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Career Goals Essay Examples

Career goals essay topic examples, argumentative essays.

Argumentative career goals essays require you to present and defend a viewpoint or strategy related to your professional aspirations. Consider these topic examples:

• 1. Argue why pursuing higher education, such as a master's degree, is essential for achieving your long-term career goals.
• 2. Defend your perspective on whether adaptability or specialization is more important in today's ever-changing job market.

Example Introduction Paragraph for an Argumentative Career Goals Essay: The journey toward achieving our career goals often involves important decisions. In this essay, I will argue that pursuing a master's degree is not only personally fulfilling but also a strategic step toward realizing my long-term career aspirations in [your chosen field].

Example Conclusion Paragraph for an Argumentative Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the argument for pursuing a master's degree underscores the significance of advanced education in shaping our professional futures. As we contemplate our career paths, we are challenged to make choices that align with our ultimate goals.

Compare and Contrast Essays

Compare and contrast career goals essays involve analyzing the differences and similarities between various career paths, industries, or strategies for achieving your goals. Consider these topics:

• 1. Compare and contrast the career trajectories of professionals in two different fields, highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities each path offers.
• 2. Analyze the differences and similarities between pursuing entrepreneurship and working in a corporate environment to achieve your career goals.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Career Goals Essay: The pursuit of career goals often involves making informed choices about our professional paths. In this essay, we will compare and contrast the career trajectories of professionals in [Field A] and [Field B], shedding light on the challenges and opportunities each path presents.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Compare and Contrast Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the comparison and contrast of career trajectories in [Field A] and [Field B] reveal the diverse avenues available for achieving our goals. As we navigate our career choices, we are encouraged to explore the unique advantages each path offers.

Descriptive Essays

Descriptive career goals essays enable you to vividly depict your envisioned career, highlighting the responsibilities, impact, and personal fulfillment it offers. Here are some topic ideas:

• 1. Describe your ideal job in detail, emphasizing the specific role, responsibilities, and the positive contributions you aim to make.
• 2. Paint a detailed portrait of the work culture and environment you aspire to be a part of in your future career.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Descriptive Career Goals Essay: Our career goals are often shaped by our dreams and aspirations. In this essay, I will immerse you in the vivid details of my ideal job, showcasing the role, responsibilities, and the sense of purpose it offers on my journey toward professional fulfillment.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Descriptive Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the descriptive exploration of my ideal job underscores the importance of aligning our career goals with our aspirations. As we envision our professional futures, we are inspired to pursue opportunities that resonate with our passions and values.

Persuasive Essays

Persuasive career goals essays involve convincing your audience of the importance of a specific career path or the value of setting ambitious goals. Consider these persuasive topics:

• 1. Persuade your readers that pursuing a career in [your chosen field] will contribute significantly to societal progress and innovation.
• 2. Argue for the inclusion of career development programs in educational institutions to empower students in defining and pursuing their career goals.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Persuasive Career Goals Essay: Our career choices have the potential to impact not only our lives but also society as a whole. In this persuasive essay, I will present a compelling case for the societal importance of pursuing a career in [your chosen field] and the need for educational institutions to support students in their career aspirations.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Persuasive Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the persuasive argument for the societal value of careers in [your chosen field] emphasizes the transformative impact individuals can have on society. As we contemplate our career journeys, we are urged to consider the broader implications of our choices.

Narrative Essays

Narrative career goals essays allow you to share personal stories or experiences related to your career aspirations and the journey toward achieving them. Explore these narrative essay topics:

• 1. Narrate a personal experience that shaped your career goals and ignited your passion for [your chosen field].
• 2. Share a story of overcoming obstacles and setbacks on your path to realizing your long-term career aspirations.

Example Introduction Paragraph for a Narrative Career Goals Essay: Our career goals are often inspired by personal experiences and pivotal moments. In this narrative essay, I will take you on a journey through a defining experience that ignited my passion for [your chosen field], shaping my career aspirations and determination to succeed.

Example Conclusion Paragraph for a Narrative Career Goals Essay: In conclusion, the narrative of my journey toward realizing my career goals underscores the resilience and determination required to overcome obstacles. As we reflect on our own experiences, we are reminded that our career aspirations are within reach with dedication and perseverance.

10 Most Popular Career Goals Essay Topics in 2024

• Adapting Career Aspirations in the Age of Automation and AI
• The Role of Personal Branding in Achieving Career Success
• Navigating Career Changes: Strategies for Lifelong Learning
• Empowering Career Goals: The Impact and Importance of Scholarships
• The Impact of Globalization on Career Opportunities and Choices
• Mentorship's Role in Shaping Future Leaders and Professionals
• Success: The Importance of Setting Career Goals
• The Impact of Cultural Influences on Career Goals and Aspirations
• The Importance of Work-Life Balance in Career Planning
• Entrepreneurship as a Career Goal: Opportunities and Challenges

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Career Goals Essay For Scholarships (With Examples)

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Scholarship programs often want you to write a career goals essay to see that you have a clear plan for how you’ll apply your education to a specific career path. This helps show a scholarship committee why you’re seeking funds for the next step on the path toward your success. Answering “what are your career goals” effectively can help increase your odds of impressing landing a scholarship opportunity. If you’re a prospective student applying for scholarships, this article will provide tips on how to write a career goals essay, along with essays on career goals examples to help you get an idea of what scholarship committees are looking for. Key Takeaways: When you’re writing a career goals essay, make sure to write about the goals that are relevant to the scholarship. Be honest and use your own voice to stand out in your scholarship essay. Go into detail about how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals. In This Article    Skip to section What is a career goals essay? Why scholarship essays ask about career goals Example career goals essay prompts Career goals essay examples Tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals What to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed Career goals essay for a scholarship FAQ References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More What is a career goals essay?

A career goals essay is a personal written explanation that discusses your background, why you’re interested in participating in the program, and what career you’d like this degree to lead into. A scholarship essay functions to explain why you want to achieve your professional goals and how you intend to get there.

In almost every application process, a portion asks the candidate to answer an essay question. When applying to an educational program, like an MBA, the essay prompt usually relates to your career goals .

Why scholarship essays ask about career goals

Scholarship essays ask about career goals to assess your enthusiasm for the program, learn more about how the scholarship will help you, and ensure that you’ve considered how the program will help you achieve your goals for the future:

Assess your enthusiasm. Passion is important for scholarship administrators, and if you’re able to articulate your enthusiasm for a specific career path , it will show that you’re determined to meet the requirements to reach that goal. The most specific and well-thought-out your essay is, the easier it will be for a reader to understand your devotion and commitment to the program and the field it will allow you to enter.

Learn how the scholarship will help you. Having a firm grasp of your career goals is great, but it’s equally important that you express exactly how the specific program relates to those goals. This shows that you’ve researched the merits of the program and understand exactly how it fits into your professional goals.

Show you’ve considered your future. This goes along with the first two points — show that you know how to set goals and consider the path toward achieving those goals, and you’ll have an easier time convincing the reader that you’ll know how to set goals while participating in the program. They’ll see that you know how to prioritize education because you have a clear vision for navigating your career path.

Example career goals essay prompts

While some scholarships might come right out and simply ask, “What are your career goals?” most will rework the question into something different that still accomplishes the same goal.

Below are some examples of career goals essay prompts that a scholarship program could pose to its applicants:

Discuss your career goals. Many scholarships prefer the most direct approach when giving an essay prompt to their applicants. This type of question gives the candidate a lot of wiggle room to discuss their passions, motivations, and career goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years ? This question is often used as a prompt for a career goals essay because it gives the applicant a timeline to describe their aspirations. It forces them to be realistic about where their career will be and how they will accomplish this within the next ten years.

How will this scholarship contribute to your professional success? A scholarship committee wants to be sure that the money they’re giving will contribute to a student’s overall professional success. This question asks about the applicant’s game plan in the long-term and evaluates how this program is going to assist in their future.

What is your dream job ? Since a dream job is often categorized as a person’s career goals, this is a common question phrasing in scholarship essays. Asking about a candidate’s dream job answers whether this program aligns with the student’s long-term career goals.

What matters most to you and why? Sometimes, a scholarship essay prompt won’t ask about your career or future at all. Instead, they’ll ask a question like this that assesses your motivations , values, and character.

Career goals essay examples

Use these examples of career goals essays for scholarships to help write your own. Pay special attention to how they’re organized, rather than the content, to inspire your own career goals essay:

Career goals essay example 1 – Discuss your career goals

When I was six years old, I was riding bikes with my older sister around our neighborhood. She had just taught me how to ride, and I was excited to have to freedom to explore with her. When she was rounding a particularly difficult bend to see around, a car happened to be coming along at the same time. It struck her. That bike ride changed our lives forever. Over the next year, I went with my sister every Tuesday and Thursday to her physical therapist ’s appointments to help her regain walking strength. Watching her physical therapist patiently assist my sister back to becoming herself awoken something in me. A passion for helping others in the same way eventually turned into a career goal of becoming a physical therapist myself. I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After graduating in 2019, I knew that the next step for me was to attend a graduate program in physical therapy. I was accepted to Lassell University Master of Science in Rehabilitation Services. This presented me with my latest goal along my career path, and I’m eagerly waiting to start. This scholarship would help me afford the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Lassell University class of 2023, allowing me to continue working towards my ultimate career goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others to become themselves again.

Career goals essay example 2 – Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years, I will have been successfully running my own construction business for about five years. I’m currently a second-year student at the University of Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. I decided to get my MBA because I knew it would be a positive asset toward my long-term career goal of owning a construction business. In my high school years, I worked as a construction apprentice for a local business. I loved many aspects of the business, such as building something from nothing. I knew that I wanted to incorporate this work into my long-term career, but I didn’t want to work as an apprentice . This led me to pursue business. In ten years and with the help of this scholarship, I will have graduated with my MBA almost a decade prior . After graduation, I plan to take a business administration internship with a carpentry business to help myself get a footing in the field. After about two years of this, I will have started my own construction business.

Career goals essay example 3 – What matters most to you and why?

The people I surround myself with matter most to me. Whether it be my relatives, friends, or professional acquaintances, I always care the most about the happiness of the people around me. Making the people around me happy matters the most to me because I truly because we find our happiness through others. I believe that this drive to make a positive impression on the people around me is what drove me towards a career as a nurse . I always thought of hospitals as places where people need someone to support them and make their day a little happier. I wanted to be one of those who spend their careers positively impacting people in need. This scholarship will enable me to finally afford nursing school and go after my dream job full force.

Career goals essay example 4 – What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how will earning this degree contribute to achieving those goals? Please provide a minimum of 200 words.

My short-term career goals involve working directly with underprivileged young people to increase the literacy rate in my community. As a student of an underfunded and understaffed school, I’ve seen firsthand how much of an impact early literacy education makes on long-term achievement. It broke my heart to see my peers embarrassed at their struggle with reading at an advanced age, and this shame added another dimension to their lack of opportunity. Being a literacy educator for young people would allow me to serve this community directly to show them not only the necessity of strong written communication skills, but the joy of reading for pleasure. This program focuses specifically on early literacy, and would provide me a direct route to a career in serving the community I hope to serve. As for long-term career goals, I hope to one day create a program where socioeconomically parents can bring their children for literacy education, not only to increase their ability to navigate the world of language, but also to instill confidence and joy in the written word. What drew me to this program was that it also has administrative, legal, and business dimensions that would set me on the path toward achieving this goal.

Tips for writing a scholarship essay about career goals

Here are some tips to keep in mind for writing a career goals scholarship essay:

Write about goals relevant to the scholarship. Although you may have many different kinds of goals for your personal and professional future, a scholarship essay only discusses objectives that are relevant to the program you’re applying for.

Be honest. Applying for a scholarship is stressful because the applicant’s education is usually reliant on receiving these funds in one way or another. Even though it’s tempting to exaggerate your skills or pretend you’re more passionate about something than you are to make yourself a more competitive applicant, it’s a bad move.

Use your own, unique voice. The essay portion of a scholarship application is your chance to stand out by using your voice. Nobody else, regardless of their academic or professional achievements, is you. Make this clear in your career goals scholarship essay by keeping your unique written voice engrained in the words you produce.

Be specific. A big reason that scholarship committees ask applicants to write a career goals essay is to determine how prepared they are in planning their long-term professional goals. They aren’t interested in providing a scholarship to students who aren’t going to follow through with their career plans.

Explain long and short-term goals . Even if the essay prompt asks you to describe where you see yourself in ten years, you still need to tell them the steps leading towards this picture of success.

Include the short-term goals that add up to your larger career objectives in your essay response. Explain how accomplishing the smaller goals gives you an advantage when tackling long-term ones.

Explain how the program and scholarship will help you. Before writing your career goals essay, consider how this program and scholarship will help you in your career. The answer to this question is essential.

Follow the essay formatting guidelines. This may sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget this step when your essay is finally flowing and when you’re scrambling to get it submitted on time.

Check, double-check , and triple-check the essay guidelines for content, word count, and formatting requirements. If you miss any of these steps, your essay may be immediately disqualified no matter how good it or the rest of your application is.

What to write in a career goals essay if your goals have changed

Many times career goals essays are written by students who have already completed at least some college or are applying to a post-graduate program and need more money to continue.

There’s a good chance that your career goals have changed since you started or graduated college. For example, say you wanted to be an engineer , so you got your undergraduate degree in engineering but realized you didn’t like it after working in the industry for a few years.

You decided that nursing would be more up your alley, and now you’re applying for a scholarship for a nursing program. While this isn’t unusual, it can make it more difficult to write a career goals essay since your past work doesn’t necessarily match your future goals.

In this case, you’ll simply need to explain why you changed your career path and why this next one is the best choice for you. Share your decision-making process to show that you haven’t taken the switch lightly, and talk about what you’ve already done to try to pursue this path.

Career goals essay for a scholarship FAQ

How do you write a career goal for a scholarship essay?

You write a career goal for a scholarship essay by sharing your passion, explaining both your long- and short-term goals, and relating your goals to the scholarship.

Explain why you want to pursue the career you’re pursuing, where you hope to be in the future and how you plan to get there, and how the scholarship will help you do this.

How do you describe your career goals in an essay?

You describe your career goals in an essay by explaining what you want to do in your career, why you decided on this career path, and what you’ve done so far to make that a reality.

You can usually work these factors into any prompt you receive, so think through them before you start writing so that you can use them as an outline of sorts.

What are career goals examples?

Examples of career goals include:

Working as a grant writer for a nonprofit organization.

Becoming a department manager and eventually an executive in your field.

Owning your own plumbing company.

Caring for underserved communities as a nurse practitioner .

What are some goals for success?

Some goals for success include growing in your role, building your network, and finding joy in the job. Most careers don’t just happen overnight and require you to set the right milestones that work best for you. Not everyone will have the same goals for success.

How do you start a career goals essay for a scholarship?

You can start a career goals essay for a scholarship by directly answering the prompt. Most scholarship prompts include a word count of between 200 and 500 words, so it’s essential that you immediately respond to the prompt. Attention-grabbing sentences and narratives can be helpful for setting the scene, but an efficient and direct answer will show a clarity of mind that helps enhance the quality of your answer.

