. Patent Holder Develop and patent an invention or innovation in the next 10 years.

104. Quality Assurance Implement strategies that improve product quality by 30% over 5 years.

105. Continuing Education Complete an advanced degree or certification related to your field within the next 3 years.

106. Safety Standards Execute a safety initiative that reduces workplace incidents by 20% in the next 2 years.

107. Leadership Position Aspire to and achieve a leadership position, such as a Chief Engineering position, within the next 10 years.

108. Efficiency Improvement Develop a process or device that increases operational efficiency by 25% over the next 3 years.

109. Cost Reduction Lead a project that saves the company 20% in costs over the next 2 years.

110. Cross-Functional Teams Gain experience working in cross-functional teams within the next 3 years to understand broader business operations.

111. Green Technologies Lead initiatives to develop or adopt green technologies within projects over the next 5 years.

112. Robust Network Expand your professional network with 50 new contacts from engineering conferences or seminars within the next 2 years.

113. Technical Publication Publish results of a technical study in a respected engineering journal within the next 2 years.

114. Staff Training Design and implement a training course for junior staff in your specialty area within the next year.

115. Advanced Software Master an advanced new software relevant to your engineering field in the next 2 years.

116. Strong Mentorships Take on mentorship roles for 3 junior engineers within the next 3 years.

117. Speaker Engagement Be a keynote speaker at an engineering conference sharing insightful industry trends and knowledge within the next 5 years.

118. Performance Improvement Improve personal project performance metrics by 20% over the next 2 years.

119. Quality Standards Obtain an internationally recognized quality standard certification for your company’s product within the next 3 years.

120. Successful Initiatives Lead and successfully deliver five major initiatives within the next 5 years.

Once you’ve set these long-term career goals, it’s a good idea to create a series of short-term goals that will help you on your journey. If you’re headed into a self-performance review , bring both the long-term and intermediate goals you’ve set, and the actionable short-term career goals that help you get there, to really impress your boss.

Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones . Penguin.

Daw, N. D. (2015). Of goals and habits. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 112 (45), 13749-13750.

Donovan, J. J. (2008). Goal Setting: How to Create an Action Plan and Achieve Your Goals. Personnel Psychology , 61 (4), 931.

Doran, G. T. (1981). There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review.

Ehrlich, C., & Milston, S. (2021). Happiness through goal setting: A practical guide to reflect on and change the reasons why you pursue your most important goals in life . Routledge.

Hidayat, R., Moosavi, Z., & Hadisaputra, P. (2022). Achievement Goals, Well-Being and Lifelong Learning: A Mediational Analysis. International Journal of Instruction , 15 (1), 89-112.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2010). Work motivation and job satisfaction: Light at the end of the tunnel . Psychological Science.

Nordengren, C. (2021). Step Into Student Goal Setting: A Path to Growth, Motivation, and Agency . Corwin Press.

Nowack, K. (2017). Facilitating successful behavior change: Beyond goal setting to goal flourishing. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research , 69 (3), 153.

Wilson, S. B., & Dobson, M. S. (2008). Goal setting: How to create an action plan and achieve your goals . AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay

Annotated Bibliography

Application Essay

• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement
• Power Point Presentation
• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper

Research Paper

• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Short-Term and Long-Term Goals, Application Essay Example

Pages: 1

Words: 282

Hire a Writer for Custom Application Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

When I get my MBA degree, I hope to find a position as Business Development Manager in a reputable digital technology company. Thereafter I aim to advance to the position of Business Development VP in a company of the same type. Finally, my long-term goal is to assume a CEO position of a business unite on the global level where I will manage thousands of employees, generating annual revenues of millions of dollars.

As an Assistant to Head of Digital Marketing at ITP Publishing, I had an opportunity to effectively work with the Head who is a New York University MBA graduate. Since then, I have been inspired by his success and achievements. I found his experience similar to my career goals. Also, hearing about his New York University experiences led me to seriously consider the Part-Time MBA program at New York University as my next career step.

