Get SMART about your career development

But how do we kick-start our desire for change and actually achieve what we want?

SMART goals are the best way to go about getting what you want from your career, as they help you narrow down your desires into small achievable chunks that can be accomplished more quickly.

The SMART goal model has been around for quite some time and it’s tried and tested to be effective, and successful. The concept of SMART goals was created by Dr George Doran and first appeared in 1981 in his paper 'There’s a S.M.A.R.T way to write management’s goals and objectives'.

What does SMART actually stand for?

• S: Specific and simple. What is your goal objective?
• M: Measurable and meaningful. What do you need to do and how often to achieve your goal?
• A: Achievable and attainable. Is your goal attainable and what steps do you need to take to achieve it?
• R: Realistic and relevant. Is your goal realistic and relevant to your life at this point in time?
• T: Time-bound. Have you set a deadline?
• T: Tangible. Have you planned tangible outcomes?

Why set SMART goals?

Setting SMART goals for your career development can help you to clarify your thoughts, focus and channel your effort, be more efficient with your time and essentially, to help you reach your desired aspirations sooner.

SMART goal setting also helps you to figure out what you need to do, how you need to do it and maintain why you are doing it to reach your end goal.

How to write a SMART goal?

Should you write your goals down? Absolutely. By writing your goals down it brings them to life and can make you accountable.

Ready to get started? Download our template (PDF 170Kb) to help you write down your goals on paper.

Although SMART goal setting is a tangible way to plan your goals, as you progress in your career your priorities may change and the SMART goal model is flexible enough to make those modifications.

Whatever your vision is for your career development, using SMART goals will help you accomplish what you want.

So, what’s your next career goal? A nationally recognised qualification or professional workshop may help you reach your aspirations. Browse our courses today.