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Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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Writing Tips for a Career Goals Essay (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Mar 1, 2023

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For your college scholarship essay, you may be asked about your career goals. The scholarship committee wants to see how investing in your education will help your career. Do you have a definitive plan? Will a college education fit into that plan? These are the answers they want to see.

In this guide, we will provide some scholarship essay examples about career goals to jumpstart your essay writing.

Writing tips for career goals scholarship essays

Here are some quick tips for writing career goal scholarship essays:

• Write about career goals that tie into the scholarship. This doesn’t mean you have to lie about your career goals to make them fit. Find a way to relate them to the scholarship committee or other elements of the scholarship.
• Be precise about your career goals. Avoid vague statements that suggest you do not have a plan. Judges like to see determination because it shows they’re making a worthy educational investment.
• Discuss how your education will help you achieve your career goals. The scholarship will assist with your education. Show a connection between the two so they can see why you deserve this scholarship.
• If you mention multiple goals, indicate which one you feel most strongly about. Longer essays may allow you to mention a backup plan, but the committee needs to see where your focus lies.
• Avoid cliché statements. Describe how your specific talents, experiences, and degree pursuits will help you succeed.
• Point out solutions, not problems. You may mention struggles you’ve had in the past, but pinpoint how you will learn from them. Moreover, show how those struggles led to your career goals.
• Organize your thoughts in a fluid manner. This will most likely be in chronological order, starting with your degree and progressing through your career growth.
• Write, revise, rest, revise. This goes for any essay writing. Write the first draft from start to finish. Then read through it and edit any grammar or flow errors. Take a break, preferably overnight, and then re-read your content with fresh eyes.

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Example 1: Scholarship essay about career goals (100 words)

In a 100-word scholarship essay, you need to quickly make your point. There is not enough room for a lengthy intro or backstory. Use concise, comprehensive statements to deliver the most information in the fewest words.

I’m a sophomore at Texas Tech University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Companion Animal Science. After graduation, I hope to attend Texas A&M to become a veterinarian serving rescue organizations and animal shelters. I was born and raised in the south, where it is common for people to abandon animals in rural areas. Those animals then go into a rescue – emaciated, frightened, and confused. I want to work with rescues to provide affordable veterinary medicine to the animals they save. This scholarship would help me continue my education and potentially save thousands of abandoned animals in the future.

Word count: 99

Example 2: Scholarship essay about career goals (250 words)

With a 250-word scholarship essay, you have a little more room to discuss the details of your career goals. You can explain situations from your past that inspired your career pursuits. You could use one paragraph to talk about your short-term goals and another to talk about your long-term goals. Just make sure the big picture ties into the scholarship.

My name is Patrick Holden and I am a freshman at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and minoring in linguistics. I plan to become an English teacher, but this wasn’t always what I had in mind.  When thinking about my future, I always saw myself in some sort of corporate office, perhaps as an executive assistant or a loan officer at a bank. My father works in the finance office for a car dealership and my mother works at a call center. I assumed I would follow a similar, albeit boring, path in life. In my junior year of high school, everything changed. My English teacher inspired me in ways I could have never imagined. She got me to love writing, literature, etymology, and everything about the English language. She made me want to be a better student in all of my classes, and she helped me see the value of education. I decided then that I wanted to inspire other students just as she did for me. My parents are unfortunately not able to contribute much toward my college expenses. I have earned a tuition scholarship based on my ACT score, but I still need additional funding for books and supplies. English majors have particularly high book costs because we have to purchase multiple books for each class. With the help of this scholarship, I could afford to continue my degree and become an English teacher.

Word count: 240

Example 3: Scholarship essay about career goals (500 words)

With 500 words or more to play around with, you have plenty of space to talk about your career goals. Maintain the same theme throughout the scholarship essay. Each paragraph should connect to the next, and they should all work together to describe your career plan. Avoid making disconnected statements for the sake of word count. In the end, the scholarship committee should have a clear view of your educational plans and professional aspirations.

Internet marketing has gone from an optional method of advertisement to a vital step in business outreach. Even small businesses in remote towns look to the internet to attract customers and spread the word about their services. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing with an emphasis on Digital Marketing. With this training, I will be able to enter a profession that will only grow year by year. When I was younger, I found print advertisements to be fascinating. I loved reading the newspaper with my father just to see the full-page ads in between stories. When I got older though, those ads became less appealing because they were not adaptive. They seemed dated, static and ill-fit for changes in society. That’s when I discovered internet marketing. It was still in its infancy when I was in middle school, but by the time I graduated high school, it had become a staple in business development. I loved the way internet marketers had to constantly adjust to fit Google’s algorithms, new mobile devices, and new audiences. I knew this was the career for me. Originally, I planned to focus solely on business marketing because there were not many digital marketing degrees available. Over the last two years though, several schools throughout the country have developed internet marketing courses that explain fundamental methods of search engine optimization, website analytics, and more. These are the foundations I will build my career around. The best part about internet marketing is that there is always something new to learn. I can use my creative mind and exploratory nature to try new advertising methods that help businesses succeed. Every time they do well, I do well. This is the kind of job fulfillment most people can only dream of, but my educational plan and job prospects will allow me to achieve it. I have picked up some freelance jobs online to supplement my studies and help pay for my education. It is difficult to maintain a steady stream of income in freelance because I spend so much time on my school work. This scholarship could offset some of the costs and reduce my workload as a whole. While I will still work throughout the semester and full-time in the summers, having extra financial aid would greatly reduce my stress in college. I look forward to a future where I can use my marketing skills to help business owners achieve their career goals. I plan to spend the first few years after graduation working for a successful, long-standing digital marketing company. After I have enough on-the-job training to feel confident in my abilities, I will open my own internet marketing company in Chicago, where my family lives. I have a clear picture of where I will be in the next 10 years, and I know this degree is going to help me get there.

Word count: 481

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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How to Write an Awesome Essay About Your Career Goals

• Before you begin, ask yourself a few key questions like:
• What are my short-term and long-term career goals?
• Where do I see myself in ten years?
• What events in my life have led me to have these goals?
• What major will help me reach my goals?
• What skills do I need to reach my goals?
• What impact do I want to have on society?

Career Goals Essay Template

Need more inspiration.

After you brainstorm the responses to these questions, look for common themes, or pick out the most interesting stories. You can build your main essay “thesis” or idea around this.

Once you’ve got the main idea, create an outline to put your ideas into essay format. This will give you a general idea of structure.

You can use the career essays template below to give you some ideas. But remember that some rules are meant to be broken, so don’t be afraid to be innovative and think outside the box!

Also, when you’re done, head over to Going Merry to apply for the Career Goals scholarship essay bundle (one essay, one application, multiple scholarships!). You might as well make that essay count. Sign up for Going Merry to apply for scholarships more efficiently.

Here’s a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown:

Paragraph 1 : Establish the main theme of what you’re going to talk about. It should also grab the reader’s attention. For example, instead of starting your essay with something generic (e.g. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a zoologist), get creative with it! Try something like My greatest memory as a young girl was going to the zoo for the first time or While most kids play house or school, I always wanted to play zookeeper.

Paragraph 2 : Elaborate on what inspired your career goals. Perhaps it was a relative, a TV show, or simply an experience that you had. Remember that old writing adage, “Show, don’t tell.” In other words, try to demonstrate your interest with story or description. 

Paragraph 3 : Discuss your short-term career goals and your intended major. How will your intended major help you reach these goals? What skills do you need to learn to reach them? At the end of the paragraph, try discussing how your short-term goals can help you achieve your long-term goals.

Paragraph 4 : Focus on your long-term goals and the impact that you hope to have on society. If you’re not sure what your long-term goals are, don’t sweat it; they’ll probably change anyways. You can instead focus on the difference you’d like to make overall. And don’t worry too much about the size of the impact…remember that just doing what you’re truly passionate about has a massive impact on those around you.

The last paragraph is your conclusion. You can use this paragraph to summarize what you discussed in the previous few paragraphs. If you want to be even more creative, try ending your essay with a question for your readers or a new insight. Good luck!

And now that you’re ready with that essay, put it to good use! You can recycle that same essay, when applying for the Career Goals Scholarship Bundle. We’ve joined together multiple scholarships (all requesting essays on career goals), into just ONE simple application! See more info here , or just sign up to get going.

Check out examples from other students just like you. Here are links to some great career goal essay examples:

• Example 1  
• Example 2  
• Example 3  

Or maybe you’re looking for help with an academic goals essay — we’ve got you covered there too.

Also, check out this helpful list of the 10 most common scholarship essay topics !

Sign up for Going Merry today, and upload your career goal essay right to your profile. It’s that easy!

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February 29, 2024

• Writing Your Career Goals Essay

Check out all the blog posts in this series:

• Identifying the Ingredients of a Winning Essay
• Finding a Theme for Your Statement of Purpose
• Revise and Polish Your Application Essays

Your career goals essay demands a laser-like focus. A personal statement, by contrast, allows for some flexibility in its content, though you can – and often should – discuss your career goals. But a career goals essay has a particular and packed agenda. In fact, the prompt for a career goals essay could actually include multiple questions, and in such cases, you want to make sure you address each of them.

For example, in 2022, Kellogg asked applicants to its one-year program to respond to the following prompt: “Please discuss your post-MBA career goal, the current experience you will leverage to support the transition, and the Kellogg 1Y opportunities that will help you reach this goal.” 

This prompt has three parts: (1) What do you want to do post-MBA ? (2) Why is the 1Y program appropriate for you? And (3) what experience has so far prepared you to succeed in your target role? 

So, always pay close attention to your target school’s prompt to ensure that you answer all the questions within its “single” question. 

Three elements of a successful career goals essay

In addition to having a distinct theme , your career goals essay should achieve the following:

• Highlight specific career achievements. Choose from your most notable or defining experiences. These could be related to your work, community involvement, or extracurricular activities. The experiences you select should showcase your leadership skills , creative thinking, collaborative abilities, and personal reflections about what you learned or gained.
• Explain why your experiences and influences make your career goal a logical and wise choice.
• Demonstrate why you are suited to a particular field as a result of your education, experience, abilities, and enthusiasm. Ideally, the material you choose to include will also allow you to prove your knowledge about industry trends and suggest how your abilities and strengths can help you contribute to that field.

It’s a very tall order to achieve all this.

Putting these elements together to create your goals essay

Let’s take a look at a sample MBA Goals Essay and see how these three key elements are incorporated.  

You should be able to easily recognize why the writer’s opening is attention-getting for all the right reasons. The writer introduces herself as the supremely busy executive she visualizes becoming in the future. She trades large amounts of stock, rushes off to a Zoom conference, hurries downstairs, flags down a taxi, then hops on a plane. As she describes this whirlwind of activity, we can practically feel her heart pumping.

After establishing her voice and personality in this opening, she offers context for her MBA goal. Notice that in writing about her work as an accountant for a major firm, she provides relevant details, including how many years she has been in the field, her bilingualism, and her specialty area as an auditor. This information is her springboard to explain why she is pursuing an MBA: she’s bursting out of her limited role as an accountant. Her eyes and ambition are set on a larger playing field as an international investment manager.

Write an essay, not a list or CV

Outstanding career goals essays are not lists of an applicant’s roles and achievements. Instead, they have a narrative flow and arc that convey the candidate’s palpable excitement about their career choice. This writer’s enthusiastic, dreamy first paragraph achieves this, and she returns to that image at the end, where she paints her idealized (if frantically busy) future. She also proves her seriousness by noting that she registered for the CFA exam.

Connect your career goals to your reasons for choosing a particular program

Many essay questions, especially those for MBA programs , will ask why you have chosen the school you’re applying to. Be prepared to respond knowledgeably and enthusiastically. And the only way to become knowledgeable – and enthusiastic – is by visiting campus in-person or virtually, attending student recruitment meetings, participating in forums, reading student blogs, watching videos of students speaking about their experiences, communicating directly with students and/or recent alumni, and otherwise doing your homework. As part of your research, make sure you have familiarized yourself with the courses and specializations that are relevant to your goals.

Summary Tips

• Focus on answering each and every question asked in a career goals essay prompt. Often, there is more than one.
• Highlight specific achievements vividly and in a way that shows that your career choice is logical for you.
• Do the research so you can write about why the school is a good fit for you and do so with genuine enthusiasm.

In the next post in this series , we’ll explain how to take all this advice and apply it to create an exemplary first draft.

Work one-on-one with an expert who will walk you through the process of creating a slam-dunk application. Check out our full catalog of application services . Our admissions consultants have read thousands of essays and know the exact ingredients of an outstanding essay.

By Judy Gruen, former Accepted admissions consultant. Judy holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. She is also the co-author of Accepted’s first full-length book, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools . Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• The Winning Ingredients of a Dynamic MBA Goals Essay , a free guide
• Grad School Personal Statement Examples
• Focus on Fit , podcast Episode 162

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Guide on Career Goals Essay: Tips and Templates

What's the Purpose of Your Career Goals Essay

There are many contributing factors that lead you to your career path. Those include the education you receive in high school, your interests, and relevant past experience. As we approach the verge of graduation, we tend to establish distinct career aspirations based on these factors. So, you need to gather all the information mentioned above concisely and clearly in your career goals essay.

Writing winning career goals essays is one of the major parts of your college application. The main purpose is to project why you follow certain educational programs. This is your chance to show off your career ambitions and state why your candidature should be invested.

Proceed with the article for detailed tips on how to write a scholarship essay about career goals, and read specific career goals essay examples for more inspiration.

Feel welcome to use our essay writing service whether you are looking for an education goals essay or 300 word essay on career goals examples.

How to Write a 'What Are Your Career Goals Essay'

There are some essential components and writing tips for crafting a top-notch career goal essay. Primarily, the admissions committee should be able to see individualism and honesty in your personal cover letter. Your future goals should be based on your pure interests. The next important step is organizing your essay following a classical structure consisting of an introduction, body, and conclusion. Last but not least, aligning your ambitions and relevant experience to your future career and stating why this particular educational program will help you through your career growth is crucial.

For specific educational and career goals essay examples, check the prompts given below.

Keep Your Personal Style in Your Career Goals Essay

Looking forward to the stage of application to write your personal statement? Your career goals essay serves that purpose for many reasons.

The admissions committee should be able to see your personality between the lines of your career goal essay, whether you are applying for an MBA program or specific financial aid. List down all the relevant experiences that provided you with valuable knowledge and try to combine them in your essay. Describe what exactly drew you to participate in those workshops, conferences, or internships, and state how they align with your career goals.

Writing career goals scholarship essays is your chance to highlight your unique character and personality. You are welcome to write about your ambitions, goals, and aspirations. However, the most important thing is to list them per the chosen educational field. That will be a projection of your thoughtful decision regarding your career path.

The career essay example below might motivate you to construct an essay that will grant you admission to the desired institution. For further educational goals essay tips, proceed with the article.

Structure Your Career Goals Essay

Your career goals essay shows your career plan. It is your chance to strategically call the attention of the scholarship committee to your interests, passions, and aspirations. For that reason, you need to write a winning essay in a very clear and direct manner. Try to organize the essay in adjustment to the classical structure:

• Introduction - Start writing with attention-grabbing phrases that will immediately hook the reader. Briefly overview the main objectives you intend to discuss in the rest of the essay.
• Body - Feel confident in jotting down the professional or academic experience that you had in the past. Associate the latter with your future career goals.
• Conclusion - Sum up discussed points and firmly restate your enthusiasm for choosing that specific undergraduate or graduate program.