My discussions with New York University MBA alumni and students have helped me to realize that in order to successfully pursue and advance in my career in Business Development Management, I need to professionally grow in four major areas: operations management theory, the global economy, leadership in organizations, and hands-on experience. Having spoken with NYU MBA students, I got convinced that Part-Time MBA at NYU is the best way to achieve these short-term goals. Needless to say, after this, I will be able to pursue my long-term career goals. In addition, I hope that MBA at NYU will help me utilize knowledge gained at the University of San Francisco, CA through their multidisciplinary approach in teaching. Thus, my short-term goal is to create as much potential as possible for attaining my long-term goals in future.

Stuck with your Application Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Chinese American and Japanese American Culture, Research Paper Example

Vocational Education, Annotated Bibliography Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Application Essay Samples & Examples

Masters in diplomacy, application essay example.

Pages: 4

Words: 1013

MS Information, Application Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 559

Master of Science in Finance, Application Essay Example

Words: 265

PsyD Program, Application Essay Example

Pages: 3

Words: 815

On Call Fire Fighter, Application Essay Example

Pages: 5

Words: 1414

Glion Institute of Higher Education, Application Essay Example

Words: 622

Filter by Keywords

Short-Term vs Long-Term Goals (Examples, FAQs)

Content Partnership Specialist

December 15, 2023

Things don’t get done on their own. 

No matter what you want to achieve, you’ll have to set both short and long-term goals to achieve anything. 

And understanding the goal-setting process will also help you answer job interview questions like “where do you see yourself in five years?”.

But wait, what’s the difference between short-term vs long-term goals? 

And why should you set both ?

In this article, we’ll compare short-term vs long-term goals, and share some career goal examples and tips on setting achievable career goals. We’ll also answer FAQs about short-term and long-term goals.

What are Short-Term and Long-Term Goals?

Short term vs long term goals, short-term and long-term career goals examples, how to set short-term and long-term career goals, how to manage short and long-term goals, faqs about short-term and long-term goals, start setting goals with clickup.

Goals: Short or long, here we come!

When setting goals, you have to consider goals for both the short term and the long term. 

A. What is a short-term goal?

A short-term goal is something you wish to accomplish in the near future.

How long are short-term goals?

They’re short-term needs that you can achieve today, this week, this month, or even this year. For example, you can set a career goal like completing a skill enhancement course or a short-term savings goal like setting aside money for an emergency fund.

Short-term goals can also be stepping stones or actionable steps to reach a long-term goal much further down the road.

It’s like running at a level two speed on a treadmill to reach level six speed eventually.

Start at six, and your end goal might just be the ER. Ouch!

Set short-term goals and watch yourself progress to make those life-changing visions come true. 💃

B. What is a long-term goal?

A long-term goal is something you wish to complete in the distant future and takes more time, planning, and patience. You can’t do them in a few weeks and dust off your hands; you might need ten years.

Usually, these goals consist of several mini-goals or steps, which is why it’s important to determine short-term goals alongside your long-term plan.

You can say that long-term goals are normally used to support your short-term goals. 

For example, your long-term goal can be to set up your own business, a savings goal for your retirement account, etc.

See how each one is like a big goal, or a long-term vision, that gives you a sense of direction in life? 

Sure, long-term goals can seem overwhelming or even impossible at times. But when you follow through on each short-term goal along the way, you’ll eventually get there. 💪

What about a goal that’s not short or long enough?

You can split your goals into three: Short, medium, and long-term goals

A medium, intermediate , or mid-term goal comes into the picture when you need a middle ground between short and long-term goals.

While you can usually achieve medium-term goals between six months to less than five years , it can vary from person to person and goal to goal.

Bonus: SMART Goals for Students !

What’s the difference between short-term and long-term goals?

The main difference between short and long-term goals is that long-term goals tend to drive direction and strategy while short-term goals are tied to your current situation and tend to be easier to achieve. Of course, the most obvious difference is the amount of time and resources it takes to accomplish each.

Let’s compare long-term vs short-term goals to spot some key differences.

1. Strategy

At its heart, a long-term goal is strategic . 

You need to make small changes in your everyday life to achieve them. 

That’s why you split a long-term goal into smaller manageable goals and ensure you have some sort of reminder to achieve them.

Longer-term goals are a test of your motivation and perseverance, and you’ll often face major obstacles on the way.

On the other hand, short-term goals need strategies that have more to do with your current performance. You’ll base your strategy primarily on how close you are to realizing your ultimate goal.

2. Number of goals

Usually, you can have two or maybe three long-term goals in mind. It is usually big picture and can be a career goal, financial goal, or personal goal. But not many.

