How to Define Personal Employment Goals

Setting personal employment goals can help you find a great job that uses your talents and skills.  This can lead to a great feeling of personal accomplishment and pride.  Once you have found your ideal position, you can use your personal employment goals to help you advance in your career and keep your skills sharp.

• Determine the type of job you want to have.  Consider your interests.  Is there something that you are passionate about?  If you want to help people, for example, you might consider a job in teaching or nursing.  Take into account your skills and abilities.  Do you have any skills that are particularly marketable?  If you are handy or good at construction, you might consider a job as a contractor.  Also be sure to consider your background and education.  If you have a degree or experience in a certain field, use that to your advantage and choose a job that lets you make use of your education and experience.


• Draft your resume and cover letter.  Make sure you target your ideal job.  Highlight skills, experience and education that are geared toward that position.  Outline your accomplisments and achievements.  Make sure your cover letter explains why you would be a good fit for the position.  Make it eye-catching so that it stands out and captures the attention of your potential employer.


• Start your job search.  You can begin your search online at any of the larger job search engines, such as Monster or CareerBuilder.  Attend job fairs and hand out copies of your resume.  Consider local job listings, such as classified ads or local websites.  Most jobs are found through networking, so if you know someone who has your dream job, talk to them.  Ask them how they got to their current position.


• When you land an interview, be prepared.  The way you look will create a lasting first impression.  Dress appropriately.  Be sure your hair is neatly groomed.  Smile and be friendly.  Do some research on the company that you are interviewing with so you have some knowledge of how the company works.  Set up a mock interview with someone that you trust so that you can practice answering typical interview questions.  This will help you calm your nerves on the big day.