Check out the provided career essay example for more writing tips.

Maintain Relevance in Your Career Goals Essay

Begin to describe your academic and career goals from a long-term perspective. Give why it is worth investing in your education over all the other candidates. In other words, do not be shy to highlight the value that your candidature holds based on gained experience and professional goals. Align what you want to achieve with what you are applying for.

For more insights on 'what are your career goals essay' check out the service of our essay writer online .

Your Career Goals Essay Example

You are welcome to glance through the career goals scholarship essay we have prepared to make your writing process easier.

'Why do I Want to Be a Special Education Teacher?'

Childhood is the time of our lives when most of our genuine interests originate. Ever since I was a small kid, my mom often found me sitting quietly at the desk, pretending to be a teacher. I distinctly remember that I found it thrilling and satisfying to correct the works of fellow classmates and write small remarks as side notes for them. As I grew older, I directed my main career goal toward becoming a teacher. I believe that teachers inspire future generations to be the best versions of themselves, which only brings about positive outcomes.

My pure intentions orbit around helping those not perceived as equally smart or intelligent from the modern perspective. No wonder I always knew that I wanted to offer a helping hand to children with disabilities. They need to gain valuable knowledge as much as we all do, and we should be encouraged to create equal opportunities for them. I firmly believe that contributing to the development of those underprivileged children will make their lives brighter and slightly easier. Everybody deserves to acquire a college knowledge base if one has the desire. Hence, no wonder I aspire to become a special education teacher.

I have spent years gaining experience in the field of education. With the help of traineeships and workshops, I allowed myself to dive deep into the psychological aspects of teaching. Therefore, I mastered the ways which should be implemented in the field of education to create an unstressful and welcoming environment for children with disabilities to become proficient in any desired subject. I firmly believe that pursuing the Special Education undergraduate program will help me get to my life-long goal of becoming a helpful, competent, and reliable teacher who can positively impact the lives of myriads of underprivileged children.

From my subjective point of view, there is no better career choice than becoming a special education teacher. I want to touch upon the lives of those vulnerable children deprived of the same possibilities and opportunities that others are granted naturally. The appropriate educational program will be the best possible means of achieving my dream.

For more scholarship essay examples, you can check out the one below. Meanwhile, look at the list of fully accredited online universities that can help you fulfill your scholarship goals.

Professional Career Goals Essay Examples

Here you can read one of the professional career goals essay examples. We would be delighted to pave the way for you to perfectly describe your academic and career goals based on it, whether you are applying for a specific job position or trying to win the trust of the scholarship committee.

'My Aspiration of Going into Business'

Deciding on a career choice can be very stressful for youngsters. However, I always knew I wanted to connect my experience and hold a bachelor's degree in a field related to Business Management. The choice is not accidental. I have deliberately found a passion for owning a business, specifically in the film industry. The cinematography of various Western or Eastern movies in Hollywood, Eastern Europe, or Asia would always grab my attention because I found them aesthetically pleasing. I discovered that I wanted to dig deeper into the mechanisms behind creating such kinds of artworks, and I aspired to finance their production through my own means. Hence, connecting my professional career goals directly to the business industry was a prominent means of achieving my goal.

My leisure almost always included watching movies of adventure, romance, history, and other genres. As I got older, I gradually concluded that I learned much more from the movie industry than I ever learned in school. That became one of my major motivations to invest in my career in the business industry to be able to financially and structurally manage the crew who work blood, sweat, and tears behind the scenes to contribute valuable pieces of work to the film industry. I always imagined myself being in charge of marketing, financing, and dealing with the staff that is the core force behind creating masterpieces. That way, I would help youngsters like me to enjoy a quality product that would not only be aesthetically pleasing but informative as well.

I have invested a lot of my time and energy volunteering for workshops and conferences that helped me gain deeper insight into the film industry. These opportunities revealed my time management, communication, and team player skills. I believe these qualities are essential to succeed in any field in the modern world. At the same time, I found my intellectual strength in math and the relevant technical subjects. I wanted to combine my inspirations and interests. Hence the final decision to go into the business field was the product of aligning these two factors perfectly.

I have a clear vision for my future, and I'm willing to continue working hard to end up where I envision myself, which is exactly in the business field in association with the movie industry.

Need further assistance? Do not hesitate to use our MBA essay writing service for your benefit. We are here to help you make the best out of your future business career!

Use Our Academic Assistance

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Career Goals Essay: From Start to End

• Icon Calendar 13 August 2024
• Icon Page 4455 words
• Icon Clock 20 min read

Career goals essays are pieces of writing where authors explain a selected professional path they wish to pursue. In essay writing, outstanding papers contain details on what an individual intends to achieve in a specific occupation. Basically, a person should include stages of professional development and their precise purposes. In writing, five key stages of identifying professional essays include defining a dream job, documenting specific objectives, breaking down these aims, making them measurable, and developing an action plan. Then, other important writing steps include breaking aspirations into short- and long-term objectives. Moreover, a clear order of execution of specific objectives contributes to one’s level of success in a chosen job. In turn, effective career goals essays follow a precise structure that includes introduction, body, and conclusion parts. Hence, every applicant focuses on writing a perfect career goals essay by considering a unique concept of aspirations. Besides, an applicant should focus on professional and educational objectives.

General Aspects

Career goals essays refer to a piece of writing where authors explain a selected professional path they wish to pursue. Basically, an outstanding career aspirations essay contains details on what an individual intends to achieve in a selected profession. Then, other important writing details include job aspirations, relevant achievements that can contribute toward achieving personal aims, and defined ways that ambition can promote professional growth. Further on, including short- and long-term goals plays a crucial role in improving an overall quality of these papers. In writing, career goals essays stand out from personal statements since they show an admission board of prospective employers that one’s professional purposes apply to a specific field of study or job position one intends to pursue. Hence, documents are unique since they allow scholars to create a strong impression and increase their chances of receiving a university admission or being hired by a company. 

What Is a Career Goals Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a career goals essay is a personal narrative and form of writing that outlines an individual’s professional objectives, specific steps they intend to take to achieve them, and how their past experiences and education have prepared them for this journey. As such, the main purpose of writing a career goals essay is to communicate a clear and coherent vision of a person’s future professional path (Kunert, 2021). For academic applications, such as for scholarships or graduate programs, these compositions provide more insights into how applicant’s goals align with institution’s offerings and values. On the other hand, for job applications, these papers highlight a candidate’s long-term vision and how their job dreams align with company’s objectives, showcasing their potential for growth and contribution within a chosen organization. Moreover, complete documents provide key insights into individual’s motivations, values, and long-term potentials, making it an essential tool for demonstrating commitment and readiness for future challenges (Asher, 2024). In terms of pages and words, the length of a career goals essay depends on academic levels, precise application requirements, and unique writing instructions, while general guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 1-2 pages
• Word Count: 250-500 words
• Length: 2-3 pages
• Word Count: 500-750 words
• Length: 3-4 pages
• Word Count: 750-1,000 words

Master’s

• Length: 4-6 pages
• Word Count: 1,000-1,500 words
• Length: 6-8 pages or more
• Word Count: 1,500-2,000 words or more

Note: Some sections of a career goals essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, depending on specific instructions provided by a given institution or an application itself. For example, a standard career goals essay format is a structured outline that includes an introduction paragraph of aspirations, detailed descriptions of short-term and long-term goals, relevant experiences and skills, and a conclusion that summarizes a unique commitment to achieving these objectives (Tipler, 2024). In writing, a career goal statement is a concise declaration of a person’s professional aspirations, outlining their long-term objectives and key steps they plan to take to achieve them. Finally, to start a career goals essay, people begin with a compelling introduction that highlights their primary professional aspirations, key motivations, and crucial experiences that have guided them toward their path.

Developing career goals is an important activity that successful students consider. Basically, such a process allows people to identify their professional objectives based on personal strengths and interests (Creed et al., 2020). Besides, they establish writing steps they must follow to make significant and specific contributions to their communities. In turn, the following stages are essential in developing aspirations:

Stage 1: Defining a Dream Job

Defining one’s dream is a first step in making long-term professional goals and obtaining a necessary motivation. Basically, this step enables an individual to make clear objectives on what to achieve in the future (Kunert, 2021). In essay writing, an aspiring student or employee should take the time to study employment sectors and identify important professions. For example, following this strategy ensures an individual develops the most satisfying aims to achieve through a career dream (Andresen et al., 2019). In turn, prudent individuals base their defined purposes on specific gaps existing in a precise occupation. Moreover, one should focus on delivering a solution that can solve an existing problem in a given labor market (Tipler, 2024). Thus, defining a dream job is a first and important writing step toward leading a successful profession.

Effective use of creative writing ways can lead to an accurate and precise definition of career goals. For example, one should rely on current and job skills that relate to childhood interests (Asher, 2024). In this case, successful aspirations must allow an individual to achieve youthful dreams. Moreover, to write an essay about their career, people outline their professional aspirations, reflect on unique experiences and skills that have shaped their path, and discuss their future objectives and precise steps they plan to take to achieve them (Tipler, 2024). In turn, this strategy can increase one’s level of satisfaction. Therefore, one must relate childhood dreams to a specific profession when developing unique purposes to write about.

Stage 2: Documenting Career Goals

A second step in identifying desired goals is to document them accurately. In particular, a person must identify how specific objectives would change situations and influence other aspects of life (Parada & Salmela-Aro, 2022). Moreover, by noting personal purposes, this writing method allows one to envision a job and determine if it would satisfy personal desires. Hence, some important facts a person must consider may include to:

• Envision a specific type and nature of an office.
• Envisage a unique dress of work.
• Consider some daily activities in a dream job.
• Develop a clear outlook of success in an identified job.
• Spell out an actual meaning of success in a job identified.

A particular process of writing career goals down plays an important role in allowing an individual to identify precise steps to take in achieving aspirations. In essay writing, envisaging different employment aspects can allow a person to develop a strong connection with a future professional path. Therefore, writing one’s aspirations is an important step toward making a firm decision to pursue a specific job.

Stage 3: Breaking Down Specific Objectives

Breaking career objectives into short- and long-term goals is a third important stage an individual should consider. In essay writing, aspiring students or employees must identify precise aims they want to achieve first (Asher, 2024). Basically, a clear order of execution of specific objectives contributes toward one’s level of success in a profession. Then, effective organizations of writing strategies play a crucial role in an entire achievement of one’s career goals (Kunert, 2021). From a practical perspective, effective planning reduces potential chances of wasting available resources in achieving precise objectives. In turn, breaking down aspirations leads to a direct identification of those that one can achieve immediately or after a specific period (Tipler, 2024). Therefore, one should consider separating professional objectives and follow next steps:

• Identify short-term goals – These objectives include those aims one can achieve within twelve months.
• Identify long-term goals – These aims include activities one can complete over several years.
• Develop strategic plans that can connect between two categories of objectives.

Studying standard prospects of any job position enhances one’s ability to break down desired outcomes. For example, every successful person takes specific steps to achieve desired outcomes (Tipler, 2024). In practice, one should learn from what mentors do to achieve their defined occupation objectives and successes. Then, exploring a particular professional development of mentors allows one to determine precise steps to take in pursuing aspirations (Kunert, 2021). In writing, one should consider exploring some opportunities, like online learning, additional certification, and mentorship that can lead to a development of hard and soft skills. Hence, one should consider studying future professional prospects when breaking down aspirations into short- and long-term goals.

Stage 4: Making Career Goals Measurable

Creating specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (smart) goals enhances one’s ability to achieve desired outcomes. For example, an aspiring student or employee should create smart goals after outlining incremental steps to reach an ultimate job path (Kunert, 2021). Basically, this writing step allows an individual to identify an entire progress made in achieving occupational aims. Besides, one identifies an intended progress after a specific time. Then, other benefits of using smart objectives include a clear development of plans that can allow an individual to move from one step in a given professional path to the other (Tipler, 2024). In turn, students should set specific deadlines for achieving professional objectives. Therefore, one should consider creating smart aspirations and write about them.

Stage 5: Creating an Action Plan

A last step in creating career goals includes developing an action plan. For example, individuals must identify specific resources required to achieve precise objectives created (Kunert, 2021). In essay writing, seeking professional assistance and using online resources can help an individual to identify necessary resources and steps required to achieve specific aspirations. Beesides, effective action plans allow individuals to take precise steps towards achieving a desired professional obective (Tipler, 2024). Therefore, one must consider developing an executable action plan.

Important Factors

• One should revise professional objecitves at every stage – Changing aspirations depend on new realizations a person may experience after considering different factors.
• Reviewing and changing different professions can improve one’s level of satisfaction. In writing, an individual should rely on evidence-based approaches to settle on specific professional aims.
• Five stages identified above should provide a clear explanation of how a person adapts a chosen job, forms a clear concept, impacts professional experience, and anticipates a future profession.

Steps on How to Write a Career Goals Essay

To write a career goals essay, people clearly define their short-term and long-term objectives, connect them to their experiences and skills, and explain how their education and future plans will help them achieve these desired outcomes.

• Understand a Prompt: Carefully read an essay’s prompt to ensure you understand what is being asked and tailor your response accordingly.
• Self-Reflection: Reflect on your career aspirations, motivations, and experiences that have shaped your ambitions and write about them.
• Research: Investigate a specific field you are interested in and understand crucial steps required to achieve your professional objectives.
• Outline Your Essay: Create a structured outline to organize your thoughts and points to ensure a logical flow of ideas.
• Write an Introduction: Start your introductory paragraph with a hook that grabs attention and introduces your desired outcomes and motivation.
• Detail Short-Term Goals: Clearly describe your immediate job objectives and how they relate to your current situation.
• Discuss Long-Term Goals: Outline your long-term career ambitions and how they build on your short-term aims.
• Highlight Relevant Experiences: Discuss your experiences, skills, and achievements that support your aims in writing.
• Conclude Effectively: Summarize your job aspirations and reaffirm your commitment to achieving them.
• Proofread and Edit: Review your career goals essay for clarity, coherence, grammar, and adherence to an assignment writing prompt, and make necessary revisions.

