Career Reflection
Developing a career goal is a great way to take charge of planning your career and a useful tool to manage your career effectively. Many individuals may not know how to develop a career goal. Following the steps below will help you determine where to start. There are a few steps that can be helpful in determining your career goal, which include conducting a self-assessment, exploring industries and careers, and determining factors that are non-negotiable (e.g., geographic location, salary requirements, and health care benefits). The final step of goal setting is writing your goal.
Step 1: Self-Assessment – In your initial paragraph, answer the following reflective questions:
Step 2: Career Exploration
Explore job industries by conducting research on the type of careers that use your interests and skillset.
O*Net OnLine, the
Occupational Outlook Handbook, and
Bureau of Labor Statistics are great web resources for career exploration, job analysis, and education requirements.
In your second paragraph, answer the following questions:
Step 3: Determining Your Non-Negotiable Items
Although we may not speak them aloud, we each have things we are not willing to compromise on. During this step, write out your “must haves” for your future career.
To help get you started, think about the minimum salary you need to have, where you want to live, and desired work hours. Copy and paste the following table directly after your explanation of Step 2, and complete each section.
| Must Have |
Do Not Want |
| 1. | 1. |
| 2. | 2. |
| 3. | 3. |
In your third and final paragraph, state your career goal. Be as specific as possible. The following is an example of a specific career goal:

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