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What Do Career Goals Have To Do With Your Current Job?

The vast majority of professionals have at least one thing in common: They always have some type of goals, plans, and aspirations for their future.

This is true for anyone who takes their professional life seriously – whether they’re currently in a “good place” or are desperately looking to move on in one way or another.

That said, it’s important to recognize that the position you’re currently in both effects and is affected by your overall career goals.

To explain what we mean, here, let’s discuss how this looks from both sides of the spectrum: those satisfied with their current path and position, and those looking to get more out of their professional career.

Where are you at in your career?

1) “Satisfied” – but Looking to Grow

For the ambitious individual who has already experienced success in their career, such previous successes are often looked upon with a “been there, done that” attitude.

In other words, successful professionals are almost always looking forward to “what’s next” in their career (rather than resting on their previous successes). They do their current job quite well – and they know they could do even more if given the opportunity.

However, this level of ambition can also cause dissatisfaction and a sense of stagnation in such individuals; they know they have more to offer, but their hands are metaphorically tied at the moment. Unfortunately, this can sometimes kill the raging ambition these professionals are known to have – if they let it happen, that is.

On the other hand, those who recognize and accept that certain goals simply take time to accomplish will be able to look at their current position as a necessary step toward the future they wish to have. In doing so, these individuals will actively seek out ways to go above and beyond their assigned duties – and will take it upon themselves to gain the skills and abilities necessary to reach the “next level” as soon as the opportunity arises.

Needless to say, those who allow themselves to become complacent will almost certainly be overlooked when a new opportunity comes about, while those who have put their all into their current position – even if they weren’t exactly “happy” doing so – will be among the first people the hiring manager thinks of when a more advanced position opens up.

2) Dissatisfied – and Looking for a Way Out

On the other side of the spectrum are those who haven’t exactly experienced success in their career – and are nowhere near where they want to be from a professional standpoint.

For those stuck in what seems like a no-win situation – whether they’re underemployed or simply aren’t happy with their current job – it can seem as if they’ll never have the opportunity to get out of the vicious cycle they’re currently in. Stuck in their current job or situation, they have little to no time outside of work to improve their skill set, learn a new trade, or look for a new gig.

But, just as is the case with the successful and ambitious individual mentioned above, these “stuck” individuals have two options:

  • Continue on the dead-end path they’re on, knowing full well it leads nowhere
  • Squeeze every bit of value they can out of every opportunity they have to grow

You don’t need us to tell you which is the better option.

No matter the position, there will always be some sort of transferable skill or piece of knowledge to learn that will help a dissatisfied individual move onto bigger and better things.

Whether we’re talking hard skills that apply directly to a specific position or career, or soft skills that are necessary in almost any modern profession, most any job requires at least some level of proficiency in these areas.

It’s simply up to the individual to see these opportunities for what they are – and get as much as they possibly can out of them.

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