A career goals essay must have three main sections in writing, namely an introduction, body, and conclusion. In an essay, people describe their ambitions by clearly stating their short-term and long-term objectives, explaining crucial motivations behind them, and detailing key steps they plan to take to achieve these desired outcomes (Kunert, 2021). In writing, the primary purpose of this structure is to allow an individual to communicate a career plan effectively. Firstly, an introduction section should provide background information about the professional path identified. Secondly, a body section should provide clear and accurate details to support specific aims one intends to take. Thirdly, a conclusion should section sum up an entire essay without introducing new facts. Hence, some writing guidelines one should follow in completing these three sections are:

Introduction

An introduction section of a career goals essay must begin with a phrase that captures a reader’s attention. In principle, an opening statement should motivate an admission committee or employer to read through an entire essay. For example, to write a statement of career goals, people clearly articulate their long-term and short-term professional objectives, explain key motivations behind these aims, and outline unique steps they plan to take to achieve them (Asher, 2024). Then, other details should give an overview of a career plan. In writing, an introductory paragraph should not exceed 10% of an entire length of a career goals essay. Besides, the primary aim of writing this section is to allow an interested person to understand what an applicant intends to do to achieve specific professional objectives. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a career goals essay are:

• Ever since I first discovered my passion for [specific field], I have been determined to build a career that allows me to explore and contribute to … .
• Reflecting on my personal and academic journey, I have come to realize that my ultimate job aim is to become [specific role], where I can apply my skills in … .
• My experiences in [specific experience or field] have profoundly shaped my desired aspirations, leading me to pursue a future where I can … .
• Growing up, I was always fascinated by [specific subject or field], and this early interest has helped me to define a clear career path that I am excited to follow toward becoming … .
• A defining moment in my life that solidified my professional objectives was when I [specific event or experience], which made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my professional life to … .
• Committed to making a positive impact in [specific area or community], I have set my professional aims to align with my passion for … .
• My professional journey began with a precise inspiration from [influential person or experience], and, since then, I have been motivated to achieve my desire of becoming … .
• In pursuit of a career that blends my interests in [specific field] and [another related field], I have developed a clear set of objectives that will guide me toward … .
• After years of studying and working in [related field or subject], I have developed a strong desire to advance my job by focusing on … .
• Key challenges and successes I have encountered in [specific experience or job] have not only shaped my skills but have also reinforced my commitment to achieving my long-term professional aim of becoming … .

A body section of a career goals essay should contain several paragraphs in writing. Basically, every paragraph must focus on a single objective an applicant intends to achieve. In practice, each body section must follow a sandwich rule. For example, to write a future plans and goals essay, people outline their short-term and long-term aspirations, explain defined motivations behind them, and detail critical steps and strategies they intend to follow to achieve these aims (Tipler, 2024). In essay writing, this method allows one to begin with a topic sentence, followed by supporting and explanations. Besides, each section must end with a summative and transitioning statement. In this case, each passage must provide adequate support to each professional aim and should take approximately 80% of an entire composition. Finally, applicants must provide clear and accurate details while writing to convince an intended audience.

True details convince admission committees more than other idealized concepts. Basically, applicants should consider providing accurate writing details in an essay as opposed to idealized concepts (Asher, 2024). From a practical perspective, a body section must contain real-life cases that led to a professional choice. Further on, one should consider giving accurate facts and explanations on how various factors will improve a future occupation. For example, in a personal statement, people describe their career goals by articulating their long-term vision, some motivations driving their aspirations, and how their experiences and education align with achieving these objectives (Tipler, 2024). Moreover, some important factors a person should consider are specific ways in which a chosen job may contribute toward community development. Therefore, writing about facts enhances an overall quality of a career goals essay.   

A conclusion section of a career goal essay is a reaffirmation paragraph of a person’s commitment to achieving discussed aspirations, summarizing key steps they will take and some impacts they hope to make in their chosen field. For example, writing an ending paragraph should summarize key concepts provided in an essay’s body (Kunert, 2021). As such, an individual should bring an entire composition into a unique closure. Basically, people need to link opening and body sections together in a conclusion paragraph. Moreover, this section must show readers that one has come to an end of a writing process. Hence, an ending paragraph should take approximately 10% of an entire essay.

Key Features

People should consider the following features to ensure they present outstanding essays:

• Writing several drafts – An applicant should consider preparing several drafts of an essay. Basically, this strategy allows one to refine ideas presented, while revising drafts improves an overall quality of a whole paper. Moreover, one can add or remove some details to enhance a good flow of ideas.
• Editing essays – Applicants should revise their essays to identify and correct grammatical errors and sentence structure. Essentially, effective revisions lead to flawless papers that appeal to a target audience. In turn, one should consider allowing peers to revise essays. Moreover, peer-reviewing is an important step in improving a sentence structure in a career goals essay.
• Including evidence – Prudent learners consider searching for adequate evidence concerning their profession to include it in an entire essay. In essay writing, one should include relevant experiences that can support future aspirations.
• Institutional requirements – One should consider specific requirements set by an institution for completing a career goals essay. In turn, some important factors one should consider include an overall length of a paper and its structure.

Recommendations

Every applicant focuses on writing a perfect career goals essay. Basically, one should consider understanding a crucial concept of professional aims before beginning a writing process. For example, aspirations are forms of personal development aspirations that a person focuses on achieving by considering ambitions (Asher, 2024). As such, graduates should focus on professional and educational objectives. In writing, including details about anticipated salaries makes an entire essay vague. Therefore, an applicant should avoid including irrelevant details when preparing a future plans essay.

Students should set aspirations for different stages of their jobs. For example, effective plans should contain specific stages one should accomplish (Kunert, 2021). In essay writing, every stage should have precise goals, and people need to include measurable and achievable objectives. Therefore, applicants should include specific aims for each stage included in a career plan.

Descriptions

Effective essay career goals essay should include a clear description of adaptation, formation, maturity, and later profession stated. Basically, an adaptation stage entails details on how an individual gained a unique competence and ability to learn from mentors about an actual significance of a specific profession (Tipler, 2024). In writing, a formation phase explains how one will strive to work independently and become a useful employer. Then, a maturity step should entail details on how learners gain professional experiences. Besides, a late-career phase focuses on a specific scope of future professional interests. Thus, an effective aspiration essay should include a clear description of all the stages one should take in developing a chosen job.

What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Lack of Specificity: Being too vague about your career goals can make your essay seem unfocused and unclear.
• Ignoring a Prompt: Failing to address precise requirements of an essay’s essay prompt can result in an off-topic response.
• Overemphasis on Personal Life: Focusing too much on writing about personal anecdotes rather than professional aspirations can detract from a specific purpose of a career goals essay.
• Unrealistic Goals: Setting objectives that are overly ambitious or unattainable can make you appear out of touch with particular realities of your chosen field.
• No Connection to a Present: Neglecting to link your current education or experiences to your future aims can make your essay feel disconnected.
• Overuse of Clichés: Relying on generic statements or clichés in writing can make your paper less impactful and memorable.
• Lack of Structure: A poorly organized composition with no clear flow can confuse readers and weaken your message.
• Failure to Show Passion: Not conveying genuine enthusiasm or passion for writing about your professional objectives can make your essay seem insincere.
• Ignoring Long-Term Goals: Focusing only on short-term objectives without mentioning how they lead to long-term ambitions can leave your paper incomplete.
• Poor Proofreading: Submitting a document with grammatical errors, typos, or poor language can undermine your credibility and professionalism.

Career goals essays are pieces of writing where people explain their selected professional path they wish to pursue. Basically, outstanding papers contain details on what an individual intends to achieve in a chosen profession. Further on, one should include some stages of career development. In writing, effective essays follow a specific structure that includes introduction, body, or paragraph sections. Besides, applicants must consider revising and editing career goals essays to improve an overall quality of their papers and their writing. In turn, aspiring university and job applicants should:

• include professional objectives in each stage of professional development;
• rely on evidence-based approaches to settle on specific aspirations;
• revise career goals essays several times to achieve a desired quality.

Andresen, M., Apospori, E., Gunz, H., Suzanne, P. A., Taniguchi, M., Lysova, E. I., Adeleye, I., Babalola, O., Bagdadli, S., Bakuwa, R., Bogićević Milikić, B., Bosak, J., Briscoe, J. P., Cha, J., Chudzikowski, K., Cotton, R., Dello Russo, S., Dickmann, M., Dries, N., … Zikic, J. (2019). Careers in context: An international study of career goals as mesostructure between societies’ career‐related human potential and proactive career behaviour. Human Resource Management Journal , 30 (3), 365–391. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12247

Asher, D. (2024). Graduate admissions essays: Write your way into the graduate school of your choice (5th ed.). Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed.

Creed, P. A., Sawitri, D. R., Hood, M., & Hu, S. (2020). Career goal setting and goal pursuit in young adults: The role of financial distress. Journal of Career Development , 48 (6), 801–816. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845319897136

Kunert, C. (2021). The insights of a powerful resume: How to fill out career goals and skills in resume: Guide to writing a resume . Independently Published.

Parada, F., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2022). Real-time processes of career goal construction: A case study approach with implications for the development of adolescents’ identity. Identity , 22 (1), 82–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/15283488.2022.2030233

Tipler, E. (2024). Write yourself in: The definitive guide to writing successful college admissions essays . Simon and Schuster.

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50 Inspiring Examples of Career Goal Statements

A career goal statement is a clear and concise description of your professional aspirations: it outlines what you aim to achieve in your career path, providing direction and serving as a guide for your professional decisions. Crafting this statement requires self-reflection to identify what truly matters to you in your career.

Think of your career goal statement as a compass. It helps you navigate through opportunities and choices, aligning them with your long-term objectives. A well-defined goal statement includes specific job titles or roles, industry preferences, skills you want to acquire or use, and the values that matter to you in a work environment.

For example, your statement might be, “I aim to become a Senior Software Developer at a tech company that values innovation, in the next five years.” This statement is direct, time-bound, and reflects personal and professional values.

When writing your own career goal statement, start by asking yourself some questions:

• What am I passionate about?
• Where do I see myself in five, ten, or fifteen years?
• What skills do I need to develop to reach my goals?

Your statement can evolve as your career advances and your goals change. Remember, it’s a living document meant to grow along with you. Keep it precise, make it inspiring for yourself, and let it reflect who you are and who you want to become professionally. By doing so, you’ll create a powerful tool to steer your career decisions and help achieve your ambitions.

Components of a Strong Career Goal Statement

A strong career goal statement effectively communicates where you see yourself in the future and how you plan to get there. The keys to crafting this include clarity in your aspirations and how your current path aligns with your long-term objectives.

Clarity and Specificity

Your career goal statement should clearly articulate the position you’re aiming for and the steps you plan to take to achieve it. For example, instead of saying “I want to grow in the tech industry,” specify “My goal is to become a Senior Software Engineer at a renowned tech firm within the next five years by honing my skills in mobile applications development and leadership.”

Alignment with Career Objectives

Ensure that your statement aligns with your broader career objectives. For instance, if you’re determined to enter the field of environmental sustainability, your goal statement could specify, “I will secure a role as a Sustainability Project Manager by gaining expertise in renewable energy solutions and contributing to conservation projects.”

Brevity and Conciseness

Keep your statement concise; it shouldn’t be longer than a short paragraph. A crisp, well-worded statement would look like, “Within three years, I aim to advance to a Lead Graphic Designer position by consistently delivering innovative designs and taking on more strategic projects.”

Personal Motivation

Include a sentence about what drives you towards this goal, which gives a personal touch to your career goal statement. You might say, “I am committed to becoming an industry-recognized financial analyst by developing cutting-edge quantitative models, fueled by my passion for data-driven decision making.”

The Purpose of Career Goal Statements

A career goal statement helps you and others understand where you’re aiming in your professional life. It serves as both a guide and a benchmark for your career progression.

Professional Development

Your career goal statement is a powerful tool for professional development. It’s a declaration of your ambitions, which often falls into specific categories like acquiring new skills, achieving certifications, or reaching a new position. For example, you might aim to become a certified project manager within the next two years, highlighting the steps and skills you’ll need to get there.

Job Search Focus

When you’re on the job hunt, having a career goal statement gives you a lens to evaluate potential job opportunities. Imagine you’re an engineer seeking roles in renewable energy projects; your career goal statement would specify this preference, allowing you to target your job search and tailor your applications to match your aspirations.

Performance Management

During performance evaluations, your career goal statement offers a clear outline of what success looks like for you. It can act as a communication tool between you and your supervisor, ensuring that you’re both aligned on your targets. If your goal is to lead a team, your performance metrics might include leadership training and successful project outcomes.

Personal Reflection and Growth

Your career statement doubles as a checkpoint for personal reflection and growth. By setting specific goals like enhancing your public speaking skills or learning a new programming language, you create a framework for personal progress, tying these improvements back to your broader career objectives.

Writing Your Career Goal Statement

A career goal statement is a clear and concise description of your professional aspirations. It’s important to chart a course for your career by setting strategic goals and outlining the steps you plan to take to achieve them.

Self-Assessment

Start by evaluating your interests, strengths, weaknesses, and values. This step helps you align your career trajectory with your personal attributes and ambitions.

• If you enjoy creative problem-solving, you might aim for a role in strategic development.
• Someone with a natural talent for communication might target a career in public relations.

Research and Exploration

Learn about the industries and positions that align with your interests and skills. Find out what qualifications you may need and what career advancement may look like in those roles.

• Researching the field of data science might show you the importance of skills like programming and data analysis.
• Exploring the healthcare industry could lead you to consider roles ranging from a health administrator to a nurse practitioner.

Articulating Your Goals

Clearly state your short-term and long-term career objectives. Make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

• Short-term goal: Completing a professional certification in digital marketing within the next year.
• Long-term goal: Becoming a chief marketing officer at a technology company within the next ten years.

Revising and Refining

Your career goals are not set in stone. Periodically review and adjust them to reflect your growing skills, changes in the industry, and personal life changes.

• Revising your goal to include leadership skills if you’re aiming for management positions.
• Refining your goals to focus more on work-life balance if personal circumstances change.

Examples of Career Goal Statements

When crafting your career goal statement, be specific and align your goals with your desired career path. This section will provide examples for different career stages to guide you.

For Recent Graduates

As a recent graduate, your goal statement should reflect your eagerness to apply your education in a practical setting and grow professionally. For example:

• “My goal is to secure a role as a software developer at a forward-thinking tech company where I can contribute to innovative projects and hone my coding skills in real-world applications.”

For Mid-Career Professionals

For you in mid-career, a statement should focus on advancing your current skills and taking on larger responsibilities. For instance:

• “I aim to elevate my expertise in digital marketing to become a marketing manager, where I can lead strategic campaigns and impact the company’s growth directly.”

For Career Changers

As someone looking to change careers, your statement needs to leverage your transferable skills and express your commitment to the new field. Consider this example:

• “I intend to transition into the field of data analysis, leveraging my extensive background in market research to deliver actionable insights and drive decision-making processes.”

For Executive-Level Positions

Your executive career goal statement needs to showcase your vision for leadership and your ability to steer the company to new heights. An example could be:

• “I am determined to apply my 15 years of managerial experience to a Chief Operations Officer role, focusing on optimizing company-wide operations to boost profitability and efficiency.”