Have too many long-term goals, and you’ll feel overwhelmed and exhausted. 😓 

Your reliable friend, coffee, won’t help either. 

However, due to the shorter duration, you can focus on multiple short-term goals at the same time. And you can crush them all, one by one!

Here’s a handy table that will help you visualize the difference between long and short-term goals.

Bonus: Interested in tracking your goals digitally? Read our guide on the best goal-setting software!

A career goal is an objective you pursue in your professional life. 

It paints a clear picture of what you want to achieve. You’ll also understand how to get there.

Let’s explore some short and long-term goals examples for your career:

A. What are some short-term career goals?

Short-term goals for your career have definite outcomes you can start achieving in a couple of months to a year. They can be part of a grand scheme or stand-alone objectives to boost your career. Here are several short-term goals:

1. Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill can be an ongoing goal. You need to keep up with the industry requirements and pick specific skills for your profession.

If you’re a nutritionist who isn’t familiar with strength training, you could become a certified trainer.

Someone that knows their food and workouts? 

Your resume is gonna be lit. 🔥

2. Make a professional website

A powerful digital footprint is crucial for professional success, and launching a website is one of the best short-term goals.

That’s because a potential employer or client could look you up on the web to know more about you and your work. Just like how we’ve all Googled ourselves at some point or the other. 😛

And you want people to find you, right?

Then create a website to:

• Highlight your skills and past projects 
• Establish yourself as a brand
• Target the right clients and employers

If you’re a fitness trainer, create a fitness blog or share your videos on a YouTube channel. This will put your name in front of the right audience. 

3. Improve productivity

One of the most straightforward career goals is to improve your work’s quality , quantity , and efficiency .

These metrics will depend on your profession and company. But they usually involve increasing customer satisfaction, delivering projects within deadlines, and reducing company expenses.

Work on these metrics all day, every day, and you might turn your long-term goal for a promotion into a short-term one. 🎉

B. What are some long-term career goals?

A long-term career goal is broader than a short-term one. Some don’t have a defined timeline as such and might take several years to complete.

Here are some examples:

1. Earn a degree 

Graduating from a university and receiving your bachelor’s degree could be the first long-term objective you set to secure your career. It’ll define your career path , entry-level designation, salary, etc.

Make sure you get that degree and prepare to go places!

2. Get a promotion

Getting promoted is a common long-term career goal.

It can take you a year or more to get a promotion. Yet, we all want this honor that speaks volumes about our awesome performance and work ethic.

Most importantly: a big fat paycheck is incoming! 💰

3. Build your network

To be successful in any career, you need to build your network .

You can contact like-minded people and industry leaders through portals like LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., Or meet more folks with your background in professional meetups, conferences, or retreats.

Smart, isn’t it?

Building a network will help you:

• Stay on top of the latest industry trends
• Feel the pulse in the job market
• Meet potential mentors, partners, and clients

And most importantly, people in your network can be your advocates when you look for a job. 

Or even better, it might just open the door to all your future entrepreneurial possibilities. 💼

Check out some more examples of professional goals for a better idea.

Setting long and short-term goals depends on what’s important to you and what can benefit your growth as a professional.

Here are three tips on how to set your short and long-term career goals:

1. Have specific and measurable goals

Let’s say your goal is to be happy. 

Now, that isn’t specific.

Happiness to you may be a promotion. 😎

To another person, it may be to leave work early on a Friday. 🍸

When you are creating goals, this is why you need to ensure every objective is a specific goal.

The best way to do this is to answer the three “W” questions:

• What do I want to accomplish?
• Why do I want to achieve this goal?
• When do I want to complete this goal?

An objective should also be a measurable goal.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What’s the timeframe for goal achievement?
• What’s the progress indicator? 
• How will I know if I have reached my goal?

Not sure how goals are different from objectives? 

Take a look at our goals vs. objectives comparison.

2. Be realistic

Your goals should be within your capabilities.

You can’t say, “I want each of my blog posts to get 500 comments,” especially when you’re just starting. It’ll set you up for failure.

Instead, set weekly goals you can achieve, like “I’ll aim for 1-10 comments every week.”

Realistic goals are more achievable, and when you do complete them, you’ll feel accomplished. It’ll get you pumped to push further. 

