Achieving your goals
As you have already learned, setting clear objectives and having a specific action plan can be extremely useful in helping you to achieve your future goals.
However, a range of external factors can also be vital in supporting you as you work towards achieving your goals.
Think first
For one of the goals that you have set for yourself, think about who or what may contribute to you achieving this goal – for example, what support might you need from a friend or a family member, what skills or characteristics will you need to succeed, and are there any groups or organisations that can help you along the way?
Type some thoughts into the box below before you move on.
Let’s consider an example and explore some of the different factors that can contribute to successfully achieving a particular goal.
Click on the images below to find out more.
1. Harry’s goal
Harry is 16 years old and he has decided that it is time to find a job. This will be Harry’s first job, and he is looking for a part-time job, that he can fit in around school work and socialising – perhaps working some evenings during the week, and on weekends.
He has found some potential opportunities working in shops and restaurants.
2. Harry’s strengths
To help him apply for jobs, Harry has spent some time listing out his personal characteristics, strengths and skills – he feels that this will help him to explain why he is suitable for the job when writing his CV or completing application forms.
He has created the following list:
- I am friendly and enjoy talking to people – this will help me to communicate well with customers and colleagues at work
- I am reliable and enjoy taking responsibility – this means that an employer could give me a task to do and I will work hard to make sure it is completed
- I am good with technology – this could make it easy for me to learn how to use computer-based systems at work
- I am good at maths – this could help me in a retail job, when handling money and customer orders/purchases
3. Harry’s relationships
Harry has identified that he will need some help from his family in order to achieve his goal of getting a job.
He will ask the following people for help…
- His older sister is really good at English, so he will ask her to help him write his CV and complete any application forms. She will be able to check that his grammar and spellings are correct, as this is something that Harry is not particularly good at. Harry knows that having a well-written and accurate application will help to create a good first impression with potential employers, increasing his chances of getting a job.
- Harry and his family live in a small village, with limited access to public transport. Therefore, Harry will rely on his mum or dad to give him a lift to any interviews that he may be invited to attend. If he is successful in getting a job, Harry may also need help from his parents to get him to work, or to the nearest bus stop.
Once he has a job, Harry knows that positive relationships with his employer and with customers will also be key to his success. He will need to show good skills, work hard and be an effective member of staff, he will also need to communicate and behave in ways that keep customers happy and satisfied.
4. Additional support
In Harry’s local community, there are additional sources of support available that he will use to help him achieve his goal.
For example:
- The local library has a career advice centre – Harry plans to visit the centre to speak to an advisor about job skills (including writing an application and attending an interview)
- Harry is going to look into opportunities to volunteer in his community – perhaps helping out at a food bank or in a charity shop. He feels that this will give him additional experience and skills that he can use to boost his job prospects.
Key point
Having the right personal characteristics and strengths can play an important part in helping Harry to get a job – if he can clearly demonstrate to a potential employer that he has the skills they need, he increases his chances of finding employment.
It is equally important for Harry to have support from those around him – such as help in putting together job applications, advice on interview skills or help with travel to and from interviews. Without this support, Harry would find it much more difficult to achieve his goal.