50 Examples of Career Goal Statements

• 1. “To secure a challenging position in a reputable organization to expand my learnings, knowledge, and skills.”
• 2. “Seeking a role at (…) Company where I can contribute to the team’s success while developing my skills as an accountant.”
• 3. “To achieve a lead position in software development that allows me to design innovative solutions and manage a dynamic team.”
• 4. “To become a primary school teacher that inspires young minds and fosters a love of learning.”
• 5. “Aiming to leverage my experience in customer service to become a leading sales representative within the next five years.”
• 6. “To grow into a senior role within the marketing department, contributing to the company’s strategic goals and brand development.”
• 7. “Seeking a position as a clinical practice assistant for a health organization that focuses on the development of innovative medical treatments.”
• 8. “To secure a position as a human resources manager and contribute to an organization’s employee engagement and professional development strategies.”
• 9. “My goal is to become a project manager within a progressive tech company, leading innovative projects to successful completion.”
• 10. “Aspiring to be a top journalist within a major media outlet, reporting on significant global events that shape our world.”
• 11. “To develop a career in finance, eventually becoming a chief financial officer for a well-established corporation.”
• 12. “To obtain a managerial position in the hospitality industry, providing exceptional guest experiences and leading a successful team.”
• 13. “Looking to apply my graphic design skills in a dynamic advertising agency, producing high-quality work for a variety of clients.”
• 14. “To establish myself as a leading real estate agent within the community, known for diligently serving clients and achieving their property dreams.”
• 15. “To become a senior software engineer, specializing in machine learning and artificial intelligence, contributing to cutting-edge technology advancements.”
• 16. “Aspire to join an international non-profit organization, focusing on human rights advocacy and contributing to meaningful change.”
• 17. “To earn a position as a lead researcher in a top-tier biotech firm, focusing on the development of life-saving pharmaceuticals.”
• 18. “To be recognized as an expert in environmental law, working to protect natural resources and promote sustainability.”
• 19. “To secure a role as an art director within a prestigious agency, driving creative strategy and inspiring a team of designers.”
• 20. “Aiming to become a chief operations officer, optimizing organizational processes and enhancing overall efficiency.”
• 21. “To advance my career in the field of education technology, developing innovative tools that facilitate learning and growth.”
• 22. “Seeking to become a master electrician, overseeing complex projects and mentoring apprentices in the trade.”
• 23. “To climb the ranks to a senior data analyst role, transforming data into actionable insights that drive business strategy.”
• 24. “To become a leading figure in digital marketing, known for crafting high-impact strategies that generate measurable results.”
• 25. “Aspiring to be an executive chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant, creating world-class cuisine and leading a top-tier culinary team.”
• 26. “To secure a position as a cybersecurity expert, protecting sensitive information from threats and vulnerabilities.”
• 27. “Aiming to be a respected leader in the field of public health, influencing policy and improving community health outcomes.”
• 28. “To establish a career as a professional musician, performing internationally and sharing my passion for music with diverse audiences.”
• 29. “Seeking a role as an aerospace engineer with a focus on sustainable design and innovation in air travel.”
• 30. “To become a leading architect, known for designing eco-friendly and innovative structures that enhance the urban landscape.”
• 31. “To grow into a senior role in supply chain management, optimizing logistics and contributing to the company’s profitability.”
• 32. “Aspiring to become a senior content creator, producing engaging and informative content that resonates with a wide audience.”
• 33. “To secure a position as a labor and delivery nurse, providing compassionate care and supporting families during a pivotal life event.”
• 34. “To become a principal consultant, offering expert advice and solutions to businesses in my area of expertise.”
• 35. “Aiming to be a top sales manager, driving team performance and exceeding company sales targets consistently.”
• 36. “To secure a leadership position within the field of environmental science, contributing to research and advocacy for climate change mitigation.”
• 37. “To become a recognized expert in user experience design, creating intuitive and user-friendly digital products.”
• 38. “Seeking a role as a professional event planner, executing unforgettable events that exceed client expectations.”
• 39. “To advance to a senior technical writer position, producing clear and concise documentation that supports product development.”
• 40. “Aspiring to be a chief diversity officer, fostering an inclusive workplace culture where all employees can thrive.”
• 41. “To become a lead mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, contributing to the development of innovative and efficient vehicles.”
• 42. “To secure a position as a business analyst, helping organizations to improve processes and systems for better performance.”
• 43. “Aiming to become a senior environmental consultant, providing actionable strategies for sustainable business practices.”
• 44. “To establish myself as a professional photographer, capturing moments and stories through my lens for global publications.”
• 45. “Seeking a role as an investment banker, helping companies to grow and investors to achieve their financial goals.”
• 46. “To become a thought leader in digital transformation, guiding enterprises through the integration of new technologies.”
• 47. “Aspiring to be a senior policy advisor, influencing legislation and policy decisions that impact the public sector.”
• 48. “To secure a position as a professional interpreter, facilitating communication in multiple languages for international organizations.”
• 49. “Aiming to become a leading expert in nutritional science, contributing to healthier lifestyles and dietary choices.”
• 50. “To establish a career as a professional speaker and author, sharing my expertise and inspiring others in my field.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How can you write an effective career goal statement for your resume.

When you write a career goal statement for your resume, start by reflecting on your strengths, skills, and experiences. Then, identify the kind of position you’re aiming for and how your career path aligns with the goals of the company. Use action words and quantify achievements where possible.

What are some examples of short-term career goals in professional development?

Short-term career goals might include obtaining a professional certification, improving specific job-related skills such as public speaking or technical proficiency, or networking to connect with industry leaders. These goals are typically achievable within a few months to two years.

What should be included in a personal career goal statement?

Your personal career goal statement should include your career interests, the competencies you wish to utilize, the type of environment you thrive in, and how you see your career progressing. It gives employers a glimpse into your aspirations and professional philosophy.

Can you give examples of comprehensive goal statements for students?

An example for a student might be: “Graduate with a degree in Environmental Science and secure an internship with a leading sustainability organization, to contribute to effective climate change solutions.” This states the education aim and the practical, immediate objective after graduation.

How do you frame a career goal statement for entry into graduate school?

A career goal statement for graduate school should express your academic interests, how the program aligns with your career plans, and what you intend to accomplish professionally with the advanced degree. This could be working towards a specific research field or role in academia.

What elements make up a compelling and succinct one-sentence career goal?

A compelling one-sentence career goal is specific, mentioning the desired industry or role, is realistic, and includes a timeframe. For example, “To become a certified project manager within the next year and lead technology-related projects in a Fortune 500 company.”

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• » How to Write a Career Goals Essay: An Ultimate Guide for Students

• 03 Nov 2023
• News archive

How to Write a Career Goals Essay: An Ultimate Guide for Students

A career goals essay is a critical tool for students and professionals alike as it provides a structured space to articulate their ambitions, plans, and the steps they intend to take to achieve their career objectives.

This type of essay is often a requisite component of college applications, scholarship applications, and job applications. In this regard, it’s an indispensable element of one’s career development toolkit.

However, crafting a well-thought-out career goals essay necessitates deep introspection and a strategic approach to clearly convey one’s career aspirations and the motivation behind them. You must clearly communicate your professional aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, and the external opportunities and threats that might impact your educational and career trajectory. But first things first, let’s look at the general format for writing a career goals essay.

The Format of Writing a Career Goals Essay

This essay must have a specific and packed agenda, unlike personal statements that can cover one’s career goal but also allow for more flexibility in content. It demands a laser-like focus. In fact, a career goal essay prompt could involve multiple questions, and in such cases, you would want to ensure that you address each of them. An effective career goal essay follows a specific structure that includes the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

Introduction

A good reason to write a compelling introduction is to attract readers’ attention and make them want to read to the end. You can start with a thought-provoking question or quotation as the formulation of a problem. Then, other details will give an overview of the career plan. Sometimes, writing the introduction is a challenge. However, you can start with the body and write your introduction after. Once you have a clear picture of the essay, you will have an easier time crafting the introduction. The introductory paragraph should not exceed 10% of the entire length.

The body of the essay should have several paragraphs explaining the main idea of your essay, which is your career goal. Each paragraph should focus on a goal or point the applicant intends to achieve. You must include a strong thesis statement to let the reader know why you are applying for your desired degree program or the job position and a few sentences to support it. Besides, each section must end with a summative and transitioning statement. In addition, explain why you’re relevant for the degree program or job and what sets you apart from other candidates.

Each passage must adequately support each professional and education goal and should take approximately 80% of the entire composition in this case. To convince the audience, the writer must provide true, precise, accurate, and valid details to convince admission. Further, from a practical perspective, the body section should contain real-life cases that led to the professional choice. One should give facts and explanations on how various factors will improve the future occupation. Additionally, the important factors that an aspirant should consider are the way their career may contribute towards community development.

If the introduction is intended to interest the reader, the conclusion should seek to add integrity to the whole essay and leave your message in the reader’s memory. The ending paragraph should reintroduce the purpose of your writing, followed by a summary of the career ambition concept provided in the essay. Basically, the writer should link the opening and body section. In turn, this section must show the reader that one has come to the end of the writing. Hence, the ending passage should take approximately 10% of the entire essay.

Generally, writing this type of essay can be challenging for students as it requires clarity, introspection, and articulate expression of one’s ambitions. Nonetheless, professional custom essay writing service at CustomWritings offers valuable guidance by connecting students with experienced writers proficient in crafting compelling narratives. These experts ensure that the essay resonates with the student’s personal journey and meets the high standards expected by educational institutions and employers.

Write a Top-notch Career Goals Essay

Oftentimes, the scholarship committee wants to see how investing in your education will help your career. As a writer, you should consider the following tips to present an outstanding essay.

Understand the concept of career goals                 

Career goals are a form of personal development. Identify your career ambition before writing your career goal essay. When composing career goals essays, use your career aspiration to state your reason for pursuing a certain field of study, professional or job study. Focus on the professional or educational goals you would like to achieve. Your goal quality is a more accurate measure of success than the salary you wish to achieve. You can easily create a goal tree to identify your career goal. However, remember that your objectives and goals may change over time because of your work situation, life, or other factors.

Set goals for different stages of your career

Setting your career goals and achieving them is not an instantaneous process. While some dreams can be achieved in a short period, others take a protracted time to be realized. It would be best if you determined both short and long-term goals. To plan your career well, you must identify the necessary steps to achieve them.

• Adaptation stage: You will have a better chance of succeeding with a well-defined action plan. Self-affirmation is the main objective in this stage. The desire to show your competence and ability to learn from your mentor is the pivot point of this goal. Describe your plan in this first stage if you are writing a career goal essay for graduate school or trying to acquire the first job.  
• Formation stage: To make yourself valuable to your employer, you must strive to work independently at this formative stage. For example, you will work hard to prove that you deserve a better position than your peers.
• Maturity stage: By the time you reach the maturity stage, you are an experienced professional already, likely looking to gain a managerial position and start educating younger employees.
• Late career: Focus on a broader scope of your company’s interest at this late-career stage. It can either be of regional or global interest. Most of the time, you should seek to convey your accumulated experience or wish to train someone. Preparing yourself for retirement is your most important goal.

Choose a title

An appropriate title is the first thing you must come up with when writing a career goals essay. You should pick a title that matches the essay’s purpose and resonates with your intended audience. If you are writing to an employer, you should choose a title that reflects your personality, ambitions, and uniqueness that can benefit the company. If you submit the essay to the admission committee, ensure that your title shows the quality an admission officer appreciates the most, such as literacy, logical sentence construction, professionalism, or originality.

Use the right structure

Essays on career goals must conform to specific writing rules since it is often used as part of a formal application. It is more important if you are to write a scholarship essay or admission to a diploma or degree program. Your essay should be well-structured and meet all the general requirements of a formal essay. 

Editing essays

In order to identify grammatical errors and sentence structures, the writer must edit their writing. Effective revision leads to flawless papers that appeal to the audience’s target. In turn, it is important to consider allowing peers to revise the essay. Moreover, peer reviewing is an essential step in improving the sentence structure in the career goals

Take the Next Step!

An essay about your career goals is a piece of writing where students explain the selected professional path they wish to pursue. Whether you’re trying to get accepted to a college or secure a job, a well-written and convincing essay can help you establish yourself as the potential and the ideal candidate. Remember, a well-crafted career goals essay is more than just a formal requirement; it is a testament to your dedication and a roadmap guiding you toward your professional aspirations.

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How to Write the Carnegie Mellon University Essays 2024-2025

Tucked away in Steelers country, otherwise known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, lies the 153 acre campus of Carnegie Mellon University. CMU is home to just under 7,000 undergraduate students enrolled across its seven schools and colleges.

Priding itself on copious opportunities as a research university, as well as the achievements of its student body and alumni, Carnegie Mellon offers students the opportunity to pursue real-world solutions alongside award-winning faculty across all disciplines. In fact, CMU is consistently ranked in the top 30 universities and is considered one of the very best for computer science. 

As part of the application process, prospective students are required to respond to three 300-word prompts. However, students shouldn’t look at the supplements as a chore. As the admission process for CMU becomes more selective, its supplemental essays provide an increasingly vital opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from the pack. Keep reading for our suggestions on how to tackle this year’s supplemental responses!

Read these Carnegie Mellon essay examples written by real students to inspire your own writing!

Carnegie Mellon University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt 2: Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? (300 words)

Prompt 3: Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). (300 words)

Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words)

Many schools require a “ Why This Major? ” prompt to assess your interest in your chosen area of study. This prompt asks this standard question, but with a particular emphasis on how past experiences have influenced your desire to study your prospective major, rather than what you hope to achieve by studying it.

A successful execution of this prompt will:

• Elaborate on the path that led you to choose your major
• Show the admissions committee why you deserve to pursue this major at their school.

The latter doesn’t necessarily need to be explicit. Instead, reflect on your path in a way that demonstrates intellectual curiosity, creativity, and passion for what it is you hope to pursue at the college level. 

You can take a few different approaches when answering this prompt. The first is a narrative arc or anecdote. Think back to a salient moment in which you realized the importance of your prospective major to you. Perhaps you were in a robotics competition and after weeks of laboring, your robot finally moved. Maybe that was the moment when you knew for sure that this was the path you needed to pursue. This response could start something like this: 

“I couldn’t believe my ears the first time Sparky whirred to life. After weeks of toiling, I watched him wheel across the classroom floor, rhythmically belting out the tell-tale beeps I had coded him to make with each turn.”

Here’s what telling that story does. First, it shows tenacity—even after weeks of failure, you didn’t give up. Second, it shows innovation. And third, CMU just happens to be known for offering a robotics major, so even without being explicit, you just told the admissions committee exactly why you belong at CMU!

Stories are a great method for drawing in your reader and creating pathos. The trick, however, is to not get so caught up in the narration that you fill your 300 words without actually saying anything. If you’re going the anecdote route, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I answer the prompt?
• Does the story I just told show why I’m passionate about the major I’ve chosen?
• Have I demonstrated that CMU is the right place for me?

Don’t say you want to pursue a major in underwater basket-weaving if CMU doesn’t offer that (just an example, but you get the idea).

Do mention, either briefly or implicitly, how CMU would allow you to continue pursuing and developing your passion.

Let’s move on to the second method of answering this prompt, we’ll refer to it as the chronological method.

You may not be able to fully answer the prompt with just one moment or story. That’s okay! An alternative is to briefly list key moments, progressions, or accomplishments leading up to your decision. Here’s an example:

“From writing short stories as a seven year old to winning my first prose contest in high school, creative writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.”

Unlike the narrative arc method, this example is neither a story nor a specific event. Instead, it shows how creative writing has been pivotal to your life for years. Though arguably less compelling than a story, this method has the bonus of demonstrating growth, long-term commitment, and development. Being that CMU is one of the only universities to offer a BA in creative writing, it also shows why you’d be applying.

This same method will work if you choose to talk about who or what inspired you. However, this comes with a warning. If you choose to talk about a person or work that inspired you, ensure that you don’t only write about said person or work. If the admissions committee learns more about the Pulitzer prize winner whose work inspired you than they do about you and your work, reassess whether this is a beneficial inclusion.

Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience? (300 words)

This essay provides you with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate your passion for CMU and your understanding of its available opportunities. While the prompt doesn’t explicitly ask you “ Why This School? ,” it does asks you to discuss two things:

• The explicit question: what do you hope to accomplish in your undergraduate degree program? 
• The implicit question: how is CMU uniquely equipped to help you realize those goals?

While the explicit question is definitely important to address, tackling the implicit question through the use of specific examples and thoughtful reflection will allow your essay to stand out among other applicants. 

Think about your expectations for your college experience. Perhaps it’s really important to you to have substantive research experiences under your belt as an undergraduate student, since you want to pursue an MD-PhD. 

What specific projects and topics might you be looking to pursue? How will studying at Carnegie Mellon enable you to pursue these projects and ideas? Briefly reflecting on Carnegie Mellon’s financial investment in undergraduate research as you answer this prompt, for example, can help demonstrate both your familiarity with the university and its resources as well as your alignment with its culture and values. 

Perhaps you are hoping to apply your textbook knowledge within a broader context through community engagement. CMU empowers its students to tackle problems and issues that matter in hopes that its students will be leaders in improving the world around them. Consequently, discussing your interest in taking your learning outside of the classroom with the support of the Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement would not only speak to your metrics regarding a successful college experience, but also show how you might add to the CMU community as an undergraduate and beyond.

Whatever your goals may be, ensure that your essay has a clear “why.” Rather than simply stating that you want to join the college orchestra, explain that you want to do so because playing the cello in high school has allowed you to form meaningful relationships with other musicians and life mentors. Playing music has taught you the importance of teamwork and dedication, and you want to continue cultivating these relationships and skills in college. 

The point here isn’t to draft a college bucket list, but instead to reflect on what elements of the college experience, outside of the day-to-day coursework, you’re looking forward to as a prospective student. Be true to yourself and your goals, and speak honestly about what it is you hope to accomplish as an undergraduate student at CMU.

Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please). (300 words)

This is your chance to show the admissions committee exactly what makes you special. Within the confines of the word limit, the options are endless. But don’t get bogged down by the possibilities! 

So, how do you know what’s worth writing about?

Is there something you mentioned on your Common App that you feel the need to elaborate? The topic of this essay should not be even remotely similar to the subject of your personal statement. Think of your essays as a portfolio – they should be complementary without being redundant. For example, if your passions are science and wildlife, and your personal statement is about wildlife, make this prompt about science.

Is there something you haven’t been able to mention anywhere else that you’re dying to talk about? Let your personality shine through. Whether your passion of choice is volunteering with animals, taking apart computers, or almost anything else, it can have a place in this prompt. However, it shouldn’t be so random that it doesn’t say anything about you as an applicant.

Here’s a good example: “I buy postcards but never send them. My collection is from all over the world, ranging from Tanzania to New Caledonia. Each postcard tied to a travel story. The postcard of the Dolomites? That’s where I went on a 3-day backpacking trip with my family. The postcard with a sketch of takoyaki? I bought it because I wanted to remember the delicious meals my Japanese host family made me.”

See how this example paints a picture of a student eager to learn and expand their horizons?

Now here’s a bad example: “I love collecting postcards, to remind myself of all the beautiful places I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to. Every time I look at the big stack of them on my bookshelf, I smile, as I’m inevitably transported back to some happy moment.”

Although this example has the same topic, it’s missing the details of the first one, and as a result it doesn’t do much to help us envision this student as a member of the CMU community. Specificity is crucial, so that admissions officers can see the concrete bridge between your past experiences and your potential future at CMU.

Basically, use this as an opportunity to show your personality and your passion. Narrow in on something pivotal to your identity, and make sure it still shows CMU why you’re a great fit. If you have a story, accomplishment, or passion that shows you possess drive, an entrepreneurial spirit, or a similar embodiment of the values of CMU, here’s the place to show it. However, if you’ve already said it in another CMU essay or in your personal statement, don’t say it again!

So, there you have it! At the end of the day, you want all three essays to answer the prompts in a way that screams ‘you.’ The more of your personality in the essays, the better. Whether you’re reflecting on how your first broken bone led you to pursue medicine or discussing how synchronized swimming deepened your capacity for empathy and collaboration, remember to always be open and honest as you tell your story.  

Where to Get Your Carnegie Mellon Essays Edited For Free

Do you want feedback on your CMU essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Essay Editor

How to Write an Essay About My Goal: A Comprehensive Guide

In the ever-evolving journey of life, setting clear objectives and ambitions is crucial. Whether these goals are short-term or stretch into the far reaches of our future, they act as guiding lights in our journey. This guide will assist you in articulating and expressing these ambitions effectively, especially when it comes to writing them down.

Understanding the Importance of Goal Setting

Setting life goals is a combination of introspection and foresight. It demands an understanding of one's current standing and a clear vision for the future. By penning down your goals, you not only provide yourself a clear road map but also make a commitment to yourself to achieve them.

How To Write An Essay About My Life Goals

• Introduction : Initiate with an engaging hook—be it a quote, question, or anecdote—that aligns with your goal.
• State your main goal : Elucidate on what your primary life objective is. Be it professional success, personal achievement, or societal contribution, clarify your aim.
• The 'Why' behind the goal : Delve into your motivations. Discuss the driving forces behind this ambition.
• Steps to achieve : Provide a roadmap. Enumerate the steps you'd undertake to transform this goal into a reality.
• Potential Challenges : Highlight potential obstacles and your strategies to navigate them.
• Conclusion : Summarize and re-emphasize your dedication towards your objective.

Career Goal Essay Definition

It's essential to differentiate between life goals and career goals. While the former encompasses broader objectives, a career goal essay underscores your professional aspirations, detailing why they matter and how you plan to attain them.

How Long is a Professional Goal Statement?

A professional goal statement's length can vary but should be concise. Ranging typically from 500 to 1000 words, it should capture your aspirations succinctly. Always adhere to specific guidelines if provided.

What to Avoid While Writing Your Career Goal Essay

• Ambiguity: Always be specific. • Unsubstantiated lofty goals: Your ambitions should be grounded in reality. • Neglecting personal growth: Showcase how your past has shaped your future. • Reiteration: Stay succinct and steer clear of repetition.

My Future Goals Essay: 12 Models

• Entrepreneurial Aspirations : Launching a sustainable fashion startup by 2030.
• Technological Goals : Developing an AI-driven community healthcare system.
• Educational Objectives : Attaining a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics.
• Artistic Pursuits : Holding a solo art exhibition in a renowned gallery.
• Societal Contributions : Establishing a foundation for underprivileged children's education.
• Scientific Aspirations : Contributing to renewable energy research.
• Medical Goals : Becoming a pediatric surgeon and researching rare childhood diseases.
• Travel Objectives : Visiting every UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Sports Ambitions : Completing an Ironman Triathlon.
• Literary Goals : Publishing a trilogy of fantasy novels.
• Environmental Aims : Pioneering a city-wide recycling initiative.
• Leadership Aspirations : Becoming the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Articulating one's life and career goals requires introspection, clarity, and foresight. This guide offers a structured blueprint to ensure your essay not only adheres to academic standards but genuinely resonates with your aspirations and dreams. Whether you're grappling with questions like "what should I write in my college essay?" or "how to draft a goal statement?", this guide is here to light the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the ideal structure for a future career essay? Start with an engaging introduction about your aspirations. In the body, detail the steps you plan to take, experiences that have guided you, and why you chose this career. End with a conclusion summarizing your determination and future vision.
• How do I ensure my career goals essay stands out? Incorporate personal stories or experiences that shaped your goals. Be specific about your aspirations and how you plan to achieve them.
• How can I relate my past experiences to my future career in the essay? Highlight skills, lessons, or challenges from your past and demonstrate how they have directed or prepared you for your future career.
• What should I avoid when writing an essay about my career goals? Avoid being too vague about your goals. Steer clear of clichés, and ensure your goals are realistic and grounded.
• How long should my essay about my goal be? This depends on the requirement. Usually, personal statements are between 500-700 words. Always adhere to the specified word limit.
• Can I include short-term and long-term goals in my essay? Absolutely! Detailing both shows planning and vision. Highlight how short-term goals will pave the way for long-term objectives.
• How do I conclude my essay about my goals effectively? Reiterate your dedication to these goals, reflect on the journey ahead, and end with a note of optimism and determination.

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Essay on Goals in Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Goals in Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Goals in Life

Introduction.

Goals in life are like a compass, guiding us towards our desired destination. They provide a sense of direction and purpose, helping us focus and organize our efforts efficiently.

Importance of Goals

Goals are important as they motivate us to strive for success. They make us resilient, enabling us to overcome obstacles and challenges that may come our way.

Types of Goals

Goals can be short-term or long-term. Short-term goals are achievable quickly, while long-term goals require time and persistent effort.

In conclusion, setting goals is essential for personal growth and success. Always remember, a goal without a plan is just a wish.

250 Words Essay on Goals in Life

The importance of setting goals.

Setting goals is integral to our growth and progress. They serve as a blueprint for our future, guiding our actions and decisions. Goals foster resilience, as they urge us to persevere despite setbacks. They also encourage self-development, pushing us to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Goals can be broadly classified into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals act as immediate milestones, while long-term goals shape our vision for the future. Balancing both is crucial, as short-term goals often pave the way to long-term accomplishments.

Goal Setting and Achievement

Effective goal setting requires specificity, measurability, attainability, relevance, and timeliness (SMART). This approach ensures our goals are realistic and achievable. Moreover, consistent evaluation and adjustment of our goals is essential, as it allows us to stay aligned with our evolving aspirations and circumstances.

In conclusion, goals are fundamental to our life’s journey. They provide direction, foster resilience, and encourage personal growth. Balancing short-term and long-term goals, along with effective goal-setting strategies, can lead us to success. Ultimately, it is through setting and achieving our goals that we write our own life story.

500 Words Essay on Goals in Life

Goals are the compass that guides us through life, providing direction and purpose. They are the stepping stones towards achieving our ultimate dreams and aspirations. Goals, whether personal, professional, or academic, are significant as they shape our lives, fuel our ambition, and give us a sense of accomplishment.

Goals also foster resilience, as they often require sustained effort and dedication. They teach us the value of perseverance, as the journey towards achieving them is usually filled with obstacles and setbacks. However, these challenges serve to strengthen us, enhancing our problem-solving skills and fostering personal growth.

Goals can be broadly categorized into short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals are immediate objectives that can be achieved within a relatively short timeframe. These could range from completing a project, passing an exam, or learning a new skill.

Goal Setting Strategies

Effective goal setting requires thought and planning. One popular method is the SMART framework, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This approach encourages us to set goals that are clear and precise, have a defined timeline, are realistically attainable, and align with our broader life objectives.

Another crucial aspect of goal setting is maintaining flexibility. Life is unpredictable, and circumstances can change unexpectedly. Therefore, it’s essential to be adaptable and open to modifying our goals as needed.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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How to Write a Career Goals Essay

Writing an essay about your achievements and aspirations takes a lot of work. First of all, you need to clearly understand your objective and have a specific plan for how to get it. Your career goals essay should communicate your current situation and the steps you plan to take for your professional growth in the coming years. It may seem daunting, but it is far from an unmanageable task. Our detailed writing guide will walk you through the process. Just take small, focused steps, and you’ll find yourself holding an outstanding essay that can open a window of opportunities for you.

What a career goals essay is

It’s an essay where you outline your professional objectives, ambitions, and the path you intend to follow to achieve your career aspirations. It typically includes a detailed description of both short-term and long-term career goals. You must also explain how your background, experiences, and education have prepared you to pursue these goals. To win readers’ hearts, your essay should also contain the specific steps you will take to get from point A (your current position) to point B (the desired professional destination). Do not hesitate to ask our writers for help when you experience difficulties getting from point A to point B in your writing. Just leave a “ do my college essay ” request, and they will assist you.

The essay you write should be specific and creatively showcase your personality. For instance, if you apply for a scholarship and need to submit a career goals essay, it might be the way to truly show the application committee who you are in a personal way that doesn’t come through in a transcript. Your essay is the place where you can communicate your ambitions, dreams, and aspirations. 

When you might need to write it

Most educational institutions ask you to explain your goals and aspirations when applying. Apart from your academic achievements, the application committee wants to understand if the school or college you are applying to is a good fit. Application committees assess your achievements and consider the possibilities and opportunities they can offer you. Applying to educational institutions is just one situation where you might need to write a career goals essay. If you also need our writers’ assistance with other similar essays, you can ask them: “Please help me do my personal statement ,” and they will offer you many interesting ideas. Here’s our list of four situations where you might send a career goals essay:

• College and graduate school applications. As mentioned, many schools require applicants to submit a career goals essay as part of their admissions process. It helps admission committees understand applicants’ aspirations and how the institution can support their academic and professional development.
• Scholarship applications . Only those who can clearly explain the reasons why they need a scholarship and how they plan to use it can count on winning it.
• Job applications . In some cases, when applying for internships or full-time jobs, employers may request you write about your career aspirations as part of the application process. It helps them evaluate whether your objectives align with the company’s mission and whether you have a clear professional growth plan.
• Personal development and planning . You may also write such essays for personal growth. They serve as a roadmap for your future, helping you clarify your aspirations and the necessary steps to achieve them.

What the prompt might look like

To better understand how the task can look, here’s an example of a career goals essay prompt.

Please provide a comprehensive essay outlining your career goals and how you plan to achieve them. In your response, consider the following:

• The specific field, industry, or profession you intend to pursue.
• The relevance of your academic experiences to your career goals.
• The steps and strategies you will take to attain your objectives.
• How the institution/scholarship program can support your aspirations.

As you can see, the task can be rather specific and even have a checklist of things you need to include in your essay. However, there still is plenty of room for your creativity. “Can I also be creative when I do my term paper or do my coursework ?” – you might ask us. Sure, we believe there is always a way to get creative, even when you are following the strict guidelines of academic writing.

How to choose a topic for your career goals essay

If you have the opportunity to select a topic yourself, you can use the following tips to help you make the right choice.

• Follow your passion. If you are considering a new role/job/school, you should follow your passion. Let your true feelings show in the essay you write. Your enthusiasm for the subject will come through in your writing and make your essay more engaging.
• Consider your strengths. What can you do well? How can you leverage your unique abilities in your chosen career path?
• Research career options. Investigate different career options within your field of interest. This research can help you discover specific roles that appeal to you.
• Evaluate long-term prospects. Is it a field that has opportunities for growth and advancement? Will it be relevant 5 or 10 years from now?
• Consider your long-term happiness. The career you choose should stay in demand and correlate with your interests. Think about how it will contribute to your overall satisfaction with life. You should aim to pursue a fulfilling career that brings you joy.
• Feasibility and realism. Ensure that your career goals are realistic and attainable. While ambition is admirable, your goals should be within reach with the right effort and resources.
• Uniqueness and distinction. What makes your career goals unique, and how does your perspective stand out? What sets you apart?

Structure of a career goals essay

Here is a typical structure for this type of essay. You can use these points as a basis for your outline.