3. Be flexible and positive

Obstacles are just part of life. Don’t let that throw you off track.

Rather, adjust your goals accordingly and hold on to a positive attitude.

Perseverance and optimism are a recipe for success.

ClickUp is one of the world’s highest-rated productivity tools that empowers every individual and business to set and achieve their long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals.

Here’s how ClickUp helps you do that:

Goals in ClickUp lets you stay on track to hit your goals with clear timelines, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and automatic progress tracking.

Use it to set high-level objectives and then break them down into manageable Targets .

A Target (smaller goal) can have OKRs that you can track in the form of numbers, money, tasks, or true/false statements.

Hit each target and visualize your progress toward completing the goal! 

Want to ace your OKRs?

Check out some OKR examples and this list of the best OKR software !

2. Gantt Chart view

ClickUp’s Gantt Chart feature lets you create a definite timeline for your short-term and long-term goals.

You can use it to:

• Schedule tasks or goals
• Move them around to rearrange them with drag-and-drop functionality
• Visualize and manage dependencies

Check out our guide on how to use ClickUp to set goals for your team .

Need more answers on goals?

These FAQs should help:

1. What are SMART goals?

The SMART formula is a cute little acronym to help you define a good goal. It’s beneficial to set SMART goals because of the thought that goes into them.

A SMART g o al must be

• S pecific: Establish the desired result in clear and specific terms
• M easurable: Should be measurable with specific criteria like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and milestones so you can track the success
• A chievable: Realistic and within capabilities
• R elevant: In sync with your business objectives and should add to your grand scheme
• T imely: Have a defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date

Bonus: Check out these SMART HR Goals !

2. What are some examples of short and long-term goals for a business?

Here are some common short-term business goals :

• Set specific sales OKRs and marketing targets  
• Reduce day-to-day expenses
• Implement a social media marketing strategy
• Improve customer service
• Improve sales reporting
• Test marketing  strategies

Here are some long-term business goal examples:

• Open new offices in different cities or countries
• Increase your company’s share in the market
• Increase overall brand awareness
• Get more clients
• Hire more employees

3. What are some common goal-related interview questions?

Here’s some help so you can crack career-goal-related interview questions :

1. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Don’t get bogged down by cliched responses to this question. 

Instead, take this opportunity to share more about your personality by describing:

• How do you plan to contribute to the company’s growth
• The skill growth or certifications you want to obtain
• How do you want to grow within the company and make it to a leadership position 

2. What skills or knowledge would make you better in your current role?

This question requires you to know your industry requirements.

Do some digging and find out if it’s research, marketing, or people skills that’ll make you ideal. Make sure you know exactly where you stand about these skills as well. 

For example, if you’re at a beginner level when it comes to research, mention this to the employer. But at the same time, don’t forget to highlight your current skills and strengths.

3. How do you achieve your professional goals?

Here’s a chance to highlight your professionalism and work ethic. 

In response, tell the interviewer what professional goals you’ve set for yourself. This tells them about your motivations. Then, describe how you make space in your schedule to achieve your goals. 

Check out these goal setting templates !

Setting short and long-term goals is your roadmap to success. 

But a goal that you don’t write down or support with a strategy is a pipe dream.

Why not set goals with a powerful project management tool like ClickUp so you can track them and visualize the progress?

You can manage projects , and to-dos , and plan your short-term and long-term goals on a single platform. 

Go set some rock-solid goals with ClickUp for free to stop dreaming about what you want and start working in the right direction. 😜

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

• Free training & 24-hour support
• Serious about security & privacy
• 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

101 Short and Long-Term Career Goals Examples for You to Steal

You can’t afford to take a passive approach to your career. In fact, you need to be in the driver’s seat of it. You should be one in control, actively managing it every step of the way.

Otherwise, you may end up on a path that doesn’t authentically align with your aspirations and values. When that happens, dangers like disengagement and demotivation become a more significant threat to your overall sense of fulfillment and happiness.

Fortunately, setting short and long-term career goals for yourself is one way to exercise control over your career and shape it so it best suits you.  If you have yet to do so or are looking to update the goals you have, this article will help, as there are over a hundred examples of short and long-term goals included below. Look at them as inspiration, and then use the Goal Setting Workbook to flesh your goals out and track your progress.

