What Do I Even Want for My Career?
Do you have a job you dream about? Maybe you want to be very good at something or just have a job that you like and pays well. Whatever you want for your future job, it’s called career aspirations, and they help you make choices for your future.
How do you figure out what you want to do for your job? Sometimes, when you’re young, you might not be sure. But everyone has things they want to do in the future. It could be big goals, like owning your own business or overseeing a company. Or it could be more general, like having a good balance between work and home.
Even if your ideas are not clear, they can still help you make decisions. For example, when you hear questions like “What are your career aspirations?” in a job interview, you can answer confidently.
In this article, we’ll explain what career aspirations mean and give some examples to help you find yours.
What are career aspirations?
Career aspirations are what you hope to achieve in your job. They are like goals or things you want to get close to in the future. These are usually long-term plans that you can work towards as you get better in your job.
There are many different types of career aspirations. Some are because you want more money, and others are more personal. Some want to be good at what they do, while others want to enjoy their job. As you learn and grow in your work life, your career aspirations might change.
Why do people ask about your career aspirations?
When you go for a job interview, they might ask, “What are your career aspirations?” They want to know how much you want to succeed and if your goals match the job you’re applying for. They also want to see if you plan to stay at their company for a long time.
How to know your career aspirations?
To find out what you want to do in the future, think about where you’d like to be in terms of money, where you live, and your family. Ask yourself questions like, “What would my dream job be?” or “Where would I love to be in five years?” Your answers can help you understand your career aspirations.
While you’re thinking, also consider what you’re good at and what you like doing. These things can help you decide what job is right for you.
How to answer at an interview: “What are your career aspirations?”
In a job interview, they might ask you about your career aspirations. If you know what you want and it fits the job, your answer will be easy. But if you’re not sure, you can let the job description guide your answer. For example, if you’re applying to be a carpenter, you can say you want to learn a lot and maybe become good at carpentry.
Career Aspiration Examples
Here are some examples of career aspirations, goals, and plans, to get you started.
Finance Expert
Goal: To be an analyst with a top-tier financial institution.
Plan: Learn a lot, get real-world experience, and eventually be in a leadership position in finance.
Marketing Professional
Goal: To help people and make a positive impact on society.
Plan: Use skills in digital media to improve lives, work as a senior campaign strategist in the future.
Business Owner in Carpentry
Goal: Get a good foundation in carpentry.
Plan: Learn in the next five years, work on different jobs, and maybe become a master carpenter.
Education Worker
Goal: To be a primary school teacher.
Plan: Work with children, move into special education, and maybe become a vice principal or principal.
Your career aspirations might change over time, and that’s okay. Even if they change, having career aspirations gives you something to aim for beyond just getting paid.
Here are additional resources to help you figure out your career goals!
Harvard Business is a branch of the Harvard University. Their article provides an easy-to-follow summary on how to sort out your career aspirations.
Muse is an agency that offers support to employees and employers alike! Their article offers some ideas on how to answer the question “what are your career aspirations?” in an interview.
LinkedIn is a social media platform that is business and employment-focused. One of their authors provides us with an article on how you can figure out your career goals.
Indeed is a job-seekers’ website with job postings from across the world. Their article outlines some ways to answer “what are your career aspirations?” in an interview, and even provides example answers that you could use!
