How many of you have career goals?  I don't mean something like, "I
want to make a lot of money when I grow up," but something along the 
lines of "I want to have a Ph.D. by the time I'm 30, and do applied
research in software interfaces."

Do you have these goals written down anywhere (as so many career
books suggest)?

If you do have clear goals, do you feel that they are helping you
be successful?  If your goals are not so clear-cut, do you feel this
is hindering your career?

21 responses total.

I want to be doing something useful and real-world-like with my law
degree; legal aid, or labor law, maybe.  Not this airy, unreal
garbage of figuring out how to get the best tax deferrment for next
fiscal year out of a merger.

I would like an academic position in Germanic Linguistics.  If I were
defending right now, this would probably be a ridiculous goal, but I've
heard that by the time I am finished, there should be a lot of professors
retiring, opening positions up for aspiring new assistant professors ...
I hope.

I have always been very goal-oriented, and I think that has been both an
advantage and a disadvantage in my career, actually.  I have known for
about three years that I want to go into social dialectology, started
researching graduate schools two years before I went, and published papers
when I was still an undergraduate.  I think such (obsessive? :-) determination
definitely helped me get into graduate school and keeps me going even when
things get difficult, but on the other hand, I have been accused of being
*too* specialized, too early, and I must admit that theory definitely has
its merits.  Sometimes, although I'm embarrassed to admit this, I can't
see the forest for the trees.  My major professor is determined to cure me
of this, though, so we'll see.

I definitely think being too goal-oriented can be a problem, although it's
a problem that is often overlooked because people are so grateful that you're
not flighty.

I would like to make enough money to live off of, while doing something 
that I can enjoy somewhat and that actually gets something accomplished.

When I first started college, I had a clearly defined goal of obtaining a
degree in Sp. Ed. of the V.I. and then using that degree to get a teaching
position in the public schools teaching blind children.  My professors also
helped to keep that goal narrow by concentrating all of our studies on blind
children.  For example, we were not taught what to do for an insulin reaction
because that only applies to blind adult diabetics.  When I was in my senior
year, I had a unique opportunity to receive CO-OP credit and pay for teaching
computer access to blind adults.  I jumped at it, mostly for the experience,
which I figured wouldn't look bad on my resume.  I found that I loved the job,
relished working with adults and that it was a neat way to make friends.  
Thus, I continued in this area as my career, giving up my chance to teach
in the schools.  I think the initial clear cut goals helped me get through
school when courses seemed particularly tough or when other areas of study
looked appealing.  I think slightly changing my goals later, helped me
tremendously, as I know several people with my degree who are unemployed,
simply because they're afraid working with the adult population would be
too depressing.

My problem now is that I would like to go on and get my MA in Blind Rehab.,
but the nearest university offering that degree is Western which is too
far to attend and work in Washtenaw county.  I'm settling for the experience
and years I chalk up doing my current work in place of dropping everything
to go to WMU.  The majority of the time, I don't mind changing my goals 
slightly.  And yes, we were required all the way through school to write
down, analyze and discuss our goals.  My only complaint with that procedure
that they'll have to move out of state to get the teaching position that they
want.

The last sentence in the response above should read "my only complaint with
that procedure is that the professors don't always inform the students
that they'll have to move out of state to get the jobs they want.  I think
professors owe it to their students to help them gain the necessary info.
to define or adjust their goals.

My goals are essentially the same as bad's goals.  This bothers my wife,
though, that I don't have something more lofty to shoot for.  Maybe she's
right, but I have a hard time feeling that I *have* to continually
shoot for something in my life.  What's wrong with "making it"?  Or can
you never really "make it"?

Geez, what's lofty?
"I want to rule the world" seems stupid.

Mainly, it shouldn't be interpreted that the general contentedness that
is my goal is all that I would take. That is what I'd need to be relatively
happy, but being happy wouldn't keep me from doing more grandoise things, 
if teh opportunity arose. 
        I mean, I wouldn't get complacent and pass up opportunities, but I
wouldn't always feel dissatisfied with what I have, as a lot of people do.

That's my point.  Is it wrong to have "satisfaction" as a goal?  Is it
a sign of stagnation to strive to be "content" in life?

