Goal Statement Examples to Guide You

Ever had the feeling where you get to work, settle down at your desk, and stare at the pile of work, wondering what you’re doing? If you’re like the average hard-working and goal-oriented career person, you probably have.

Let’s face it, workdays are busy, and you can easily find yourself pulled in many different directions, with so many things demanding your attention. 

Frequently, you can find yourself getting so wrapped up in the day-to-day activities that you forget what your goal was. This is assuming you had one, to begin with. In this modern corporate world, we are all so focused on building a career.

We want to climb the ladder while doing our best to impress our superiors. It, therefore, becomes straightforward to forget our personal goal, or what exactly we had set out to achieve. 

Read More: Top 20 Career Goal Statement Examples

If this has happened to you, there’s no reason to panic. It’s quite common. However, this is not to say that it is okay. Try to have a balance between focusing on the immediate activities and the bigger picture. What is it that you want to achieve in your career? Why are you doing what you are doing? There are numerous ways to ensure that you keep the focus. 

Why Are Goal Statements Important? 

One of the main ways to avoid losing sight of your primary goal as you strive to build your career is to have goal statements. 

Goal statements keep you in check and remind you to keep your eye on the price. They also give you a sense of direction because they allow you to maintain that laser focus on your vision. A goal statement enables you to snap back whenever you find yourself straying from the idea.

It can also: 

• Force you to ask yourself some tough questions from within you. 
• Give you a much-needed sense of direction, and 
• Increase your accountability. 

Once you’ve written it down, there’s no going back. The goal statement will give you the clarity you need to push forward. 

Writing a Career Goal Statement 

You can check several goal statement examples on the web, and you are sure to find a common theme. A goal statement must be clear and specific. No matter the objective, there are some guidelines you should follow to write an accurate and useful goal statement.

Read More: Top 10 Tips for Writing a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School Admission

You should: 

• Spend some time in reflection,
• Think carefully and honestly about your passions,
• Carry out thorough research,
• Ask yourself important questions on what you want, 
• Be specific and use SMART goals, 
• Use confident language
• Create an action plan, and 
• Adjust your strategy accordingly.

Now that you know what steps to carry out when creating a goal statement, you can now look at some examples. 

These goal statement examples are to give you a glimpse of how other people in various fields have set theirs.

Go through them and contemplate how you can frame your goal statement based on these. 

Goal Statement Example 1: 

“I will be promoted to a Sales Manager position by the year 2022. To achieve this, I will pass my sales goal-mark by 7%, ask for guidance from my current manager, and attend all sales workshops.”

Goal Statement Example 2: 

“I will be promoted to a senior data analyst position within the next three years. To do so, I will take an online course on data science, improve my skills in PowerQuery, and attend all workshops organized by the company.”

Goal Statement Example 3: 

“I’ll become a certified public accountant within three years. To achieve this goal, I will join an after-work study group for CPA revisions, set aside two hours each day before work to revise, and take a CPA exam review course.”

Read More: How to Write a Personal Statement?

Goal Statement Example 4: 

“My objective is to land a job as a Project Manager at company XYZ by the end of the year. To accomplish this goal, I will have to send over my resume, obtain my PMP Certification, attend events on project management, and refine my project management skills.”

Goal Statement Example 5: 

“I will host a Public Speaking Workshop with over 500 attendees within the next two years. I will accomplish this goal by fostering a positive reputation with my YouTube subscribers, refining and mastering my public speaking abilities, and attending workshops for conference planners.”

Goal Statement Example 6: 

“I’ll be a full-time writer in three years. To accomplish this goal, I will create accounts on two freelance websites, constantly bid for jobs, build my portfolio by working on freelance projects, and read one book every week.”

Goal Statement Example 7: 

“My career goal is to become a certified public accountant within three years. To achieve this goal, I’ll join an after-work study group for CPA revisions, set aside two hours each day before work to revise, and take a CPA exam review class.”

Read More: Top 10 Ways to Make Effective Personal Statement for College Admission

What to Do With Your Career Goal Statement?

Congratulations! You have made it this far and are almost at the finish line. Having followed the instructions above, checked out the examples, and written your goal statements, you are well on your way to success.

However, you might now be wondering what to do with this bright and specific goal statement. Should you keep it in your purse or wallet? Maybe have it framed and placed on your desk? 

The good news is you can do whatever you want with your goal statement. However, the bottom line is that it should be easily retrievable. You should be able to get it out whenever you need a reminder of why you are here. Here at this desk, putting in crazy hours and rushing to meet all your deadlines. 

Sometimes all it takes is a gentle prompting – a reminder of your goal – to get you spine-up in your seat. To get those creative juices flowing and have you ready to conquer another crazy day at work.