The big picture
Take a moment to think big picture/blue sky about your career. Career aspirations are unique to each person and inform and help define career goals.
Activity
Now, consider the following questions and note all your thoughts, options and answers on the Timeline. In one, two and four years’ time and in an ideal world:
- Where will you be?
- What will you be doing?
- Who will you be working with?
- What else will be happening for you?
Identify your career aspirations
Activity
Complete the career aspirations exercise below. Review the Timeline of your Career Aspirations then identify and list: What is most important for you to do, have, and achieve in one year, two years, and four years?
Career Aspirations
A worksheet for outlining your aspirations, priorities and the actions you need to take.
Download worksheet
Aspiration requirements and feasibility
Activity
Take your list of aspirations and for every item characterise (describe) what that aspiration will require of you. To complete this question consider:
- Revisiting the Expectations section
- Identifying roles of interest
- Speaking to people with relevant experience
- Checking promotion and related performance criteria
Activity
Take your completed list of Aspirations from the activity above and rate yourself against those requirements. In other words, how do you, as an individual, compare?
Identifying the gaps
Your self-rating provides you with a means of identifying the gap(s) between your current progress, achievements, experiences, skills and those required to achieve your aspirations.
Activity
- What do you need to put in place to address these gaps?
- Ask yourself, what do I need to focus on now?