Investigating Professional Goals
Think about an area of work that you are interested in and that you can see yourself involved in at some point in the future. After some investigation (at school, in your neighborhood, in your family, etc.), find someone who participates in this area of work and interview them, asking the following questions (feel free to add to these questions if time allows):
- What kinds of things are you trying to accomplish in your work right now?
- What are you hoping will be the greater impact of the work you are doing currently?
- Is there an overarching goal that gives meaning to what you do?
- What direction do you see for the future of your own career?
- How will you know when you have
made it?
- What do you think is the primary goal of your work?
Discussion Questions:
- What is this individual trying to achieve in his/her work?
- What is the
mission
or the purpose of this individual's work? How does he/she describe this? - How do the goals relate to daily work?
- What did you learn from your interview? Did anything surprise you?