Introduction

Objective : to attract readers’ attention and clearly state your main career goals and their significance.

Your Educational Background

Objective : to explain how your academic experiences and achievements have prepared you for your chosen career path.

Stating the Goals

Objective : to communicate your short-term (1-5 years) and long-term (5+ years) career objectives and why they matter.

Relevance of Goals

Objective: connect your educational background to your career goals. 

Action Plan

Objective: to define the specific steps and strategies you plan to take to achieve your goals.

Why This School/College/Scholarship

Objective: to explain why it is the perfect place for you to get the educational background to help you pursue your career.

Objective : to leave a lasting impression on the reader by concluding with a strong, insightful statement.

How to write a career goals essay: step-by-step guide

Now, let’s look at the writing process itself. “Does the writing process differ from the one I use to do my dissertation ?” – some clients ask us. While there are some differences, the logic behind it remains to be the same. Here is a list of steps you can take to write a memorable and convincing piece.

1. Understand the prompt

Carefully read the essay prompt to ensure you understand the specific requirements and expectations. If confused, don’t hesitate to  clarify some of the prompt’s points with someone from the organization. You can also ask our writers: “Please help me do my assignment .” The chances are they know what to do even if you don’t have all the information available to you.

2. Brainstorm ideas

Reflect on your career aspirations, interests, values, and experiences. Brainstorm possible topics and define key points you want to include in your essay.

3. Define a career goal

Choose a career goal or aspiration that aligns with your passions and interests. Ensure it’s a goal you’re genuinely committed to pursuing.

4. Create an outline

Develop an outline with a standard essay structure. See the previous section of this article to do this task faster. Outline the key points and arguments you want to make. You can also rely on our team to do that. Just leave a “Help me do my paper for cheap ” request, and we will be there for you.

5. Write a strong introduction

Begin with an engaging opening that grabs the reader’s attention. Use a relevant hook to do so. Also, state the purpose of your essay: to discuss your career goals and the path to achieving them.

6. Discuss your educational background

Describe your current academic situation, including your institution, major, and relevant coursework or achievements. Highlight any correlations between your education and prospective career goals.

7. Provide more information on your career goals

List your short-term and long-term goals, specifying the desired field or profession. Connect these goals with your values and passions. If you need our team to help you prepare a presentation on your values, just make sure we get your “ do my PowerPoint presentation ” request as soon as possible. We also have experts who know all about deductive essay writing help .

8. Discuss the congruence of your goals

If you have been studying English literature for the past four years, it might look strange if you write about the goal of becoming an astronaut with the help of this scholarship. It helps if there’s a clear connection between your skills and knowledge and the career you want to pursue. 

9. Present your plan of action

Let the committee know what steps you are planning to take. Discuss the resources and support you need, such as further education, certifications, or training. Explain how you plan to use your strengths and overcome possible challenges on your way to success.

10. Explain why you’ve chosen to apply there

This is the part where you explain the relevance of your choice. What can this particular institution or scholarship give you?  If you need help formatting your project, ask our writers: “Please help me do my APA paper ,” and they will make sure it is flawless.

11. Highlight your achievements

Showcase any relevant accomplishments, awards, or activities demonstrating your commitment to your career goals.

12. Discuss possible challenges

If you’ve faced or anticipate facing obstacles or setbacks, discuss them and explain how you’ve overcome or plan to overcome them. It is crucial to show your resilience and determination.

13. End with a strong conclusion

Summarize your career goals and the key points of your essay. Better not to present new points at this stage. Highlight your enthusiasm and commitment to your chosen field again.

14. Proofread and edit

Something that can spoil your masterpiece is grammar mistakes. It can help to use proofreading tools to help you spot things you might overlook. Also, take a final look at your piece and check that all the paragraphs are in place and there are smooth transitions between them. Don’t hesitate to get editing assistance by leaving a “help me edit and do my research paper ” by filling out the order form.

• Be specific . Otherwise, the readers of your essay will decide that you don’t know what you want. Avoid vague statements and be clear about the position or field you want to pursue. 
• Mention transferable skills . Discuss the skills and knowledge you’ve gained that are transferable to your future career. For instance, maybe working in a laboratory taught you to be careful and attentive. Now, you can use these skills to work on your new project after receiving the scholarship.
• Be honest and authentic . Avoid exaggeration or providing misleading information. Only writing the things you think the admissions committee wants to hear even if they’re not true, in the long run, probably will not get you very far.
• Tailor your essay . Customize your essay for each application. Address some unique features of every organization you apply to. Doing so will show the committee that you’ve made an effort and conducted thorough research.
• Be positive . Keep an optimistic tone in your essay. Show that you’re excited about your future and the contributions you can make to your chosen field.

Remember that EssayShark writers are always here to assist you with your career goals essay. They also have a broad knowledge of how to write an article of 500 words and how to make a visual essay , so just let them assist you. They know what to write to make your piece stand out and they’re eager to help you.

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Goal Getting

26 life goals for a meaningful and satisfying life.

When you think about life goals, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s achieving financial independence, starting a family, or traveling the world. Maybe it’s securing a dream job, writing a novel, or becoming fit and healthy. These are all common aspirations that many of us aim to reach.

But life goals extend far beyond these familiar milestones. It’s about understanding the deeper values that these goals represent and figuring out how they fit into a broader, more fulfilling life strategy.

Life goals aren’t just about personal achievements; they encompass learning new skills, cultivating emotional resilience, giving back to the community, and much more.

So, how to set a life goal that can help you craft a successful and rewarding life? Read on and I’ll walk you through.

Table of Contents

What are life goals, how to set life goals, focus on long-term happiness, foster deep relationships, tap into your full potential, discover and live purpose-driven life, final thoughts.

Many people want to succeed in life, whether in their business, family life, or hobbies. However, only a select few realize that having the right goals in life will carry you toward the dream of having your best days in front of you.

So, what exactly are life goals? Simply put, they’re the benchmarks we set for ourselves across various aspects of our lives. They matter because they give us something to aim for. Setting goals helps us focus, encourages us to master new skills, and fosters a positive mindset. By defining what we want to achieve, we give our daily hustle direction and purpose, paving the way to not just meet but exceed our own expectations.

Before we jump into the list of goals, I want to mention that most of these are habit goals, not achievement goals.

Achievement goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals . They are time-keyed goals that usually have a finish line that you can reach.

Habit goals, on the other hand, do not have a finish line per se. They work by breaking achievement goals down into smaller pieces . For example, if I want to read 12 books per year, I could set a habit goal of reading for 30 minutes per day or reading a set number of pages per day.

Habit goals can also help you move the needle on aspirational things . I picked up the concept of habit goals from Michael Hyatt, and he uses the example of “growing closer to God,” which is a little vague yet aspirational. [1] By setting a habit goal of reading his bible for 20 minutes daily, he can work towards growing closer to God. There’s no finish line in sight, and the habit goal doesn’t move him closer to a finish line because there’s always the opportunity to be a little closer to God.

26 Life Goals to Focus on Living a Fulfilling Life

The list of habits and goals I’ve outlined below will help you live a fulfilling life. Living a fulfilling life isn’t something you can check a box on—it’s an attitude, something you have to strive for every day.

Below is the ultimate list of 26 goals that you can set in the coming years. Best of all, they’re broken out into categories so that you can start with any area of your life that you want:

• Goal #1-8: Focus on Long-Term Happiness
• Goal #9-13: Foster Deep Relationships
• Goal #14-20: Tap Into Your Full Potential
• Goal #21-26: Discover and Live Purpose-Driven Life

But of course, to truly succeed in life, you need to know how to stick to your goals and make them happen. For that, getting the Make It Happen Handbook can help you.

For now, let’s dive into the list of goals first:

1. Start a Gratitude Journal

If you haven’t heard of gratitude journaling , it’s essentially the practice of beginning each day by writing down three to five things for which you’re truly grateful. Your spouse, your health, your favorite movie—whatever it is, you would write three to five things down each morning.

The practice is powerful because it starts your day out with a positive mindset . Though bad things may be happening in your life, there’s always something good too, and gratitude journaling is a way to find that perspective.

You can start your gratitude journal in a notebook, or you can buy a guided journal like The Five-Minute Journal from Amazon. There are a ton of options to help you through this practice, but whatever you choose, be sure to journal daily.

2. Create a Life Plan

A life plan will help you identify where you want to be five, 10, 25, or even 50 years from now. What are your long-term goals ? How do you want to be remembered once you’re gone? What legacy do you want to leave behind?

When most people reach the end of their life, they regret how they lived. They wish they had done more, risked more, tried more, and so on. Life planning changes that and leads to long-term happiness!

3. Develop a Healthy Exercise Routine

The power of exercise cannot be understated. Exercise has been shown to increase happiness, health, mood, energy levels, and more! Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety.

When we exercise, we release several hormones, most of which lead to a feeling of happiness and because exercise leads to better long-term health, we’re going to be happier when we get older. [2] When we feel good, we’re happy.

Action Item

4. find a way to give back.

Volunteering made it on my list of life goals because it’s been shown to be fulfilling and to improve happiness. In a paper published by Harvard Health, the authors discovered that volunteers benefit from what they call the “happiness effect.” According to their study, volunteering leads to happiness levels comparable to a life-changing salary boost. [3]

Volunteering and helping those less fortunate than ourselves puts life into perspective, helps combat depression, provides a sense of purpose, and so much more.

If you’re looking for a way to live a fulfilling life, find a volunteer opportunity that you’re passionate about and set a habit goal to volunteer as often as you can.

5. Start a Creative Hobby

Believe it or not, we all have innate creative abilities. Finding a way to express our creativity through a hobby is a great way to focus on long-term happiness.

When most people think of creativity, they think of the fine arts: art, music, writing, etc, but creativity comes in many forms.

Programmers and architects have to solve creative problems. People who love to cook can be creative in the kitchen. People who love plants and flowers can be creative in their landscaping—you can find creativity everywhere.

Action Items

6. become more mindful.

If you want to live a fulfilling life, you have to learn to live in the present.

When we overanalyze our mistakes or continually look to our past regrets, we forget to live in the present. How can we feel the joy of today if we’re still allowing ourselves to suffer from our past?

On the other hand, if we’re always anxiously awaiting the future, we forget to see the value in the present. It’s good to have goals and strive for future success, but we can’t forget about today. Mother Teresa said,

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today.”

With that in mind, we need to set a goal to live more mindfully in the present. Your new gratitude journal is a good start towards being mindful, but you can also meditate or take some breaks throughout the day to cherish the moments you experience throughout the day.

Start the morning with some mindfulness with a morning meditation . If it helps, set a reminder to check in on your thoughts and feelings several times per day and write them in your journal.

7. Be Kind Daily

Another great way to practice mindfulness is to share kindness. Even when I’m in a bad mood, I try to find a way to be kind to strangers several times per day. It could be chatting with the bagger at the grocery store, holding the door for someone, or even letting someone in or out of traffic on the way home.

We all have bad days, stressful deadlines, and a variety of unseen things going on in our lives, and it’s easy to disconnect from other people, but sharing kindness is a great way to reconnect with people.

Sharing kindness tells other people that you care—that there are still people in the world who care for other people. It’s a great feeling!

8. Seek Personal Growth

No list of goals is complete without some mention of personal development. If you want to live a truly fulfilling life, you must grow as a person.

I recommend setting a goal to read at least one personal development book per month. If you’re not a fan of reading, try an audiobook on Audible or Overdrive or watch a personal development guru on YouTube or tune into a podcast once per week.

One of the most common regrets people have at the end of life is the feeling of not living up to their fullest potential. By exploring personal development and setting goals, you force yourself to grow, and as you grow, so will your relationships with the people around you.

Keeping good relations next to you adds to your happiness and motivation. Remember, your company defines you!

9. Get Rid of Bad Relationships

This may seem counterproductive, but if you want to build deep and meaningful relationships, you have to get rid of the bad ones first.

Maintaining bad relationships drains your time, energy, and happiness. It’s never easy to cut things off with an old friend, but if you want to live a fulfilling life, you need to examine your relationships and strengthen the ones that matter.

For every minute you spend pursuing a bad relationship, you could be letting one of your better relationships suffer.

Set a goal to review your relationships, strengthen the good ones, and phase out the bad ones. It may be difficult at first, but you’ll feel lighter and happier in no time.

Read this: 7 Ways To Cope When Adult Friendships End And Move On

10. Surround Yourself with People You Admire

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with .

To grow into our greatest potential, live fulfilling lives, and achieve life-long happiness and success, we must surround ourselves with successful, kind, and positive people.

Whether we like it or not, the attitudes, world views, and mindsets of the people we spend time with rub off on us, so we must choose our relationships wisely.

11. Do Something New Together Once a Month

Do you have a spouse, significant other, or best friend that you would like to be closer to? Doing something new together once a month is an excellent goal for strengthening your relationship.

One of the most significant contributors to long-term happiness and living a fulfilling life is fostering deep, meaningful relationships with the people in your life. Harvard’s 75-year Grant and Glueck studies have shown that the key to long-term happiness and fulfillment is our relationships: [4]

“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

Trying new things is a great way to create an exciting shared experience that builds closeness in the relationship. And if you have time, you can do this with as many people as you like, but if you’re as busy as I am, you may only have time to do this with one lucky person.

Give it a try! Set a goal to try something new with someone you love next month. Half of the fun is in looking for that new thing to do .

12. Have Deep and Vulnerable Conversations

The best and most cherished relationships blossom from a foundation of trust, and a great way to build trust is through being vulnerable with one another.

The next time you and your friends get together, try having a deep and vulnerable conversation. Reveal some of your fears, secret passions, or even dream goals.

You might be surprised how these more in-depth topics will help your relationships grow. Better yet, you might find an ally for one of your dream goals.

13. Spend One Evening Not Talking About Yourself

Admittedly, this one was hard for me, but setting a goal to spend an entire evening not talking about yourself is a great way to discover more about the people you care for.

Instead of relating to their stories by tying in one of your own, just ask questions about them and their experiences.

It will be difficult at first, but it will get more comfortable, I promise!

Try different activities because you never know what kind of talent is hiding inside you. We only live once and it is good to experience as many things as possible.

14. Embrace Failure

Of everything on this list of goals, embracing failure can be one of the toughest! No one likes to fail, but it’s in failure that we can learn some of life’s greatest lessons. John Maxwell teaches that:

“Sometimes you win—sometimes you learn.”

When we think we’ve failed, we can take a step back and evaluate the situation. Chances are, there’s a profound lesson that you can learn and try again more intelligently.

You only truly fail when you quit. So, the next time you find yourself bummed about a failure, embrace it and learn from it. It’s not easy at first, but the more you practice reflecting on your failures, the more comfortable it will become and the wiser you will become.

15. Identify Your Strengths, Weaknesses, and Personality Type

Don’t we all hate that interview question: “What’s your biggest weakness?” I know I do!

But there’s a lot of value and wisdom in knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and your personality type. You can’t live a fulfilling life if you’re chasing a dream for which you’re ill-equipped. If you’re 4 foot and 8 inches tall, chances are you won’t be an NBA star.

Me, I’m musically challenged—it’s not one of my innate abilities in the slightest. So, I know not to pursue music. If I wanted to pursue music, I would probably face an unfulfilling life of frustration, but I’m at peace with this limitation.

