Achieving Your Career Goals and Attaining Work Life Balance

For many of us, our careers form a very important part of our lives and who we are. That is not to say that we don’t also seek out some balance – as they say, all work and no play can make for a rather dull person.

A recent survey of workers from all ages and professions found that 36% of respondents sought work/life balance, followed by 31% looking for a more competitive salary. In terms of goals for 2010, a whopping 81% were looking to find a job they love.

Now how actively they pursue this desire is a different story; as research shows, when it comes to goal setting, only 4% of people actually write down their goals. Evidence of perhaps why so few people are in jobs that they truly love.

It’s not easy finding a great job that pays well, that you enjoy and that offers you work/life balance, particularly if you don’t put the wheels in motion to bring it all together. If you speak to successful people, you will find that many of them both visualize and document their goals; it creates a sense of commitment and also focus.

If you are contemplating a job or career change this year, a good place to start is the complimentary suite of careers resources on the Six Figures site, such as with Questions to Consider Before a Career or Job Change (listed below) and go from there.

One of our tips is to ensure you document your career goals. Be one of the 4% of people who actually document what they want to achieve and get closer to making it a reality. In this instance, focus on your work life and create a goal or a few goals that you believe you can realistically achieve in 2010. Be sure they are S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Specific, Measurable, Action Orientated, Realistic and Time Bound.

What have you found that helps you to achieve your career goals and attain work/life balance?

Questions to Consider Before a Career or Job Change:

The Position

* What do I want to wear to work? * What salary do I want? * What benefits am I seeking? * What hours do I want to work? i.e. days, evenings, part-time, etc. * Do I want to manage staff? If yes, what type of people? * Do I want to work autonomously or in a team or both? If both, what will the percentage be? * Do I want my role to involve travel? If yes, where? International? National? * Do I want one role or to have a few roles? * Do I want to work for myself or someone else? * How much flexibility would I have in my role? * What skills would I be using? * What challenges would I be encountering? * What types of people would I be working with? * How do I feel about these people? * How do I want to feel about the work I do? * What work life balance looks like for me? * Would I be learning? * If I was learning, what types of things would I be learning? * What are the pros and cons of the roles I have had in the past?

The Physical Work Environment

* What does the office I work in look like? I.e. the style of building, levels, décor, lighting * What is the location of the office? * Do I want to drive to work and will there be parking? * What space will I be working in? A cubicle, office, open floor, etc? * Do I want natural light? * Will there be music and a lot of noise and activity? * Do I want tranquility and peace? * Do I want to work in a high rise office tower? * What are the immediate surrounds of the organisation? i.e. parks, shops, gym, other buildings * What are the pros and cons of the work environments I have had in the past?

The Organization

* What is the people size of the organization? * What is organisation’s culture? * What is the leadership of the organization like? * How will they manage their staff? * What are the organisation’s vision / goals / motto? * How is the organisation viewed by the community? * What are the values of the organisation? * Are they a prestigious organisation (well known to everyone) or an unknown entity? * If I want to create my own organisation, what will it look like? * What are the pros and cons of the organisations I have worked for in the past?

The Industry

* What is the industry I am working in? * Is it a new industry for me? * Is it a growth industry? * Am I working across multiple industries? * What appeals to me about the industry/s? * How is the industry perceived by the general community?

The People

* What will my co-workers be like? * What will the management of the organisation be like? * What will my boss be like? * What type of boss will I be? * What will my customers and clients be like? * What types of people do I work best with and why? * What are the pros and cons of the colleagues and managers I have had in the past?

My Personal Needs

* What are my key interests – work and personally? * What do I enjoy doing most? * What am I great at? * What do others say I am great at? * When have I felt the greatest about what I was doing? * If I could change the world, what three things would I like to see? * What would I have to do to bring these into my work? * What are my own personal values that I live by? * What values do I expect a business that I work for to uphold? * What will I and won’t I tolerate at work and in life in general?

Actions

* Write in a book or on paper your answers to all of these questions * Go through your resume in chronological order and look at all the roles you have had and look to see if there are any patterns * Using job sites and newspapers, print and cut out jobs that appeal to you – circle the areas that appeal * Talk to people who work in roles and industries you are interested in working in * Research courses that relate to roles and industries you are interested in finding out more about * After you have spent some time thinking about these questions and do your research, sit down and try to piece it all together * Talk to friends or family about your discoveries * Should you still feel unsure about where to go from here, contact a Career Coach or Career Counsellor in your local area to assist you with gaining some direction and the next steps. Also, you can visit our Career Services page as a starting point for recommended services.