Career Planning: Setting SMART Goals

Summary

Nicole Levy, an alumna from Stony Brook's Higher Education Administration program, delivered an insightful presentation on setting SMART goals for career planning. Her talk was geared towards helping students navigate the often daunting job search process. By using SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—individuals can set clear career objectives, ensuring they align their personal and professional aspirations. Nicole walked the audience through building a SMART goal using her own experiences, emphasizing introspection and understanding personal absolutes and conditionals. This approach not only aids in career planning but also fosters personal growth and confidence in making informed decisions.

Highlights

• Nicole Levy shared her personal journey of using SMART goals in her job search. 🛤️
• She emphasized the importance of making your goals specific, such as clearly defining the job and location. 📍
• Measurable goals were discussed, focusing on understanding the steps like job applications and interviews. 📝
• The relevance of goals was touched upon, urging individuals to align their goals with passions and experiences. 💼
• Nicole reminded us that some goals might require you to work harder or adjust your path. 🚧
• Time-bounded goals ensure you have a timeline, making the process less overwhelming. 📅

Key Takeaways

• Setting SMART goals simplifies the daunting task of career planning by providing clarity and direction. 🎯
• Introspecting on personal absolutes and conditionals can build confidence in goal-setting. 🧘‍♀️
• Aligning your goals with your passions and experiences can make them more achievable. 🚀
• Measuring success involves understanding the steps needed to achieve your goals. 📏
• Determine the relevance of your goals to ensure they resonate with your values and experiences. 🤔
• Timing is crucial; be aware of what you're willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals. ⏰
• Stay optimistic and believe you deserve your goals, but be prepared to work hard for them. 💪

Overview

In her enlightening presentation, Nicole Levy drew from personal experiences to highlight the importance of setting SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—in career planning. Nicole's insights were particularly aimed at students who are about to embark on their job search journeys, offering them a method to reduce stress and increase clarity in what can be an overwhelming process.

Nicole underscored the value of introspection in goal setting. By identifying 'absolutes' and 'conditionals'—the non-negotiable and negotiable elements in one's career aspirations—students can craft personalized goals that truly resonate with their unique situations and capabilities. This internal reflection helps in building confidence and readiness to make informed career decisions.

The presentation wrapped up with actionable advice, encouraging the audience to stay optimistic and work diligently towards their aspirations. Nicole's own SMART goal gave a practical example: seeking an entry-level job in higher education on Long Island before graduation, aligned with her passions for event planning and student success. Her message was clear: with structured goals and determination, success is within reach.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Importance of Goal Setting in Career Planning The chapter discusses the significance of goal setting in the context of career planning. Nicole Levy, an alumna of the Higher Education Administration program, shares her insights through a presentation initially given at the Careers in Higher Education Conference at Stonybrook University. She emphasizes the stress associated with career planning during higher education and offers guidance for current students on navigating this challenging phase.
• 00:30 - 01:00: The Concept of SMART Goals This chapter introduces the concept of SMART Goals and their importance in career planning. It highlights how setting SMART goals can facilitate making successful career transitions and planning effectively. The speaker shares their insights hoping to aid others in their career journey by using SMART goal methodology.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Introduction to SMART Goal Components The chapter titled 'Introduction to SMART Goal Components' begins with a motivational quote highlighting the power of personal creation and control over one's life and career through goal setting. It emphasizes the importance of putting forth one's best effort in both personal and professional realms and introduces the concept of setting goals as a means of controlling one's career. The narrative sets the stage for discussing how goals specify targets, serve as something worth striving for, and relate to the larger aim of creating a structured plan for career advancement.
• 01:30 - 03:00: Specific Components of SMART Goals The chapter encourages readers to clearly define their most important career goals to avoid setting themselves up for failure. Vague goals are harder to achieve, so specifying goals such as graduating soon, starting a major job search, looking for a promotion or departmental change, or focusing on a long-term career ambition is critical. It stresses the importance of identifying and emphasizing this goal to ensure it is at the forefront throughout the goal-setting process.
• 03:00 - 05:00: Measurable Components of SMART Goals This chapter discusses the important elements that make goals SMART, focusing specifically on measurable components. The discussion begins with the importance of introspection in goal setting, encouraging the identification of 'absolutes' (non-negotiables) and 'conditionals' (flexible aspects) in personal and career planning. The emphasis is on understanding one's inherent motivations and constraints to set clear, measurable objectives.
• 05:00 - 08:00: Achievable Components of SMART Goals This chapter focuses on identifying the crucial elements of setting achievable goals, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between absolutes and conditionals in one's aspirations. It encourages the reader to reflect on what they truly desire versus what they can compromise on. This self-awareness helps in developing confidence in their goals. The chapter is a part of a larger activity on setting SMART goals, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives.
• 08:00 - 10:00: Relevant Components of SMART Goals This chapter discusses the components of SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Each component is explained briefly: the goal should be clear and specific; measurable with clear indicators of success; achievable within the resources and constraints you have; relevant to your current work or objectives; and bound by a timeframe for completion. The chapter also mentions a practical application of these concepts, focusing on using SMART goals in a job search context as the author prepares to graduate from a higher education administration program.
• 10:00 - 12:00: Time-Bound Components of SMART Goals The chapter introduces the concept of SMART goals by using a post-graduation career plan as an example. It encourages breaking down broad goals like 'I want a job when I graduate' into more specific components to ensure clarity and articulation in goal-setting.
• 12:00 - 13:00: Review and Application of SMART Goals The chapter focuses on the importance of introspection in determining job preferences and setting SMART goals. It encourages identifying key components such as location, salary, and personal passions that influence job decisions. By clarifying these aspects, one can formulate a specific and actionable job goal.
• 13:00 - 14:00: Conclusion and Motivation The chapter titled 'Conclusion and Motivation' discusses the author's passion for event planning and student success, situated on Long Island. It emphasizes the importance of setting specific career goals post-graduation. The chapter advises on making goals measurable to assess their successful achievement, acknowledging the challenges in doing so.