What Is a Short-Term Career Goal?

Short-term career goals are defined as the objectives you want or need to achieve within a relatively brief timeframe, typically over the next few months to a year, that get you closer to your career aspirations . Think of them as stepping stones. By breaking down your broader long-term ambitions into more manageable, immediate, and tangible goals and then celebrating them as you achieve them, you’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment, motivation, confidence, and direction.

Short-Term Career Goals Examples

Your short-term career goals should reflect your unique aspirations, values, strengths, weaknesses, and development areas. However, these short-term career goals examples should give you an of the types of goals you want to set for yourself.

• Get approval to enroll in a training program
• Dedicate 30 minutes every week to your personal development
• Leave the office/stop working by X every night
• Develop a personal branding strategy
• Ask X to mentor you 
• Volunteer for a cross-functional project
• Practice using each of the main leadership styles
• Revise and update my resume
• Achieve a specific sales target
• Attend a minimum of X industry networking events
• Create or update your career plan
• Learn the basics of how to use a new piece of technology
• Create or update your portfolio
• Get your email inbox under control
• Create a development plan
• Obtain a new certification
• Craft a case for a raise or promotion and present it to your boss
• Shadow a leader or colleague you want to learn from
• Start time-boxing
• Read a leadership book
• Identify your communication style
• Identify your conflict style
• Gain proficiency in a foreign language
• Take your breaks instead of working through them
• Complete an online course or workshop relevant to your role
• Ask boss/teammates/colleagues/clients for feedback
• Assess current responsibilities using the Eisenhower Matrix
• Put together a strategic plan
• Automate the creation of your daily/weekly/monthly report
• Build a stronger working relationship with a colleague
• Set up meetings with the top leaders in your organization
• Conduct a personal SWOT analysis
• Celebrate wins as a team during weekly team meetings
• Research industry trends
• Organize your physical and digital workspace
• Identify your preferred language of appreciation in the workplace
• Conduct informational interviews with people in your desired field/role
• Practice asking teammates for help when overwhelmed
• Run better staff meetings where everyone shows up and participates 
• Start a personal passion project
• Address and resolve a long-standing conflict with a colleague
• Schedule a vacation day and ensure you take it off
• Add X new LinkedIn connections to your network
• Increase social media follower count or level of engagement
• Practice public speaking
• Respond to every email within 24 hours
• Publish a blog post or article on a professional website
• Conduct a skills gap analysis  
• Practice saying “no” 
• Have a career conversation with your boss
• Go on a sales call or client meeting solo
• Take a leadership assessment
• Eat one “frog” per week
• Ask your boss for additional responsibilities
• Have lunch with a colleague from another department
• Identify your top 10 areas of improvement
• Set boundaries with your boss/teammates/colleagues/clients
• Connect with a career role model and set up a meeting with them

What Is a Long-Term Career Goal?

Long-term career goals are defined as significant and enduring aspirations you set for your professional life, typically spanning multiple years or even decades. They are not easy, nor are they quick to achieve. Their complex and transformative nature demands strategic planning, ongoing dedication, and consistent effort from you over an extended period of time. By establishing your long-term career goals, you are casting a clear and comprehensive vision for yourself of who you want to be as a professional and what you want to achieve over the course of your career.

Long-Term Career Goals Examples

Long-term career goals vary greatly from person to person as they depend on your personal interests, skills, and aspirations, as well as your personal values. They can take a long time to solidify and an even longer time to achieve, so don’t rush this part of the process. Consider these long-term career goals examples and use them as a starting point for you to create your own.

• Change careers
• Earn a degree
• Move into a leadership position
• Get promoted
• Win a prestigious industry award
• Become your own boss
• Make a yearly salary of X
• Get a job at X
• Publish a book
• Retire by X years old
• Start a business
• Work in a different country
• Be recognized as a thought leader/expert in your industry
• Overcome your fear of public speaking
• Earn the title of X
• Obtain a professional certification
• Establish a foundation/charitable organization
• Develop an innovative product or technology
• Lead a major research project
• Pass X test/examination
• Become an Executive
• Secure a position on a board of directors
• Develop strong leadership skills
• Mentor a young, up-and-coming professional
• Reach X years of service at X
• Achieve work-life balance
• Take a sabbatical
• Publish research
• Start a side hustle
• Become a consultant
• Transition from a for-profit to a nonprofit organization
• Lead a team of X+ people
• Establish a personal brand of X
• Become fluent in another language
• Intern at X
• Be featured as a speaker at a major industry conference
• Lead a successful corporate turnaround or restructuring
• Master a new technology or industry trend
• Get a professional coaching certification
• Become a leader at a prominent professional association
• Work in a role that involves extensive travel
• Create a legacy of mentorship by fostering the careers of others

