Chances are, you joined this program with a goal in mind. In fact, one of the questions that we asked you when applying was What does success look like for you at the end of this program? That is your goal! But if you want to take a step back and review that goal, you’re in the right place 😊 This is for those of you who are a bit lost in your career journey and want to find your way.
It is generally helpful to think about where you are heading - having a clear direction makes it easier to decide what to do next. We don’t always need a super clear idea of exactly where we want to be in life at x years time, but having a general idea of what we want will help making decisions along the way easier. Sometimes our direction is driven more by a feeling than a specific event. And it’s fine to change direction, if that’s what you want!
Having a clear picture of the direction that you are heading in, will make setting a goal for this program easier. If you work in a company, and your goals are related to your career performance and progression there, it is a good idea for this to align with your manager’s expectations and (if you have one) your career framework.
<aside> 🧠 Brainstorm some ideas about where you would like to be in the short, mid, and long term Dream big, even if you have no idea!
It’s okay not to have a clear idea beyond 1 year - focus on that for now. If you only have long-term goals in mind, take that and break it down into smaller short and medium-term goals. This will make mapping your path and getting there easier.
Your long-term goals don’t need to be very defined or specific. Focussing on what outcomes that you want to achieve can make the next steps even easier! You can use your Personal SWOT to help guide this.
It may also help to frame your goals with a reason e.g. as <I want xxx because yyy> to better understand your motivation for them.
Some questions to ask yourself
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| SHORT-TERM (1 year) | MID-TERM (1-3 years) | LONG-TERM (3-5+ years) |
|---|---|---|
| *e.g. Get a job as a back-end developer |
Work in a startup to get experience in one
Learn Python to be able to develop ML models* | *e.g. Become a full-stack developer
Mentor someone else to develop leadership skills
Run a program across multiple teams* | *e.g. Become a senior developer
Manage other people
Work as an entrepreneur* |
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<aside> 🧠 Now, decide which one(s) that you want to focus on in the short-term and clarify them by making them SMART:
Guide: How to write SMART Goals
You can review this with your BUD to decide which are most appropriate to work on together for this program. Some things that can help you prioritise:
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| Status | Goal | Why? | How will you measure success? | What do you need? | Estimated time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (To Do, In Progress, Done) | What is your desired outcome? What skills, behaviours, or knowledge do you want or need to develop? | Why is achieving this goal important to you? | How will you know when you have achieved this goal? | What help do you need to achieve it? What might hold me back? e.g. people, training tools | ||
| EXAMPLE | ||||||
| To Do | Have learned JavaScript well enough to build a game (Minesweeper) within 3 months | I’ll feel confident in my ability to code in new languages, and demonstrate my skills which would help me get a job | I can play Minesweeper using something that I created. | |||
| I have published my code on GitHub. | Access to the course, a coding buddy for accountability and code reviews, someone to help guide me to what resources are best to learn. | 3 MONTHS | ||||
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