If you want your career to be fulfilling and rewarding, there are some goals that should be a part of your career plan. With an aim to help you make the best decisions for your career, HiCounselor has put together this short guide on SMART goals with examples to show you how to implement them. If you need more help in getting your career going, get in touch with us to find out how we do just that!
Every career needs goals but when you want to plan better, you should opt for SMART goals. SMART here is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. This concept was introduced by George T. Doran, and has been adopted by professionals and organizations worldwide.
Specific means your goals should be clear and explicit. Measurable refers to the ability to take stock of the progress you’re making; it can’t be vague so set clear milestones. Achievable, of course, means that your goals should be in the realm of possibility. You can’t have unreasonable goals like becoming the biggest movie star when you’ve never acted in your life. Relevant means your goals should be related to your short- and long-term targets as well as your core values. Time-based puts you goals within a given timeframe by creating a deadline.
Specific: The specific part of this SMART goal is being clear about the role you want: Senior Data Analyst, and deciding the date by when you want it.
Measurable: The steps to reach this goal should be measurable. Like, do you have to complete a training program? Should you have met certain criteria or hit a certain target? Do you have to get a certification in order to be considered for promotion?
Achievable: This goal should only be set if you’re a Data Analyst. It would make no sense for a Graphic Designer to aim for a Senior Data Analyst role. Also, can you meet the requirements to be considered for promotion? If not, you can’t set this goal yet.
Relevant: This goal is relevant for a Data Analyst who wants to rise higher in the ranks and is ready for the greater responsibility this role will bring.
Time-based: Most companies will decide on promotions at the end of a quarter. So give yourself enough time to pursue this SMART goal and set it when the quarter is still some time away.
Specific: The specific part of this goal has been set as wanting to increase the number of customers one gets out of the many leads one gets. To be even more specific, you can set a percentage, for example: increase clients by 30%.
Measurable: This is an easy goal to measure as you have to simply calculate the number of clients you get from the number of leads provided to you.
Achievable: What can make this goal achievable? Do you have to change the sales process? Do you have to re-train employees in CRM? Do you have to address certain clients’ needs you may have overlooked?
Relevant: This is a relevant SMART goal for sales personnel as well as for a company because it leads to increased profits.
Time-based: You can make this either a quarterly or a yearly goal depending on the numbers you want to hit and the field you’re in.
Specific: This goal is specific in that you know the exact role you want and ideally, you know the date by when you want to get it.
Measurable: You can measure the success of this SMART goal by seeing the number of responses you get for your applications. Also calculate how many of those translate into job interviews and then job offers.
Achievable: Are you a student looking to start out as a Software Engineer after completing your education? Are you switching fields and waiting to complete a required course? This SMART goal requires you to get the appropriate degree.
Relevant: This is a relevant role for those with the necessary qualification and who are ready to put in the work required to look for a job.
Time-based: You should set a deadline for the job search to motivate yourself to keep trying. Sometimes not hearing back after our first few applications can be demotivating, making us avoid trying further. Setting a deadline will push you to send out more applications and give more interviews.
Specific: The specific part of this SMART goal is wanting to be a healthier, fitter version of yourself. Do you want to work on certain parts of your body or the whole of it? Are you doing this for health reasons or to look and feel better?
Measurable: Health and fitness goals are easy to measure. You have equipment like weighing machines and activity trackers that help track your progress.
Achievable: You can set targets depending on your current level of fitness. If you haven’t worked out in a long time, you probably won’t be ready for a marathon in a month. If you’re an active person, you can probably shed some pounds with a bit of effort. You can use a number of fitness apps or talk to a personal trainer to help set your goals.
Relevant: This SMART goal is relevant for nearly everyone. We would all like to be healthier with more energy and dopamine in our systems.
Time-based: If you don’t set deadlines for yourself, this goal can easily take a backseat. You can aim to take part in a marathon in eight months. You can aim to play with your kids for an hour in the summer or around Christmastime.
The benefit of setting SMART goals is that they provide you greater clarity. By breaking down every stage of your goals, you can see whether it’s achievable and relevant, and exactly what you need to do to achieve it. Sometimes, working on SMART goals helps people prioritize things by shedding greater clarity on what will be required of you to achieve your goals. They also help you strategize better, which increases your chance of success.
We hope this information helped clear any doubt you had about SMART goals. If you need help finding the right job for you or putting your best foot forward in the job market, contact HiCounselor and have a word with one of our helpful mentors.
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