Posts by Tag

• Leading Teams (93)
• Leadership Skills (60)
• Career Advice (57)
• Professional Development (47)
• New Leaders (45)
• Work Skills (41)
• Templates (38)
• Communication (34)

Why Is It Important to Set Realistic Goals?

Professional goals should give you something to work towards and look forward to. They provide a sense of purpose, ownership, and pride when they're...

How To Improve Your Communication Skills in the Workplace

So, your goal is to improve your communication skills? To become someone who can communicate in the workplace with confidence? No problem. We’re...

Take Control of Your Career Trajectory: A Brief How-To Guide

It can happen at any point in your professional life, no matter your role or industry. One day you're moving along in your career, quite content with...

How it works

Transform your enterprise with the scalable mindsets, skills, & behavior change that drive performance.

Explore how BetterUp connects to your core business systems.

We pair AI with the latest in human-centered coaching to drive powerful, lasting learning and behavior change.

Build leaders that accelerate team performance and engagement.

Unlock performance potential at scale with AI-powered curated growth journeys.

Build resilience, well-being and agility to drive performance across your entire enterprise.

Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders.

Unlock business impact from the top with executive coaching.

Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Accelerate the performance and potential of your agencies and employees.

See how innovative organizations use BetterUp to build a thriving workforce.

Discover how BetterUp measurably impacts key business outcomes for organizations like yours.

A demo is the first step to transforming your business. Meet with us to develop a plan for attaining your goals.

• What is coaching?

Learn how 1:1 coaching works, who its for, and if it's right for you.

Accelerate your personal and professional growth with the expert guidance of a BetterUp Coach.

Types of Coaching

Navigate career transitions, accelerate your professional growth, and achieve your career goals with expert coaching.

Enhance your communication skills for better personal and professional relationships, with tailored coaching that focuses on your needs.

Find balance, resilience, and well-being in all areas of your life with holistic coaching designed to empower you.

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Best practices, research, and tools to fuel individual and business growth.

View on-demand BetterUp events and learn about upcoming live discussions.

The latest insights and ideas for building a high-performing workplace.

• BetterUp Briefing

The online magazine that helps you understand tomorrow's workforce trends, today.

Innovative research featured in peer-reviewed journals, press, and more.

Founded in 2022 to deepen the understanding of the intersection of well-being, purpose, and performance

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

15 career goals examples to inspire you to set your own

Invest in your career

Get your promotion. Make your career change. Build the future you dream about. And do it faster with a world-class BetterUp Coach by your side.

Jump to section

What are career goals?

How to choose your career goals: 5 tips, 15 career goals examples, how to achieve your career goals, never stop growing.

Among the daily hustle of deadlines and meetings, you might forget to pause and ask yourself how your career is really going. 

Professional growth looks beyond the here and now to consider what the future holds and if you’re going the right way. Whether you want to apply for a leadership role, land an industry seminar, or transition into an entirely new field, setting clear career goals establishes direction and defines the path ahead.

Recognizing where you wish to be and building actionable steps empowers you to transform career aspirations into clear benchmarks. Soon, even the daily grind will take on a larger purpose, and every email you send and every project you complete will contribute to new meaning. Here’s how to turn your day-to-day into a brighter future.

A career goal is a target or milestone that guides your professional trajectory and fits into your overarching career plan. It can connect to your current position, future aspirations, or the broader framework of your work life. Each one could be a short-term career goal (like hitting a performance metric) or a more strategic long-term goal (like becoming an expert at a new skill). 

