Evaluating Career Success

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What does career success mean to you? It’s a difficult question, but it’s extremely important to consider. Whether you are a temporary worker, permanent employee or currently seeking employment, evaluating career goals should be a priority. What kind of goals should you set to keep your career on track? And what’s the best way to track those goals and evaluate your progress?

The Snowflake Method of Goal Setting

  • You may have heard of “SMART” goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely). This is the most common advice when it comes to setting career goals. However, while this tells you what sort of goals you want to set, it doesn’t help with the actual planning and setting. That’s where the Snowflake Method comes in handy.
  • Randy Ingermanson is a writer who developed “The Snowflake Method” for novelists who want to outline their story ideas. But it is also a great way to outline personal or career goals. The basic plan is to start with a broad idea, and then with each step, get more and more detailed. Sort of like how a snowflake gets more intricate the more the crystals begin to branch out.

Sample of Snowflake Goal Setting

  • Perhaps your long-term goal is to manage a medical office. That’s the broad idea, but now you need to start getting more specific by setting short-term SMART goals. It helps to write everything down, so open a Word document or get out a piece of paper. Write your goal in bold at the top of the page. Underneath that, list 2-3 short-term goals that will help you get there. Depending on where you are in your career now, these goals could include things like:
  • find a new job at a medical office;
  • raise co-pay collections to 90 percent when working at the front desk; or
  • get promoted to supervisor position in the office

After creating 2-3 short-term goals, list the steps you will need to take to reach those goals. For the first goal listed above, “find a new job at a medical office,” for example, you might list:

  • Research job opportunities in Portland, Oregon
    • Update and customize resume
    • Apply for at least five Portland medical office jobs each month

Finally, for each step you list, create an evaluation checkpoint; set a date and write down how you will evaluate your progress.

Reach Your Goals With Help from Experts

When you are trying to reach career goals, remember to take advantage of resources you have at your disposal to help you get there. One such resource is the team of staffing experts at Staffing Partners. Sign up today to take advantage of all the Oregon Staffing Solutions we offer.

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