My innate abilities lie in helping people. For some reason, people around me feel comfortable confiding in me and asking me for guidance, so I embrace this strength and try to help as many people as I can.

16. Do Something that Scares You

In my early twenties, I swore I would never go scuba diving because I’m deathly afraid of sharks. However, in 2015, my boss talked me into trying it on a trip to the Grand Cayman Islands, and I loved it!

Since then, scuba diving has been one of my favorite new hobbies, and although I can’t go as often as I’d like, I’m forever grateful that I tried it. Better yet, I now actively try things that scare me just to see what else I may love – snowboarding, check; sky-diving, here I come!

Set a goal to try one new thing this month that scares you. You may love it!

17. Take a Risk

This goal is similar to trying something new that scares you, but in this situation, you know that there is a logical risk involved.

Doing something that scares you involves emotion. Take scuba diving, for example. There’s very little to fear on a guided dive. I was afraid, but there was little risk.

With a risk, you can see two possible outcomes: one in your favor and one not so much. Is there something you’ve been afraid to try based on a potentially negative outcome?

For example, starting a business may seem risky, especially if you have to quit your current job. On one hand, you could face financial hardships. On the other hand, you could experience wealth beyond your wildest dreams.

If you want to live a fulfilled life, you have to take chances; otherwise, you’ll always look back and wonder what might have been. Growth happens when we step beyond our comfort zone and take a risk .

Be courageous. Take a risk.

18. Ask for More Responsibility at Work

Another great way to tap into your potential is to ask for more responsibility at work. If you ask for more work and receive a task you don’t know how to do, embrace the opportunity to learn a new skill.

Have you ever heard the old saying “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”? Well, it’s true!

Some of life’s greatest experiences come from trying new and challenging things. What better place to try new things than at work? Try it this week!

19. Find a Mentor

I cannot talk about the power of mentorship and its effects on living a fulfilling life enough. Mentors can point out our weaknesses, blind spots, and areas that need improving. A good mentor will help you reach new levels in your life.

You can read more about the importance of mentorship here .

Set a goal for yourself to find a great mentor in the area of your life that you want to improve the most. You won’t regret it!

20. Teach or Mentor Someone Behind You

They say that the best way to learn is to teach, and I’ve always found this to be true.

When you decide to teach someone, you realize just how much more you need to know. A mentee will always ask new questions. This will force you to level up continually and push your knowledge to higher levels.

Even if you don’t think you have much to offer, remember this: No matter where you are in life, there’s always someone behind you looking up to you.

If you want to feel fulfilled, find a mentee, reach out, and help them along. Teach them the things you’ve learned, and you’ll learn just as much throughout the process.

We set paths for ourselves so that we can walk in a set direction. Having no goals means we can easily get lost.

21. Defend Your Dream by Saying “NO!” to Everything Else

If you’re fortunate enough to know your dream or your purpose, the worst thing you could do is fail to live it because you’re busy doing everything else.

Take it from me: I used to say yes to everything. I thought it would help me climb the ranks at work, make new friends, get noticed, and so on.

Guess what? It doesn’t work! Everyone has an agenda, an emergency, an opportunity—but that doesn’t mean you have to say yes to everything that comes along.

Sure, if someone asks you to do something new and exciting and you want to give it a try, go for it! But only if you really want to. Just don’t lose track of your own goals and dreams while you’re busy saying yes to everyone else.

Once you’ve identified your dreams, goals, and long-term vision, defend them by saying no to anything that gets in your way. There’s no better way to live a purpose-driven, fulfilling life than to know you’ve always lived toward your dreams.

22. Discover Your Dreams with Blue Sky Thinking

No matter what season of life you find yourself in—no matter how old you are—it’s never too late to dream.

If you haven’t heard of Blue Sky Thinking, it’s the act of thinking about your future as if you had no limits to speak of—your dream life. [5] .

Can you imagine that? What would you do if you could do anything?

Blue Sky Thinking is a technique for helping you discover what you’re genuinely passionate about. Take a few minutes or an afternoon to journal out what your dream life looks like and hold nothing back. It’s an imaginary future.

Then, return to reality and start setting some goals to move towards that dream. Anything is possible—you just have to take the first step and believe.

23. Define Your Values

What matters to you? This is a question that many people fail to think about. It’s tough to live a fulfilling life if you’re living a life that isn’t congruent with your values. For example, I value honesty, integrity, hard work, and trust.

What kind of life would I be living if I were always breaking promises, avoiding work, or lying to those around me? Probably an unpleasant one, right?

What are your values? Sit down and journal your way through what matters to you and what’s most important to you.

If your values are family, spend as much time with your family as possible. If your values are the environment, do your part to save our planet. If you identify your values and live them daily, you’re bound to live a fulfilling life full of joy.

24. Be Your Authentic You Every Day

Have you ever heard of Bronnie Ware?

Until recently, I hadn’t.

Bronnie is an Australian nurse who spent several years caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives while recording their dying epiphanies. Through her career, she discovered that most people shared the same five regrets at the end of life, with this one making the top of the list:

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

With that in mind, why would we spend another minute trying to be someone we’re not? If you’ve taken time to discover your values, your strengths, weaknesses, personality types, and so on, you’re getting closer to knowing your true self.

Of everything on this list of goals, this one is probably the most nebulous, but it’s pretty simple: Focus on living life as your authentic self every day. Don’t live to regret who you were.

25. Try New Things

I come across so many people who are doing the same things day out. I’ve heard people say “There’s nothing to do in this city” even though they haven’t done 10% of what the city has to offer.

It’s easy to get bored with the same old things, but it’s also easy to try new things. As I mentioned before, I thought I would hate scuba diving but ended up loving it. How many opportunities have you declined because they didn’t sound “fun”?

How many times have you said no to new things because it was easier to stay in and binge Netflix?

I get it! I’ve been there!

But if you want to live a fulfilling, purpose-driven life, you have to try new things. Trust me, your purpose isn’t to do the same old things every day. We’re meant to explore. We’re meant to seek excitement!

Who knows, maybe your very best friend is someone you haven’t even met yet. Perhaps your favorite hobby is something you haven’t tried yet.

The only way to know what you’re made for is to try as many things as possible. Give it a try this very weekend!

26. Find a Career You’re Passionate About

Speaking of trying new things, are you one of the many who are working a job that you hate? Maybe you don’t hate it, but you’d rather not go in tomorrow? Either way, you don’t have to keep working the same job you have.

In fact, the best time to look for a new job is when you already have one, so why not explore the possibilities?

Apply for some jobs that you think you may not get. Go on some interviews just for fun! Even if you don’t get the job, you can get some valuable practice and meet several new people.

There’s no reason to keep working a job you don’t enjoy. On average, Americans spend 90,000 hours at work, roughly a third of their lives. Why waste it doing something you despise? Even if you don’t switch jobs this year, set a goal to go on at least three interviews for jobs that intrigue you.

You might just get lucky and land your dream job!

So, if you’ve made it this far, you must be serious about living a fulfilling life, and I commend you for it. Here’re some final thoughts on how the above list of goals can help you lead a more fulfilling life:

Living a fulfilling life often begins with a strong focus on happiness.

But sadly, the lack of happiness is a huge problem today. With people creating highlight reels for all to see on social media, FOMO and jealousy are at an all-time high. With careers being more competitive than ever, people are spending more time at work than with loved ones, and they’re burning out.

With the fast-paced world we live in, people feel like they’re being left behind. So to find happiness despite all the noise and start living a more fulfilling life.

It’s not easy taking control of your life. It’s not easy tuning out the noise and focusing on what matters: your happiness, your relationships, your potential, and your purpose.

But you’re here! You’re committed to living your best life, and if you pursue the list of goals within this article, you’re guaranteed to do just that. Good luck!

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How To Write A Powerful Essay On Achieving Goals (+ Example)

Goal setting is a useful strategy to get the most out of life and set yourself up for success. However, there are many things to remember regarding proper goal setting and achievement. When writing a blm argumentative essay , it’s important to provide context on the history of the Black Lives Matter movement and the issues it seeks to address. This can help the reader understand the significance of the essay’s thesis and arguments. Let’s get to grips with the process of goal setting and come up with a powerful essay on achieving goals.

Structuring Your Essay on Achieving Goals:

How to write an introduction, how to write the main body of your essay.

There should be a minimum of three paragraphs in your essay. Each one is a ‘mini-essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each should include:

How to Write a Conclusion

Example of an essay about achieving your goals.

So, let’s put all this information together and check an example essay on achieving goals: Effective Methods to Increase the Likelihood of Goal Achievement Achieving goals can be extremely rewarding and result in a more satisfying and successful life. Many people set goals yet cannot achieve them. However, there are ways to avoid or reduce the likelihood of missing the mark. By ensuring that goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), using visualization techniques, and rewarding goal attainment, the chances of success increase. First, ensure your goals are SMART. This means that goals should be specific and measurable in terms of outcomes, e.g., test scores . Goals should be achievable and realistic to the person’s capabilities and resources available. Also, a goal should apply to the person’s work, education, hobbies, or interests and include a deadline. If there is no specificity of outcome, there’s no real way to see how someone has improved—or how they might be falling short. And if goals are not SMART, they are more difficult to achieve. Second, by imagining and visualizing the feelings and outcomes of achievement of the goal , the likelihood of high achievement increases. The imagination can be a powerful tool. Imagining the feelings of accomplishment helps to increase self-efficacy and motivation. A Canadian study found that imagery skills moderate the effect of mental practice on self-efficacy. The effects of visualization techniques are valuable in goal achievement. Third, once the goal has been accomplished, a reward is required. Getting a reward for hard work will increasingly motivate an individual to set and achieve the next goal. The offer of a reward gives employees and students an extra boost of motivation. Rewards help the cycle of goal setting and goal achieving to continue. In summary, by ensuring the goals set are SMART, visualizing and rewarding success, goal achievement becomes more likely. Achieving goals is a cyclic process that’s possible to master if the right method is in place.

The Basics of Setting and Achieving Goals

Goals should be specific and free of generalizations, or they are unlikely to get done. Instead of stating that your goal is to improve your English skills, make it more specific by stating that your goal is to learn and use one new word every weekday to boost your English vocabulary.

A goal should be measurable because you need to keep your finger on the pulse and know where you’re at. For instance, a test or assessment score can provide evidence that you have reached your goal.

A goal needs to be possible to achieved. If it’s beyond your capabilities or requires resources you cannot access, then you will set yourself up for failure.

You must set a completion date for your goal. If you do not set a deadline, you may lack the motivation to reach it. Once you have your SMART goal, record it clearly on paper or a mobile device and then visualize the outcome of achieving that goal. Imagine how happy you will feel when you achieve it. This vivid mental imagery will provide you with the extra motivation to go for it. Finally, when you reach your goal, it’s time to celebrate! Reward yourself with a trip, an item you desire, relaxation time with friends, or whatever else that will make you feel happy.

Ready to write an essay about achieving goals?

Hopefully, the information in the article has given you the basics to help you write a powerful essay on achieving goals. I also hope that this article has helped you think about how you can work toward achieving your own goals. There are many great books about the science of goal achievement. I especially recommend ones written by Brian Tracy , as they have helped me a great deal in my pursuit of happiness . You can also create an engaging presentation about achieving goals and objectives using this  goal presentation template . Next up, you may want to explore an ultimate guide to writing expository essays .

Rafal Reyzer

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

People need to have goals in their life. According to Aristotle, “Man is a goal-seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals”. Achieving our goals makes us happy. As the result, our happiness depends on us. Nobody is guilty if we fail to do something in our life. We are responsible for our life and happiness.

I have a lot of goals in my life and do all my best to realize them in my life. Sometimes, these goals are changed or if I achieve some goals I define new ones for making my life better. I think there is no man in the world who doesn’t have any goal in his life. When a man doesn’t have any goal, life becomes senseless.

I am a happy person because I have a sense in my life and I realize my goals. I follow certain rules or steps in achieving good results. Firstly, I define for myself what is really important for me and what I want to achieve in my life. It is very important to establish a priority in your values. My family, health, career and friends are very important in my life. The goals should be formulated precisely and clearly. If you want to have a successful career, you should realize what it means for you. For one person it may mean to run the own company, for the other one it may be work which gives pleasure. Pay attention to the relationship between your career goals with private ones. Your goals should not contradict one another. Otherwise, achieving one goal you fail to achieve another one which makes you upset.

Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich provides the following advice: “The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.” There are some ways which help to keep your goals in mind. You may visualize your goals. I usually write down all my goals for a certain period of time on a separate sheet of paper pointing out a particular date when I must achieve these results. The best way to achieve your goal is to make a plan of steps to follow and check all steps which you have done already. I usually use my day planner or a handwritten list where I write the list of steps that help me to realize my goal. There are deadlines for every step which stimulate me to make efforts. This list helps me to analyze the situation and assess my results. If I fail to do the necessary point by the deadline, I don’t change the whole list; I just mark my delay and try to make up leeway. I review my overall progress regularly making certain conclusions about what I must do and what slows down my progress. Don’t give up if you fail to do something, don’t let your goals fade away.

The author of the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , Stephen Covey points out: “All things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and physical or second creation of all things. You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that you’ve thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in mind.”

I usually visualize my dreams and goals printing out them on separate sheets of paper and hanging it on the wall. A picture on the wall reminds me about my goals every day and makes me work to realize these goals. For example, if you want to travel to many countries, you may find the most beautiful pictures of all places you want to visit and hang them in a plan view. You may cut your photo and stick it on those pictures which help you to imagine yourself in those places of interest. Whatever you want to achieve, visualize your goals. If you want to buy a house or a car, you may also find the pictures of the particular model of a car you wish or a house of your dream and hang them on the wall over your worktable. Other people create a special stand or box of goals and dreams. We should keep in mind all our goals every day which helps us to become closer to their realization.

Nevertheless, everything is changing in our lives and we also change our dreams and goals. Make sure that the goals that you are aiming at are really yours and they are really what you want. Set realistic and attainable goals otherwise, your results will be a disappointment for you. Those people who dream are more likely to experience them in their life. But wishes and dreams are not goals till they are written as a certain plan on paper. One of the most successful businessmen in the world, Lido Iacocca says: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” Everything that happens with us has already happened in our life.

I have a special plan list that helps me to achieve the desired results. Of course, I changed my goals and perhaps I will change them in the future. Nevertheless, these steps always help me to realize my goals and make me happy. As an American writer Elbert Hubbard says: “Many people fail in life, not for lack of ability or brains or even courage but simply because they have never organized their energies around a goal”. If you want to make your life better, write your goals on paper and do all possible to achieve them. This method really works.

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IvyPanda. (2022, January 12). Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness. https://ivypanda.com/essays/goals-of-the-life-personal-experience/

"Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness." IvyPanda , 12 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/goals-of-the-life-personal-experience/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness'. 12 January.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness." January 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/goals-of-the-life-personal-experience/.

1. IvyPanda . "Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness." January 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/goals-of-the-life-personal-experience/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Goals of the Life: Personal Experience of Responsibility for Life and Happiness." January 12, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/goals-of-the-life-personal-experience/.