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I will start my own agency that provides an array of marketing services to clients in the software industry by the year 2025. I will accomplish this by maximizing any marketing position I fill in order to refine my skills, getting involved at community and social events to strengthen my connections, and scheduling informational interviews with current agency owners.

Many graduate schools actually require that a goals statement (otherwise referred to as a personal statement or statement of purpose) or a similar essay be submitted with a student’s application materials.

However, for the sake of simplicity, we’re going to focus on career goals statements that are used personally—for people who want to formalize their objectives and increase their understanding of what they’re working toward in their careers.

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Why does your career goals statement matter?

At first glance, a career goals statement might seem like an unnecessary formality. But make no mistake, working on your own career goals statement comes with several benefits.

1. It forces you to ask yourself the hard questions

Chances are, your average workday is full of questions. Should you do this or that first? Where’d you put that important file? What should you grab for lunch? Do you have time to snag another coffee ahead of that meeting?

Yes, you’re asking yourself plenty of questions—but you probably aren’t taking any time to reflect on the really important ones. When’s the last time you’ve checked in with yourself about things like:

Those are exactly the types of questions you’ll need to answer when creating your own career goals statement, and that chance for reflection is valuable for ensuring you don’t get caught up in the minutiae of your day-to-day.

2. It gives you a sense of direction

Have you ever felt sort of rudderless in your career? Like you were just clocking in and out each day for nothing more than a paycheck?

This is another benefit of creating your own career goals statement: It breaks you out of the monotony, dangles a carrot in front of your face, and renews your sense of motivation.

That’s because, as the Goal-Setting Theory explains, goals themselves are incredibly motivating. You feel much more inspired to get to work when you actually have a clear idea of what you’re working toward.

Additionally, focusing on the end game allows you to get a stronger grasp on what skills you’ll need to develop or refine in order to make that goal a reality.

3. It increases your accountability

There’s something almost intimidating about writing your goal down, isn’t there? You’ve documented it—it’s real, and now there’s a greater sense of accountability.

As frightening as it might seem, that’s actually a positive thing. Research shows that people who are able to vividly picture or describe their own goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to actually achieve them. What better way to get that clarity than by writing that objective down?

Plus, doing so will help make that goal stick. Other studies show that writing things down improves your memory of them.

5 tips to write your own career goals statement

A career goals statement offers numerous benefits. But what do you need to know to write one for yourself? Let’s cover five tips you should put into play.

1. Invest the time in reflection

Remember when we talked about the opportunity for self-reflection above? Before jumping right in with scribbling down your career goals statement, make sure you actually take the time to do that

This will help you avoid setting a goal that you think you should have and instead focus on one that you want to have.

That’s the most important piece of a goal: It should be something that you actually want to achieve. Setting one only because you think it’s expected of you ultimately won’t do you any good.

2. Get specific

In order for a goal to be impactful and provide the necessary sense of direction, it needs to be specific. Something general like “climb the ladder” or “earn more money” is too ambiguous to ignite any motivation.

When establishing your career goals statement, try using the SMART goals framework. Here’s what that stands for:

Specific: Clearly state what you plan to accomplish (i.e. “start my own marketing agency focused on software clients”).

Achievable: You don’t want to set yourself up for disappointment, so make sure that your goal isn’t so lofty that it’s unattainable.

Relevant: Ensure that what you want to accomplish is actually relevant to you (this is where that self-reflection really comes in handy!).

Time-bound: A goal is nothing without a deadline for when you plan to achieve it by. Your career goals statement should be somewhat long-term (and not something you want to accomplish by next week). But “long-term” can mean six months to some people and 20 years to others. Get clear on exactly when you want to reach this objective.

3. Use confident language

Your career goals statement isn’t the place for wishy-washy and noncommittal phrases. There’s no starting with, “I really want to...” or “I really hope I can…”

Open your career goals statement with a certain and confident, “ I will .” Not only does that phrase further remove any ambiguity, but it also gives you a nice nugget of encouragement whenever you refer back to it.

4. Develop an action plan

Setting a goal is a great start, but setting a finish line for yourself means nothing if you don’t understand what you’ll do to cross it.

