Keeping In Step with Your Career Goals

While career goals may keep on shifting with changes in market trends as well as individual skill sets, it is important to keep learning on-the-job and acquiring new skills in line with your career goals. Many a time, when people get settled in a job with defined skill sets and long contracts they give up learning and acquiring new skills that are not relevant to the work at hand. This can cause severe distress and derailment from one's true career goals.

We live in a world, which technologically and economically is more fluctuating than ever before. Every day, new technology makes previous skills and learning obsolete, and it is extremely important to keep track of market trends and keep acquiring and honing a portfolio of skills in line with your future career.

Be aware of the latest skills prized in your field



To stay on top of the competition you require to be informed of the latest skills in your profession and the future direction of your chosen field of work. Spend a little time every day researching the internet or industry magazines to find out what is happening in the greater world besides your workplace and its immediate environment. Don't let a routine and repetitive work cycle dull your senses or rust your skills. Whether for extra money or not, it is always good to stay attached to professional networks and keep freelancing on assignments that require skills you have but don't use at your regular workplace.

Learn according to how you want to earn

It is important to identify your own goals, and also what you expect from the future in your field of work. It is vital to create both long-term as well as short-term goals to establish a learning process that will aid you in your career. Don't miss chances to network with other people in your profession and stay alert of future demands and possibilities.
Create ways to tackle the same jobs in a better fashion. Your best resources include:

• The internet for quick leads
• Books for in-depth learning according to your schedule
• Mentors for quick guidance and help
• Learning courses for acquiring and getting acclimatized to new skills
• Social networking for current trends and building contacts

Setting your goals and routine checks of your progress against a schedule is necessary. You need to check periodically on what you have learnt and how much you have improved vis-a-vis future professional demands. Friends and professional networks help to get feedback on your abilities and it is prudent to use them to get a perspective of your growth.

If you do not grow sedentary on a job and keep on learning, you gain security and greater chances of career success. Also acquisition of new skills demonstrate your professional commitment to the world. Both superiors as well as colleagues appreciate it.

The trick is to consolidate and channelize your spare time in building and improving skills that are in line with your career goals. If your skills are up to date and you have a portfolio of skills with demand in the near future, you are already ahead of the crowd. However, if you waste your spare time in activities that are on the major part dissociated from your future goals, you are doing both yourself and your family a disservice.