Setting career goals! 🚀

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses the importance of setting career goals and how they evolve over time. Initially aiming for a job at an advertising agency, they now value work-life balance and flexibility, having achieved the freedom to work remotely. The speaker shares personal career goals, including public speaking at design events, writing a book, and potentially leading a design team in the future. They emphasize that career goals should be based on the kind of life one wants, rather than rigid milestones, and encourage viewers to reflect on their own career journeys and goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Setting career goals is important for providing direction and purpose in your professional journey.
• 😀 Goals should be flexible and allow for change as your career evolves over time.
• 😀 Early career goals might not always align with later career paths, and that's okay. It's part of the growth process.
• 😀 Success isn't necessarily about achieving the exact original goal, but about aligning with the underlying purpose behind it.
• 😀 A flexible approach to goal-setting helps in making decisions about opportunities, as they should align with your bigger goals.
• 😀 Work-life balance and lifestyle are valid and important career goals, just as much as job titles or roles.
• 😀 Achieving freedom in your career doesn’t always require becoming a freelancer—it can be achieved through other means, like remote work.
• 😀 Career goals should focus on the state or feeling you want to achieve, rather than rigid outcomes or specific roles.
• 😀 Public speaking, sharing your story, and contributing to the design community can be powerful career goals that foster personal growth.
• 😀 Writing a book or creating a tangible resource for others can be a deeply fulfilling career goal that aligns with personal values and expertise.
• 😀 Leadership goals don’t always need to be pursued immediately. Developing skills over time is a natural path towards eventually leading teams.

Q & A

Why is it important to set career goals?

Setting career goals is important because it helps you know where you're heading, aids in making decisions, and provides a sense of direction. It allows you to evaluate opportunities and choose those that align with your objectives.

How should career goals be approached over time?

Career goals should be approached with flexibility. While it’s important to have goals, they should evolve as your career progresses and your interests change. What you aim for early on may not be the same as what you want later.

What was the speaker's original career goal, and how did it change?

The speaker originally aimed to work at a prestigious advertising agency like Saatchi & Saatchi, believing it was the pinnacle of a design career. Over time, this goal changed as they discovered a love for in-house work in the tech industry.

How does the speaker define success in relation to career goals?

The speaker defines success not by meeting every specific goal but by progressing towards what truly matters. Achieving the purpose behind a goal—such as freedom in work—was more important than sticking to a fixed career path.

What is one of the speaker’s current career goals?

One of the speaker’s current goals is to speak at design conferences, sharing their design process and projects, contributing to the design community through public speaking.

Why does the speaker want to write a book, and what is its intended purpose?

The speaker wants to write a book to inspire and guide aspiring designers, offering a roadmap for those considering a career in design. The book would serve as both a guide and a motivational tool for newcomers to the field.

What is the speaker's perspective on leadership roles in their career?

While the speaker initially removed leadership from their career goals list, they have since reconsidered and realized that leadership could be a long-term goal. They aim to lead a design team in the future, but not in the immediate term.

Why did the speaker initially remove the leadership goal from their list?

The speaker removed the leadership goal because they realized they didn't want to work in large companies that typically require senior leadership roles. However, after reflecting, they realized leadership can be achieved in smaller organizations or later in their career.

What is the speaker’s ultimate career goal?

The speaker's ultimate career goal is to do work they love for companies they believe in, with a focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance and finding meaning in their work.

How does the speaker recommend setting career goals?

The speaker recommends setting goals based on the state you want to achieve rather than focusing on the specific details of how to get there. For example, aiming for the freedom to work where and when you want, rather than prescribing the exact path to achieve it.