The latter part of your career goals statement should outline the steps you’ll take to accomplish that goal. This gives you a roadmap that you can follow, rather than just saddling yourself with an objective and feeling clueless about how to get started.

5. Be flexible

Here’s one more thing that’s important to recognize: Goals change. Of course, the very purpose of your career goals statement is to give yourself something long-term to work toward, but that doesn’t mean it’ll always be set in stone.

What if after talking to some other agency owners you decide that business ownership really isn’t for you? Or what if you have personal circumstances come up that require you to remain in traditional employment for a while—meaning the 2025 deadline is no longer realistic? Or what if you achieve your goal and need to come up with a brand new one?

Whether good or bad, these things happen, and you need to be flexible and willing to roll with the punches.

If and when your goal shifts, don’t completely trash or delete your previous goal. Instead, keep it and write an entirely new one. It’s interesting to see how your objectives evolve over time, and that progression can actually be quite enlightening and motivating.

Get inspired: 5 career goals statement examples you can learn from

Nothing helps provide some clarity like a solid sample. So with all of the above tips in mind, let’s take a look at a few different career goals statement examples that you can use as inspiration for writing your own.

Career goals statement example #1:

I will be promoted to a Project Lead at CompanyXYZ within the next five years. To do so, I will refine my project management skills, obtain my PMP Certification , and express my desire for growth and advancement to my current supervisor.

Career goals statement example #2:

I will land a job as a Data Analyst at a large financial institution by the end of the year. To accomplish this goal, I will improve my skills in Excel and PowerQuery and connect with other Data Analysts in my network to find out more about their job search processes.

Career goals statement example #3:

I will foster a positive reputation and secure a public speaking gig for a session of over 300 attendees within the next calendar year. I will do this by continuing to refine my public speaking abilities and networking with conference planners in my industry.

Career goals statement example #4:

I will pursue and complete a career change from a Graphic Designer to a Web Developer within three years. To make this happen, I will return to school to get my Associate Degree in Web Development and complete online courses that cover all of the major programming languages.

Career goals statement example #5:

I will gain a Certified Public Accountant license within a year. In order to achieve this, I'll create a study plan and I'll take a CPA exam review course . I'm going to study each day for 2-3 hours after work to pass the CPA exam.

What should you do with your career goals statement?

You did it—you implemented the tips and followed the examples, and now you’re equipped with your own career goals statement. Uhh...now what? What do you do with it?

Keep it somewhere safe. Better yet, keep it somewhere you can easily accessible so that you can refer to it whenever you need a gentle reminder of what you’re working so hard for.

Whether you had a bad day or just need to be encouraged that your career is about so much more than churning through your daily to-do list, your career goals statement will help you step back and get the perspective that’s so easy to lose sight of in your everyday life.

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Kat is a writer specializing in career, self-development, and productivity topics. When she escapes her computer, she enjoys reading, hiking, golfing, and dishing out tips for prospective freelancers on her website.

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How to write goal statements

How to write goal statements in 3 simple steps.

Writing goal statements can provoke lots of debate and passion. There are many ways of approaching them and of getting them wrong. Here are some simple steps that will get you to a clear statement, avoiding the common pitfalls and issues.

Man writing using typewriter to write goal statement

Typical time to write goal statement: 10 minutes

Goal selection and statement in 3 steps

Brainstorm the outcomes and results you are looking for

Use whatever tool you are most comfortable brainstorming with. Focus on outcomes and results , not activities and tasks .

Sign up for the Sawdust and Running Diet Plan

...is a task or action .

Maintain a healthy body weight

...is that result that you are likely striving for when you sign up for that diet.

light bulb, representing the concept of brainstorming

Sort your goals by breadth, select goal to define

In Step 2 you rank the brainstormed objectives, with the most strategic at the top, the least at the bottom.

When you brainstorm goals around a particular topic, some of those goals will be low level.

Which goal should I choose?

Generally, we will set the goal based on the most strategic of the goals we have brainstormed, though you may have a specific reason to choose a lower level goal.

Let's say we are brainstorming goals around personal health and fitness. We might come up with both...

