Last Updated on September 2, 2021 by NandiNN
Career paths for women
In an age of career and social advancement, career goals for women are more important than ever.
Women are encouraged to be confident and ambitious these days in order to get what they want and what they deserve.
The reality is that many of us have been conditioned by society to limit our ambitions in the workplace.
Whether it was choosing a career path based on what you thought your parents wanted or limiting yourself because of gender stereotypes.
It’s absolutely important for all women to set goals that will help them reach their full potential.
Women and men are all equally striving for the same goals in their careers!
We all want a sense of fulfillment, financial stability and time to do what we love.
However, there are some unique challenges that women face when it comes to accomplishing these goals.
Women often take on more responsibility than men in terms of child care, housework and everything else that comes with looking after a family.
This can affect your ability to advance in the workplace.
If you ever feel like you are not advancing even though you are putting in the work, I suggest you do the following things:
- Have an honest conversation with your boss about how you’re feeling overworked or undervalued at work
- Get out of your comfort zone by seeking new opportunities outside your company
- Take advantage of all the free courses available online
- Treat yourself once in a while
I suggest you do something every single day to help you further your professional development – this could include reading an article on LinkedIn or online about how to improve at work or taking a course on Udemy related to your field of expertise.
By cultivating these habits of successful women, you will quickly set yourself up for great things.
As much as I enjoy using career affirmations to boost my chances of landing fantastic jobs, I also enjoy planning and creating strong career goals!
Today, I would really love to focus on:
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Sharing a detailed list of career goals examples
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Career-related goals worth doing
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Importance for setting career goals for women
This article will give you a list of career goals for women to focus on today, no matter what stage you’re at in your career or where you want it to go.
Setting goals not only motivates us but can also improve our mental health and our level of personal and professional success.
List of career goals every woman should have:
1. Aim To Be A Key Holder In Your Industry
People who hold keys tend to have a huge amount of power!
So by holding a key yourself (even if it is only metaphorical), you are able to control company policy across several areas and increase your career power.
In today’s career-driven society, one career goal many women strive to accomplish is that of becoming the key holder in their company or even in the industry.
If you are new to this term, a keyholder is someone who has achieved career success and is looked up to by others as a career role model.
As you may have guessed, men are usually chosen as key holders since they outnumber women at work; but there are some industries where more women hold powerful positions than men do (read on).
It can be extremely challenging for career-driven women to achieve career success!
But it all comes down to how well you perform your job duties and how much responsibility your workplace gives you.
Employers often seek out young graduates with promising potential for leadership roles.
It’s no surprise that career-driven women make first-rate managers and directors since they are the ones who know exactly what career goals to reach for.
One of the most powerful career goals for women to make is to show up more.
If you want to become a role model and a key holder in your industry, start by taking on new career responsibilities which allow you to develop new skills and knowledge!
If you are offered an opportunity that seems daunting, don’t let it scare you away–you will improve your chances at career success the more responsibility you take on.
At work, it is important to remember to keep yourself visible as a leader and go above and beyond your job duties whenever possible.
Stay focused on developing other people while mentoring them and offering career advice based on your own experiences.
Keep learning about management strategies so that when career opportunities arise, you are sure to be ready for them.
You may have to brush up on some old-fashioned career skills such as networking and negotiating.
It’s true that there are many career-driven women who go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to career success; this means that they must make conscious efforts to balance their career and personal lives!
Both areas can thrive at once.
In order to attain your career goals, you must never stop learning new things or taking on new career challenges!
Always aim for improvement in everything you do, even in something as simple as how well you communicate with clients at work.
2. Build A Reputation As A Leader And Expert In Your Field
If you can build up a good reputation as a leader and expert in your field, people will come to you for advice.
Being an expert doesn’t mean that you have to be the highest achieving person in the company or in the area.
It just means that you are willing to go the extra mile to help out others with their own career goals.
For example, I love helping women figure out how to make extra money working from home, and with this in mind, I have created countless products and content given away free tips on how to do this.
Women see me as an expert as I am not afraid to share and help others.
There’s nothing women want more than to feel like they are respected and valued, and career goals for women include creating a career and lifestyle that proves this.
So your goal should include being seen as an expert if you happen to work within a field where the ability to instruct others or give opinion pieces is highly valued.
All you have to do is show up at work every day ready to do whatever needs doing so that those around you know their jobs will get done right!
Help others when it’s possible, share your opinion and back this up with proof.
It’s important that you are willing to become the voice of authority at your job.
People will come to rely on your expertise, appreciate your opinions and suggestions in order to do their jobs well.
3. Improve Your Skills & Build On Your Resume
Whether you love your job or career so much and you plan on staying put for the next 20 years, you should always be improving your skills.
Something you learned 5 years ago can quickly be replaced by new things.
We live in a world where things are constantly changing and you need to embrace change and technology as quickly as they appear.
By doing this, you will guarantee that you will still have that career 15, 20 and even 50 years from today.
So many people are getting replaced by technology or even young and advanced people because they choose to stay with what they were taught 10 years ago.
