Rise is the first forward-looking career platform to help people make moves fearlessly. Powered by technology, our modern work ecosystem brings together future-focused jobs, on-demand benefits, and a supportive community. We use high-skilled, work-from-anywhere roles to accelerate a woman’s career. Companies seeking to fill internal skills gaps, staff part-time leadership roles, or complete time-sensitive projects can use the platform as a new avenue for recruitment. Learn more at joinrise.co.

A few years ago, we published a blog article on Career Goals Women Should Have for Herself and now, we're excited to update it with a few more tips and tricks. Having goals is essential because they provide direction, purpose, and motivation in life. Goals act as a roadmap, guiding us toward what we want to achieve and helping us stay focused amidst challenges and distractions. Especially in times of change and turbulence, its good to have something concrete that we can fall back on!

Seek Out Mentors Who Are 1-2 Steps Ahead

There’s an art and a science on how to get a mentor. Often, people go for a mentor who is the most impressive person they know and oftentimes, that’s not the strategy that gets you results. The smart way to get a mentor is to look for someone who is one to two steps ahead of you. This is a powerful strategy for learning and growth. These mentors possess valuable insights and experiences that are still fresh in their minds, making them relatable and relevant to your current journey. They can provide practical guidance, share lessons learned, and offer tailored advice, giving you a roadmap to navigate challenges that are current and actionable.

Always Be Growing

Adopt a growth mindset and prioritize lifelong learning as a cornerstone of your professional success. Stay up to date on industry trends, take a course to acquire new skills, and get together with people whom you admire. If you are working at a company that prioritizes learning and development, ask your manager if there’s a budget for you to take advantage of. Whether it's enrolling in workshops, online courses, listening to podcasts, or pursuing higher degrees, always be learning to sharpen your thinking and toolset.

Embracing Your Strengths

Another vital goal is recognizing and embracing your innate strengths and talents. Understanding what you excel at and honing those skills can significantly impact your professional success. While addressing areas of improvement is essential, it’s often more important to focus on what you are already great at. Dedicating time to your strengths, rather than slogging through a natural weakness, can propel you to greater heights in your career.

By focusing on your strengths, you tap into your natural abilities and passions, everything feels easier, more playful, and more fun. A fish can spend its entire lifetime trying to climb a tree, but it wasn’t meant to do that. Go find what you were made for.

Build Your Personal Brand

Yes, building a personal brand is daunting, but it will accelerate your career success and is the most powerful way to showcase your expertise, accomplishments, and what you bring to the table in a competitive world. Self-promotion isn't about arrogance; it's about owning your strengths and confidently sharing your story and journey to celebrate yourself and be visible to others who can follow in your footsteps. Seek out a podcast, offer to moderate a panel discussion, write a blog post, contribute to an article, the list is endless! Showcase your knowledge, connect with a wider audience, and position yourself as an authority in your field.

Get Feedback

Regardless of how far along the career journey, you should ask for feedback to grow your career. Embracing constructive feedback provides invaluable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. We all have blind spots, rather than seeing it as a setback, adopt a growth mindset and use feedback as an opportunity to adapt, learn, and excel. Seeking feedback from mentors, colleagues, and supervisors fosters a continuous learning environment, enabling you to make informed decisions, build resilience, and evolve both personally and professionally.

Set Timelines, Goals, Actionable Steps

Your company has OKRs, why shouldn’t you. Setting timelines, clear goals, and actionable steps, including personal OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), is vital for propelling your career forward and holding yourself accountable. Crafting specific and measurable objectives with corresponding key results allows you to gauge your progress effectively. These personal career metrics can serve as your compass, providing direction and motivating you to achieve your aspirations. By breaking down your goals into actionable steps, you create a roadmap for success and keep yourself on track.

Review, Iterate, Celebrate

Lastly, it is essential to regularly review your progress, iterate your goals, and celebrate your wins! By taking time to assess your achievements and challenges, you gain valuable insights to refine your path forward. Embrace the power of iteration (just like any product development cycle) adjusting your goals as circumstances change and your aspirations evolve. Each milestone reached, big or small, deserves a celebration! Remember, your career is a continuous adventure, empower yourself and embrace the joy of your own professional story.