'We use comfortable running shoes'

'We have a long and healthy retirement'

Clearly the goal 'We have a long and healthy retirement' has a broader scope than 'We use comfortable running shoes'.

sports podium icon as a metaphor for ranking

Write your goal as 'future fact'

Write your goal as though it has already been achieved. You can call this ' tomorrow's truth ' or ' future fact ' (credit to Stacey Barr for that term).

The draft goal statement...

Build warehouse C17 by March

...is a task with a target delivery date. It is not clear why we should care about a new warehouse being built and what benefit it will deliver. Rewording this, focussing on outcomes and removing targets and goals, it becomes...

Our products are shipped without delay

upward chart on phone icon as metaphor for ideal future state

3 common mistakes writing goal goal statements, and how to fix them

Why goal wording matters.

'How to write a goal statement' is one of the most common questions that come up when learning to build KPI Trees and is something many people find difficult. The good new is that a few simple principles can make it much easier. Having run hundreds of goal writing sessions, as the start point for KPI Trees, there are three common mistakes that keep on popping up. Here are those three issues, and the simple fix.

The problem of writing goal statements using just tasks, action or activity

Problem 1. Goal statements that are really 'Tasks, activities or actions'

If I go on a diet, my goal is not 'go on a diet', it is to 'reach and maintain my ideal body weight'.

'Goals' that are tasks, action or activities, perhaps including a deadline, may look like goals but are not goals.

Here are three simple examples of goals statements that are really tasks, activities or actions:

These are not goals as they don't describe the impact of those activities. On a practical level, once the task is complete, they cease to be meaningful, and that's not a great foundation for our KPI design.

Taking our first example, once 'Build warehouse C17' is built, what happens? Why should we care? What is the benificial outcome? All we have described is a task and a deadline for that task.

Put simply goals are about the results and outcomes we want to achieve, not the actions we take to achieve them

Actions, tasks and activities have their place, typically as part of the OKRs that we develop alongside our KPIs. The should not be confused though.

The problem of how to write goal statement - Activity + Target + Timeframe

Problem 2. Goals that are 'Activity plus Target plus timeframe'

A target + timeframe goal will typically follow the verb + subject + target + timescale format. Here are three examples of this format...

The challege with these statements comes in two parts.

Firstly , targets can be highly emotive and can distract from selecting meaningful measures.

For example, in a commercial organisation, few people would argue with the concept of 'increasing profit'. However, if you were discussing a KPI Tree with a sales team and you added the goal of 'Increase profit by 10x' there's a good chance many will have a very strong opinion about the legitimacy of that goal. That anger and emotion will distracted from the almost certain agreement that 'increasing profit' is a good and sensible thing for the organisation.

Secondly , good targets take time, care and effort to create.

At this stage in the process we probably don't know how we will measure something and or what 'great' performmance looks like. Targets should be a separate , later, discussion from whether we should be measuring something.

For both of these reasons, we should deal with targets separately and later in the process (Step 5 in the ROKS Enterprise method).

The problem of how to write goal statement - Achieve Result X through Task, Action or Activity Y

Problem 3. 'Achieve result through task' goals

Another common structure for written goals takes the form verb-subject-action (credit to Stacey Barr for this description), like these:

The issue with this kind of goal is that is far too easy to focus our measurement on the activity , or task , rather than the outcome . In fact, the wording actively encourages us to do this. So the focus for our first example would be to implement the 'Sauron Data Capture System' rather than focus on improving our Line E2 Efficiency.

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How to write goal statements? Fake it 'till you make it!

A simple way to avoid these three problems is to word your goal as though it has already been achieved. You can call this ' tomorrow's truth ' or ' future fact ' (credit to Stacey Barr for that term).

So here are our original three examples...

Rewriting these goal statements as 'future fact'

These look good, but they still have a problem, woolly words .

Sheep - metaphor for woolly words in the context of writing goal statements

Woolly words. Sound great, hard to pin down

Woolly words are words that sound inspiring but are really hard to measure or describe. Extreme examples include...

These are words that you will often find in advertising copy, mission and vision statements. They can make the reader feel great, but can be very difficult to clearly define and, as a result, measure. If woolly words creep into your goal statements.

In our example, our woolly words are...

If you still need persuasion that wording counts, checking out this 'wording horror story' regarding the Cobra Effect !

Let's see what those three statement looks like with those woolly words replaced with clear simple language.

So there we have it when it come to 'how to write a goal statement' describing an ideal future state of the result we care about is one of the most powerful and natural ways of doing this. Write as though it has already been achieve, making sure you avoid 'woolly words'.

These statements are now in great shape to be turned into KPI Trees .

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How to write a goal statement FAQs

Shoud i use pronouns when i write my goal statement.

The use of pronouns such as I, we, us, our is optional, but from experience that they help the 'future fact' statements flow naturally, so their use is encouraged.

Should I use SMART as a guide for how to write goals statements?

People tend to reach for SMART approach (based on the work of Locke and Latham) as soon as they hear the word 'goal' mentioned.

The SMART approach states that all objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Targeted. In truth, SMART is more about setting specific targets than describing outcomes or results.

Experience has shown that as soon as you start mixing targets with broad objectives, the focus shifts to discuss the size of the target, taking focus off the objective and our reason for wanting to achieve it.

Once you have read this post (How to write a goal statement) and are ready to set targets, try the ROKET-DS approach for a field-tested approach to setting effective targets and key results .

How can I tell if my goal statement has covered everything?

If you are writing goal statements for an 'ideal future', you can test it/them by asking the simple question 'could we achieve that goal (or those goals) but still have problems?'. If the answer to that question is 'yes' then your goal statement(s) is/are incomplete.

This approach is known as 'reverse brainstorming' and you can find out a lot more about it in this in-depth reverse brainstorming page (along with a free downloadable how-to guide).

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October 13, 2022

How to Write a Goal Statement for Graduate School

Note: This article uses the terms “statement of goals,” “goal statement,” and “statement of purpose” interchangeably, to reflect the variable language used in graduate application prompts.

Motivations matter

Your statement of purpose is one of the best ways you can sell the admissions committee on you as a well-qualified, purposeful candidate. A strong goal statement will demonstrate your knowledge of your chosen field, your suitability for it, as well as your intellectual development, maturity, and ability to write and think clearly. Further, it will prove that you understand what you’re getting into and that you are committed to attending and completing a demanding academic program. This is important, because graduate admissions committees want to know that you understand and are realistic about your academic and professional goals, and how your chosen program will serve you in reaching these goals.

As a first step in planning the content of your essay, think about your motivations for your career choice. What first got you interested in this course of study? What experiences have confirmed that this academic focus is ideal for you? When did you realize that this wasn’t just a casual interest but a serious and sustained interest that has become the basis of a career? Additionally, identify specialty areas that interest you most. If you are applying for an art history MA, for example, name artistic traditions, historical time periods, admired artists, and methods of analysis that appeal to you. Refer to particular scholars who have shaped the field, and professors, especially those at your target school , who will play critical roles in your academic training.

Share some “snapshots” of the experiences that made you want to enter this field. As you consider which anecdotes to share, include those that will reveal your career motivations behind the financial. Additionally, write about elements of your background that make you stand out from the crowd of other applicants who want to achieve much the same thing.

Show your prep work

Your undergraduate major may be a starting point to reveal the foundation you’ve already laid, but you may have also taken post-graduate courses, earned a certification, or worked in the field for a period of time. These activities provide a track record of your commitment to this career or field of study. Explain not only what you know about your field, but also what you don’t know. Openly conveying this awareness shows you’ve done your homework about why you need this program and how you will apply the knowledge afterward.

Personality counts

Being well suited to a career involves much more than academic talent alone. Your personality, aptitudes, and interests also play a role. For example, some people enter the academic world because they have a burning desire to teach; others are born researchers whose dream job would involve spending all day in a lab. If you are going for a social work degree, can you see yourself handling the constant flow of listening to people’s serious, often heart-breaking problems? Do you have the balance of empathy and boundaries so that this is suitable for you? Think about your personality profile and how you have discovered in what field, and in what role, you will fit.

Work with a grad school admissions expert to create a statement of purpose that gets you accepted >>

Consider your “fit” with your target school

You may have always dreamed of getting your degree from an Ivy League school, but remember: The best school for you is the one that fits YOUR needs, and the school where you also fulfill the needs of the program.

How do you assess whether there is mutual “fit”? Read the program’s website closely; read student profiles and blogs, read up on faculty profiles and identify who has done work in your field of interest, written books or taught courses that appeal to you. If you plan to apply for teaching or research assistantships, have you contacted faculty members with experience or publications in your area of interest who could sit on your committee? Have you come up with a “short list” of courses that will bring you closer to your career goals?

What sorts of departmental opportunities exist, such as special labs, study-abroad programs, internships, or clubs or monthly workshops? How does the location of the program suit your academic, professional, and personal goals? Make sure it is clear to both you and to your target school why you are a perfect match.

What’s your post-graduate plan?

How well versed are you in the career options available to you after earning your degree? Be prepared to identify the potential places of employment and/or job functions you hope to get after completing the program. Your research can include internet and library searches, talking to people already in your field of choice, and reading articles on industry websites.

If you are headed into academia, do you envision yourself on the “tenure track,” teaching and researching at a large university? Or teaching at a community college where you may have a private practice on the side? Will you be able to achieve your career goals with your master’s degree, or will a Ph.D. be the natural next step? Be clear in your statement about where you hope to land professionally or academically at the end of the program.

Remember that graduate school is one step in an ongoing and flexible process. No school requires that you “promise” them you’ll assume a certain career post-graduation. Still, even if you anticipate that your career could take you in several different directions, try to commit to a single clear career path in your application. You can always change your mind!

If you would like the guidance and support of experienced admissions consultants as you work on your statement of purpose or other parts of your grad school application, Accepted is here to help. We offer a range of services that can be tailored exactly to your needs.

For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to top undergraduate and graduate programs. Our expert team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, PhDs, and professional writers who have advised clients to acceptance at top programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, MIT, Caltech, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern. Want an admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

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COMMENTS

What Is a Goal Statement?
A goal statement is a text intended to provide insight into the personal, career and educational goals of an applicant. The statement demonstrates the writing skills of the applicant and gives a glimpse of his personality.
What Are Some Examples of Sales Goals?
Achieving a certain volume of sales or a certain dollar amount are common sales goals in an organization. A salesperson might have a monthly target of $20,000 in product sales, for instance. In a car dealership, a sales representative may h...
What Is a Professional Career Goal Statement?
A professional career goal statement explains a person’s current or future career goal. Career goal statements are used in resumes or stated in cover letters. They are also a central component of an action plan.
Goal Statement Examples: How to Craft Unique Goal Statements
A goal statement defines the specific goal you wish to achieve, how you will achieve it, and why you are pursuing this goal. A goal statement serves as a
How to Write a Good SMART Goal Statement for Success
A SMART goal statement is a sentence or even paragraph written to the formula of the SMART acronym. This contains all the effective criteria
Do Goal Statements Actually Work? Find Out Here
Mission statements are the philosophy of the company. Make sure that your personal goals align with that mission. For example, your company
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A goal statement is a written description of your long-term professional objectives. This may include specific accomplishments, like receiving a
40 Best Goal Statement Examples [Professional / Personal] ᐅ
What is a goal statement? · The outcome that the goal must produce · The beneficiaries of your goal · The benefits that the result will generate for each of the
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A good goal statement is a basic starting point for teams or individuals to plan their work and identify whether it is successful—goal statements are
How to Craft the Ideal Goal Statement to Manifest Your Dreams
A goal statement is a written description of your long-term goal. It guides you on your path and helps you find your purpose. Simply put, it's
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As the name implies, a career goals statement is your personal vision for the future of your career. Think of it as the ultimate target that you're aiming
SLO Example Goal Statement principal
GOAL STATEMENT. High-quality SLOs start with a plan. The SLO plan should provide enough detail to support the peer or evaluator in their.
How to write goal statements in 3 super simple steps
Goal selection and statement in 3 steps ; Step 1. Brainstorm the outcomes and results you are looking for · Example ; Step 2. Sort your goals by breadth, select
How to Write a Statement of Goals for Graduate School
A strong goal statement will demonstrate your knowledge of your chosen field, your suitability for it, as well as your intellectual development