Make sure that as part of your career goal, you are always willing to learn and improve.
Increase your skill set by taking a few courses or going back to school at night!
There are also plenty of amazing online causes you can take to improve or learn new skills.
These new experiences will ensure that you are always more marketable when it comes time to look for a new job or moving up the ladder in your current workplace.
4. Improving Your Networking Skills
Ladies, I am here to say that networking can be one of the most powerful career tools you have at your disposal.
Networking is all about making connections and creating mutually beneficial relationships with people who know other people and things.
It’s not strictly business though; it can be done in a more social setting which is often the case.
Some career experts argue that ‘networking’ isn’t particularly important for career advancement in today’s modern workforce when there are plenty of technological alternatives!
But I personally respectfully disagree.
If you are here looking for a list of career goals examples, this one should be on your list.
By expanding your professional network you are opening yourself up to potential career opportunities, you can seek mentors within these networks and you can learn from them.
Networking can also really help make your resume stand out from everyone else’s, provide valuable career advice, and help you find job openings before they become available to the general public.
My husband has landed huge positions simply by networking and standing out.
Even if you aren’t a career expert yet, it’s still easy to learn how to network and become good at it with enough practice.
Let’s take a look at some of the best tips for beginners:
- Talk and listen
- Be a good guest
- Be prepared
- Give referrals
- Take mental note
- Follow up
As I mentioned earlier, networking is one of the most valuable activities you can do for your career, so make the most of it.
5. Volunteer For Every Promotion That Comes Up
As a career woman, there will eventually come a time when you want to be promoted.
You’ll go in for your performance review and they might be a chance to get promoted.
Or maybe a job opening comes up and it’s exactly what you need.
If there’s a promotion available within your career or workforce, volunteer for it even if you might not be 100% qualified for it!
Nobody will remember six months down the line that you weren’t quite right for the role when they see how hard you’ve been working at improving yourself since!
If your goal is to advance in order to have professional growth, then every time there is an opportunity for you to move forward in your career – do not hesitate!
Here are some reasons why taking up on a promotion might actually be beneficial for you:
- You could potentially get paid more
- You gain experience and with increased responsibility, you’re able to show your supervisor how valuable and competent you are
- You get to be recognized more and as a result, it will help you get ahead even with other opportunities that may arise
- Opportunities for advancement become available when taking up promotions. Being an integral part of the business makes it easier for them to see they can rely on you (and trust me, this is not something that happens overnight).
This also means that there’s less competition for getting these opportunities when they come up!
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits for taking up on potential promotions.
An extra recommendation would be to take up any opportunity that comes your way even if you don’t want it right now.
Once again, getting involved with different aspects of the workplace is important because it makes you a more valuable asset to the company.
By getting involved more within the company, you will get to know more people in other departments that you don’t normally interact with.
This kind of knowledge is crucial for getting ahead within an organization.
These are powerful career goals for women that will help you advance.
PS: Don’t forget to ask for a promotion if an opportunity doesn’t present itself quickly enough.
6. Build On Your Self-Confidence
Some career paths may be better suited to those with high self-confidence than others.
Self-confidence can help you go a long way in life and other aspects of your life.
Career paths that require assertiveness, confidence and spontaneity will be more difficult for someone without the self-confidence to pursue.
Career goals for women are meant to be created to help you take a path that will make you a better person.
I always recommend you add building self-confidence to that list.
People with low self-confidence can take steps to build their own confidence when trying to find a career path that would help them land a good career!
When searching for the perfect career path the most important thing is finding something you enjoy.
While your passion does not necessarily have to lead you towards the career of your dreams it should help guide you.
Some career paths require taking risks which is more easily done by those with high self-confidence than those without.
For example, one of the best career opportunities for someone with confidence in speaking would be as an actor, a public speaker or a stand-up comedian.
Other career paths that could lead to success include writing and design (you can find a list of the best career for a woman here).
Though having good self-confidence does not necessarily mean success is guaranteed it can help pave the way towards a better career path.
7. Make It A Goal To Balance Work-Life
Work-life balance is becoming increasingly important to career women.
In the past, a career meant long hours at work and only a few hours with the family.
However, career women today recognize that their careers can be beneficial for themselves and their families if they take time to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
If you can find ways to maintain a career and a family life, then you have won the battle.
Work-life balance is quickly becoming an essential part of a career woman’s day-to-day activities.
It’s actually expected as you can easily burn out and it’s not good for mental health.
Taking advantage of flexible working schedules allows career women enough time to care for their children before or after school hours without sacrificing their career standards.
Allowing yourself some “me” time even during those busy weekdays or evenings is great for your health.
So make it your goal to find a good balance between your career and outside life.
Remember that at the end of the day, career goals are different depending on which stage of business life you’re currently working in.
This list of career goals examples is to be used as a guideline.
And there you have it, career-related goals worth setting!
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Related:
- 15 Low-Stress Careers For Women Worth Looking Out for (That Pay Well)
- 10 Best Books For Female Entrepreneurs Worth Reading In 2021
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