Clear career development goals help you step away from the daily bustle and keep your sights on the bigger picture, giving you something to work toward and bringing greater purpose to your job. Here are a few more ways that defining what your career goals are can propel your work forward: 

• Setting goals creates a roadmap, offering guidance and direction to your career path
• They foster intrinsic motivation , enthusiasm, and dedication, helping you face professional obstacles
• With a clear vision in place, your decision-making becomes more aligned and intentional
• They catalyze continuous learning, ensuring you keep pace with your colleagues and industry
• Reflecting on goals or setting new ones lets you identify whether your current position is the right fit for your overarching aspirations
• Reaching your goals fills you with a sense of achievement, empowering your self-worth and belief in your abilities

While setting career goals is meant to put you on a straight and narrow path, deciding what to work toward isn’t always clear. It requires introspection, research, and forward thinking — and sometimes, it’s a long process. 

Here’s how to pinpoint goals that align your skills and passions: 

• Perform a self-assessment: Take the time to evaluate your skill set, interests, and personal values . Understanding where you currently stand will help you plot where you want to go and create more impactful and realistic goals . 
• Do your research: The nature of work is constantly changing, and your career goals can help you keep up, like sharpening a skill or learning a new technology. Anticipating future needs and trends ensures you’re always one step ahead, ready to seize opportunities, or proactively address upcoming challenges.
• Visualize your future: Through journaling or writing a career statement , imagine where you want to be in the next three, five, or 10 years . Although long-term objectives may change with time, visualizing your future can help you anchor your present with more clarity. The more vivid the mental image, the easier it’ll be to pave the way with actionable steps. And writing down different examples of career interests for a hypothetical career change can uncover patterns in your overarching goals.
• Evaluate your community: The need to belong can be a significant motivator in life , so consider your sense of belonging in your goals. Examine how you usually participate and discover how you could invest in your professional community or workplace. Mentorships , closer connections with colleagues, or industry groups can boost your sense of community and even bring new opportunities.
• Consider your personal goals: Your personal and professional life don’t exist in separate bubbles. Whether you yearn for a stronger work-life balance , want to start a family, or aim to relocate one day, your personal goals influence your career decisions. Setting work goals that align your career with personal milestones helps you build an action plan that seeks harmony, enriching both dimensions of your life.

While dreaming up potential career goals, seeing examples can inspire and motivate you. Here are some short-term, long-term, and continuous goals to set for your career. 

Short-term goals

Short-term professional goals offer immediate behavioral changes , allowing you to see tangible progress within a few weeks or a year. These objectives are often stepping stones to long-term ambitions that require more planning and strategy. Here are six examples:

• Level up your education: Studying a certification, taking online courses, or attending industry seminars can fill in knowledge gaps and enhance your resume. Analyze the skills most valuable to your current role or future dream position and work on the most relevant ones. In some cases, you can learn something new in less than a day.
• Take on a challenging project: If you’re a full-time employee, contact your manager to demonstrate interest in contributing to a project that expands your job scope. And if you’re a freelancer, you can aim to pursue a project outside your comfort zone . This will broaden your skills and improve your industry knowledge as you navigate new opportunities. 
• Learn a new tool : Familiarize yourself with a new software or tool relevant to your field, even if it’s not currently a part of your role. Your proactive approach encourages adaptability and demonstrates your initiative to stay up-to-date in a constantly evolving digital landscape.
• Embrace public speaking: Commit to giving a presentation or leading a seminar in your workplace or professional community. This will elevate your profile and sharpen valuable soft skills , like self-confidence and public speaking .
• Update your personal brand: All of the materials you share with your peers contribute to your personal brand , including social media profiles, professional websites, and even your resume’s career objective . Take the time to learn how you represent yourself and update your professional messaging to ensure consistency online and offline. 
• Cultivate one new professional relationship: Seek out a mentor or establish a deeper connection with a colleague. To do this, you could set up an informational interview , check in with HR about mentoring programs , or offer help to a trusted colleague. Such bonds can provide perspective and lend support throughout your career.

Long-term goals

These long-term professional career goals examples project several years into the future, sculpting your overall trajectory. They require patience and sustained effort, but they’re worth it to reach new heights and become your ideal professional self. Here are four examples of long-term goals:

• Achieve career stability: Job stability may look like a specific annual income, the ability to say “No” to projects that don’t interest you, or switching to an industry with consistent career growth. Determine what it means to you and develop professional development goals to continuously strengthen your foundation. 
• Attain a leadership role: Rising to a leadership position is more than just a title change. It’s about influence and impact, and it’s a great goal to set if you plan on climbing the ladder at your current company. Work on your management skills , learn about organizational dynamics , and consistently demonstrate reliability. And don’t forget to let your manager know you’re interested in developing your leadership skills. 
• Diversify your skill set: Exploring skills that complement your existing knowledge can safeguard your employability and open doors to new opportunities. Identify areas that are adjacent to your field and could benefit your career, and find long-term courses or go to grad school to help you learn. Diversifying yourself positions you as a valuable asset and shows your commitment to your industry. 