   No, its not.  I recently met my first high school aquaitence who has
had his first heart attack.  He is now trying to unlearn many of the things
that the Ann Arbor Public Schools seem to teach, like never letting go
in a competitive atmosphere.
   Something to remember.

re #9: The problem, at least in high-tech industries, is while
you may be satisfied, your employer and your customers will never be
satisfied.  I often think engineering (and I think of software
development as engineering) is a no-win situation.  The more you
develop, the more the market demands.

Another reason I don't wanna be in software development. :)
But there's a difference between being satisfied with your place in the
world and being satisfied with your product...
Bouncing around, developing software, with any modicum of job security at
least, I could live with.

Hi!  I'm a moderately compulsive (sic) planner.  I am very goal-
oriented.  Over the last few years I've been honing down my idea of
the appropriate career for me, and I have realized that what I
want to do is pretty specific.  I want to live in the country
sometimes, in the city sometimes.   I want interesting work
that benefits people.  I want to make enough money to have
a house, and to travel a lot.  

So I'm going to make paper and cloth from hemp, kenaf, and
other "environmentally-friendly" materials.  I figure I
need something to do also, incase that doesn't work,
and while I'm getting that particular ball rolling.  Since
I am a composer and musician, piano tuning appeals to me.

I would be lousy at software development.

Career goals?  Personally, no.  

I started out preparing for a certain career and (after many years of
school) decided to change to a "low-tech" field.  Currently, I'm putting
my energy into other aspects of myself.  For me for now, career planning
is a non-issue.

I never put my "goals" into writing until last year when I read Jane
Bryant Quinn's book "Making the Most of Your Money." ...and I haven't
looked at it since.  I went right into a Master's program in M.E.
when I started work in '83.  Would have preferred EE as a second
major, but the Gov. wouldn't pay for EE courses for an ME person.
(pretty stupid, I think...they also won't pay for management training
unless you're *already* a manager.)

Anyway, I never finised the Master's, because I opted for two years
in Hawaii at two different positions...both were great experiences.
I think this is possibly the worst time in decades to be thinking 
about committing yourself to specific "goals" unless they are 
thoughtfully chosen to provide flexibility in the future.  So many
of the rules are being re-written right now, and many people with
lots of intelligence and degrees to match are pounding the pavement for
jobs.  I believe the best thing you can do for yourself today is
to try to keep learning new things, don't be afraid to change jobs
when you feel dissatisfied, and don't assume that a lateral move
is a sign of failure.  I'm as happy as I've ever been in 11 years at my job,
and it was all almost totally new to me a year ago.  

It also doesn't hurt to be lucky.  ;)

before going to college i had a clear view if what i'm going to take[D[D[D[D:em

        Hmmm...so much for that pre-collegiate clear view, eh?... :)
        Hey, Laurence, why not come back and give it ... dare I say it...
                THE OL' COLLEGE TRY again? Just a thought...

Hiya, Tim. When I was younger, I always said my career goal was my own office
with a lock on the door. That was back when I was a young middle-manager and
wanted power. Now my car is my office, so I guess that counts, and I drive 
around all day making old and/or sick people happy.

Advice from around the block:
If it's drudgery, if you have to force yourself to do it day after day, run
screaming from it and never look back.
If it kicks your butt daily and you just can't wait to jump in and tackle it
tomorrow, if you feel like you'd do it even if they didn't pay you, you are
home. 
And get off the 'job security' paranoia wagon. What good is your well-off
family without you because you died of an early heart attack?

It's been a year or two :-)  since this item was active...  So how are y'all
progressing in your career goals? Have they changed as new technology becomes
available?

For me, I've had two different 'careers' since I left college after my first
degree [education/sports medicine, then nursing].  I've been on disability
for a couple years, though but may have to go back to work part time to help
make ends meet.  I'm going to be getting help with 'vocational rehab' type
counseling to see what's out there that I can do.  Though I've had some good
experiences in the health field, I can't/won't go back to that line of work.
And its been sooo many years since I've worked in education and sports
medicine, I'd have to go back to school for refresher work--and I can't afford
that right now.  So I'm still not sure what I want to be 'when I grow up'!

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