Career Planning: Setting SMART Goals Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 my name is Nicole Levy and I am an alumni of the higher education Administration program I graduated in 2015 I'm here to share my presentation that I gave at the careers and higher education conference here at Stonybrook University the presentation I developed is on goal setting as it pertains to Career planning and it was something that I felt was important for students in the higher education program currently to hear because it can be a stressful period of time looking to land
• 00:30 - 01:00 that first job or making a transition change currently and it's things that I've gathered throughout my time and was hoping to help them along their Journey as [Music] well today I'm going to talk to you about career planning and how creating a specific type of goal called a smart goal will help you better prepare for what can be an overwhelming process the
• 01:00 - 01:30 job search so before I begin I want to share a quote with you that is a mantra of mine you are always living the life you create if your life does not feel right create something better just like in your personal life you have to put forth the best effort to control what you can and your career is something you have control over if you set goals and a plan of action so let's talk about those goals goals specify targets they are something worth striving for however we
• 01:30 - 02:00 set ourselves up for failure when they're vague and difficult to measure so for this activity I want you to write down your top priority career goal at this moment are you graduating soon and beginning your first major job search are you looking for a promotion or a change in Department do you have a long-term career goal in mind that is the most important whatever it is make sure you write this down underline it fold it whatever you have to do to drill it home as we go through this
• 02:00 - 02:30 activity so before we reconstruct your goal I want to share some career planning tips I've learned along the way I believe that the key to completing a goal is to have some introspection you have to look inside yourself to answer some tough questions that may shape your future so I want you to identify what you consider your absolutes and your conditionals absolutes what do you want that cannot be negotiated conditionals
• 02:30 - 03:00 what do you really want but are willing to let go of if you have to take a second to jot down some things that come to mind when you think of absolutes and conditionals identifying these will help you develop confidence in your goal and I will be asking you to reference them throughout the rest of the activity now that we have your most significant career goal and your absolutes and conditionals identified let's start making a smart goal
• 03:00 - 03:30 a smart gole represents an ambition that is specific what exactly do you want to achieve measurable how will you know if you achieved it achievable are you being realistic relevant how does this pertain to what you're doing now and time bound how long do you have to complete this so for the purpose of this activity I'm going to reflect on my own job search as I Was preparing to graduate from the higher education Administration program
• 03:30 - 04:00 I'll be using the goal I want a job when I graduate as my example throughout this activity so let's get started on the first phase of a smart goal specific what exactly are you looking for in your career you might be thinking that my goal is pretty specific what do I want I want a job when do I want it after I graduate but let's break it down a little further
• 04:00 - 04:30 here's where the introspection comes in I want you to name the three most important components you're looking for in your job is location something that's important to you what about salary will anyone else be affected by this decision what are your passions once you identify these you could come up with a more specific idea of what it is you're looking for so so now my goal has turned into I want a job
• 04:30 - 05:00 on Long Island that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativity after I graduate as you can see that's more specific and gives me a better idea of what type of job it is I'm looking for the next factor is measurable how will you know if you met this goal this one can be tricky
• 05:00 - 05:30 depending on the goal if it's not a quantitative goal you might have to think creatively or even literally but don't worry the answer is still there how do you view success will you accept partial fulfillment of a goal do you have someone in your life that you can trust to provide you feedback do you have a mentor or a friend or a family member that could help you see if you're on the right track for this goal and most importantly by what means
• 05:30 - 06:00 will you be able to measure this goal here's how we have to break it down so now my goal becomes I want to accept an offer for a job on Long Island that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativity after I graduate the key term here is accept an offer if you want a job what does that entail you have to search for the job posting you have to apply fly
• 06:00 - 06:30 you have to go on an interview maybe you have to go on a second interview then you have to be offered the job and then you have to accept the job so while it seems trivial these are all things and processes that you have to go through in order to land this goal so the key term for me to measure whether I can achieve this goal or not is that I want to accept an offer for a job the next phase is achievable
• 06:30 - 07:00 are you setting a realistic goal for yourself the key here is really understanding the goal for example the job description do you know this job that you want do you know what it entails it's always good to read job descriptions to get a better idea of things that you want you also need to evaluate your transferable skills maybe you don't have every checkbox that the
• 07:00 - 07:30 job wants but you might have other experiences that could lend to this job and most importantly does this goal in the current landscape seem achievable alongside any conditionals and absolutes so those absolutes and conditionals that you created before do those affect your ability to get this job sometimes you might have to forge your own path if you want a job that is not created currently
• 07:30 - 08:00 you're going to need to work a little harder to make that goal a reality that's fine but just know what's the backup plan is the goal most important or is working at the institution or the company most important these are things you have to be prepared for in order to make sure that you achieve your goal so now my goal
• 08:00 - 08:30 becomes I want to accept an offer for an entry-level job on Long Island that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativity after I graduate the key term here is entry level if I'm graduating with my Master's Degree what is a realistic job that I can get with my experience thus far in my field the higher education landscape an entrylevel job is something that I would strive for for so now I
• 08:30 - 09:00 know not to look at jobs for associate directors or directors or Deans that's not something that's achievable right now I want to look for an entrylevel job which is something that is realistic for me to achieve we're almost there the next phase is relevant is this goal in line with your
• 09:00 - 09:30 values and experience why do you deserve this job the introspection in this phase is really a chance for you to Pat yourself on the back for all the hard work that you've put in thus far back to those three important components that we talked about earlier I want you to list at least one accomplishment for each of those or List why it's value to
• 09:30 - 10:00 you I want you to list two strengths that you have that make you an awesome hire now sum it up you got this do you need more experience that's fine that's the point of a goal now you know which areas you need to improve upon what you can do to help you get to where you need to be at the time that the job search is coming for me and my goal event planning
• 10:00 - 10:30 Student Success and creativity are all things that I was able to develop on my resume throughout my two years working on my Master's Degree and even before that in my undergraduate and internship experience don't discount any prior experience that you might have so now my goal becomes I want to accept an offer for an entry-level job on Long Island that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativ ity that speaks to
• 10:30 - 11:00 my job experience and earned degrees after I graduate the last phase is time bound how long are you willing to wait for it what absolutes are you willing to sacrifice if any if you're running out of time what conditionals if your goal is to get a job upon graduation what are
• 11:00 - 11:30 you willing to give up if the job that you thought you wanted is not available to you at the moment or is it more important to land the job that you feel passionate about and you're willing to wait some extra time to make that happen for me and my journey when I graduated with my undergraduate degree I did wait a few months before I was able
• 11:30 - 12:00 to land a job but that wasn't something that I was planning for so a personal goal of mine was that I wanted to graduate with a job once I finished my Master's Degree so my goal becomes I want to accept an offer for an entry-level job on Long Island before graduation that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativity that speaks to my job experience and
• 12:00 - 12:30 earned degrees so now let's review your new smart goal my starting goal was I want a job when I graduate and like we spoke about before maybe that seems specific enough and a great goal for someone starting out but now through the smart goal phases my goal becomes I want to accept an offer measurable for an entry-level job achievable on
• 12:30 - 13:00 Long Island specific before graduation time bound that encompasses my passion for event planning Student Success and creativity also specific that speaks to my job experience and earn degrees relevant so I hope that you were inspired to create a new goal that
• 13:00 - 13:30 develops your phases and helps you understand what it is you truly want of course you can utilize smart goals in all aspects of your life but it's definitely helpful in the job search and I know I hope that you are comfortable diving into understanding what you truly want and identifying your absolutes and your conditionals so that if tough decisions have to be made you feel more prepared and confident in making them and that you can leave with a clear
• 13:30 - 14:00 confident game plan for your career now I'll leave you with the wise words of great author and comedian MSY kaing entitlement is simply the belief that you deserve something which is great the hard part is you'd better make sure you deserve it so work hard towards your goals praise yourself for what you are accomplishing stay optimistic and you'll get what you deserve [Music]