Continuous goals

Continuous goals are ongoing pursuits that don’t have a definitive timeframe. Instead, they aim to continuously refine your professional well-being, ensuring you’re always growing and adapting. Here are five examples:

• Maintain work-life balance: Striving to leave work on time, take regular breaks, and enjoy free time activities are small, daily goals that prioritize your wellness. A strong work-life balance safeguards you from fatigue and improves your mood, and you can improve it throughout your career. 
• Seek regular feedback: Constructive feedback will always be useful. Establish a routine of asking for monthly, quarterly, or biannual feedback from higher-ups and peers. This feedback is a constant source of direction, letting you know what areas of self-improvement to focus on. 
• Advocate for mental well-being: Build routines that aid your mental wellness, like meditation, digital detoxes , or better sleep hygiene . Good emotional well-being makes you more resilient to challenges , improves self-esteem , and reduces stress, contributing to a healthy professional life. 
• Explore productivity skills: Your workflow could always use an update, and a new time management hack or productivity app can help. Exploring productivity techniques, like the Pomodoro Technique , or task prioritization methods, like the Eisenhower Matrix , helps you maximize efficiency. 
• Give back: Whether it’s becoming a mentor, doing pro bono work, or agreeing to an informational interview, find ways to use your skills for the greater good. Giving back supports your holistic development and fills you with purpose.

While achieving your goals is hard work, the right approach, dedication, and resources will bring you closer to your milestones. Here are a few ways to turn your dreams into real objectives:

• Set milestones: Begin by breaking down your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks and milestones. This makes big processes less daunting and gives you the tools to progress one step at a time. 
• Determine your metrics: Knowing what success looks like paints a clear picture of your goal post. If you aim to build a bigger LinkedIn following , specific engagement metrics or a weekly post can break things down and help you measure progress. For less tangible goals, like better work-life balance, try using a stress tracker to see if you’re able to manage your stress and feel more at ease each day. 
• Stay consistent: Perseverance and consistency push you closer to your goals. Even if progress feels like it has hit a plateau, build resilience to drive progress forward.
• Celebrate small wins: Every milestone you achieve is progress, no matter how small. Patting yourself on the back or sharing your success with others can help you maintain your enthusiasm and motivation. 
• Document your journey: Keeping a journal or logging your progress will track your advancement and give you space for valuable reflections. Regular check-ins help you recognize how far you’ve come and analyze what parts of your plan need updating. And a study in Sports Psychologist found that the more you look at your goals, the more likely you are to pursue them .
• Make them SMART: Break your objectives into SMART goals — specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This will clarify your intentions and help build a roadmap to help you achieve them.

Now that you have examples of career goals to inspire your own, it’s time for self-reflection and strategic planning. Whether you want to start your own business or practice for a job interview , focus on skills and experiences that support personal and professional growth. Regularly checking in and adjusting when necessary will bring you one step closer to leveling up your career. 

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

Career mobility: A better answer for talent retention?

What’s my earning potential determining the right salary, are you being passed over for a promotion here’s what to do, a guide on how to find the right mentor for your career, 19 most in-demand jobs to consider in 2023, what to do if you’re getting promoted too quickly, 10 exciting career change ideas (with salaries), worried about getting fired here’s how to cope, getting passed over for a promotion is tough. here's how to handle it, similar articles, 12 ambition examples that’ll inspire your goal-setting, 20 family goals to practice with your loved ones, top 15 professional goals and how to achieve them, 8 examples for setting professional development goals at work, what is a short-term goal 44 examples to jump-start your year, 60 goals for 2024 to inspire you to take action, 22 workplace goals examples to strive for, examples of behavioral goals: 7 career objectives, why big hairy audacious goals (bhags) are essential to your success, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform Overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care™
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case Studies
• Why BetterUp?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Life Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Labs
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences