Career Mission Statement and Goals

1. My professional mission statement is: “I strive to be an example to others through my dedication and attention to detail.”

2. My professional mission statement is: “I refuse to disappoint those who depend on my abilities.”

3. (A1) My first goal is to be recognized as Employee of the Month by May 1st. (B1) In order to accomplish this goal, I will need to figure out ways to excel at my current job and stand out to my boss. I have to break bad habits, such as mindlessly reading blogs when I should be getting some work done because if I want to show dedication to my work, I cannot be distracted. I also need to be more of a team player in the workplace and pick up slack when I see it. Even small things get noticed by my superiors, such as making sure my work area is clean and organized. (C1) At work, I need to make sure I am engaging with my co-workers since their vote factors in Employee of the Month voting as well. I do not need to butter them up, but I should show that I am supportive and always willing to help complete the task at hand. I should also look at some of the previous winners of the award to get a little more insight into the kinds of employees who should be seen as examples for others to follow. Since I, too, want to be a leader and positive example to others, it would even be worth my while to sit down with some previous winners and pick their brains about their work habits or help them with a project. (D1) I first need to get used to not being idle at work, and always finding something to do. I should be making it a point to get something relatively substantial done every day at work by March 14th. I need to help one previous Employee of the Month winner with a project by March 31st. I’d like to think that my bosses will see my dedication and positive attitude early enough to give me the award in April, but if they don’t, it just means I have to focus more on engaging with my co-workers and being a positive presence in the office throughout the month. (E1) I’ll benefit from achieving this goal because my bosses will see me as a more vital part of the workplace, which means they will be more willing to let me take on more responsibility.

(A2) My second goal is to manage a project to completion by July 31st. (B2) In order to accomplish this goal, I will need to find a project worth pitching to my bosses. There has been a lot more new business coming in lately, which is advantageous to me at this time because it gives me a lot of potential options to uncover a project worth putting my effort behind as the person in charge. However, this might wind up being easier said than done. I do not currently know the exact process for how project management is assigned. While we do regularly have meetings to discuss new business and the various projects our team has on its hands, at those meetings it is nearly always announced that someone, in particular, is going to be taking the reins with a given project, without much discussion. No one has ever jockeyed for control in a new business meeting. This all leads me to believe that perhaps the best way to get assigned to a project is to ask my superiors directly about spearheading the cross-functional teamwork project when I discover that we’ve been granted some new business for a client that excites me. Being direct is heavily valued at my workplace, and I will need to be less passive in seeking out potential new avenues to show off my talent and dedication. (C2) A person at my company who would be an excellent resource in achieving this goal would be my immediate supervisor. Since he is frequently involved in client relations, he also gets a lot of the intel regarding any potential new business we might be adding to our roster of projects. If I am able to foster a stronger relationship with him and show him that I am interested in the new business we acquire, it will likely lead to his increased confidence in my abilities as an employee. I should also talk to some of the current project managers with whom I happen to be close. This will help me in a couple of ways. First, I will see how they were able to find the project that they felt suited their skill sets the best, whether that was by keeping abreast of the new business coming in or by being close enough with a manager that they were assigned a project directly based on what our superiors thought might be a good fit. Additionally, since I have yet to manage a project myself, I will be able to learn about the kinds of things expected from a project manager. I have some ideas, certainly – leadership, perseverance, the ability to keep calm under pressure and meet deadlines with aplomb – but overall, it would absolutely be nice to know firsthand how exactly a project manager should conduct themselves, along with how long a project typically takes to finish completely. It would also do me some good to look through the minutes of previous new business meetings to see if there are any trends in the kinds of business we acquire, if certain employees manage more projects than others, and to keep a lookout for any recent new business that might not have a manager assigned to it yet. (D2) After I’ve won Employee of the Month and gotten some more clout around the workplace, I’ll need to immediately start looking through the minutes of previous new business meetings. I’ll also need to immediately start taking better notes during those new business meetings as well. I need to have a few projects that I think I’d be well-suited to manage in mind by May 1st and set up a meeting with a supervisor by May 15th about taking charge of a project. Even if I am not assigned one at that time, getting a jump on letting them know I’m interested in management will put the idea in their heads, which may lead to me being assigned a project without having to ask for it. Once assigned, I’ll put together my team and create a more elaborate schedule for the project and its various deadlines so it will be totally complete by the end of July. (E2) I will benefit from achieving this goal because I’ll be in more direct control of the tasks I am assigned to in the office. Personally, I prefer having foreknowledge about my work, and taking the lead as a project manager will give me exactly that, along with more input on details like who will be assisting me in completing a project and what sorts of deadlines we would need to meet.

(A3) My third goal is to receive a promotion by October 1st. (B3) In order to accomplish this goal, I will need to find a role to fill within the office. In the past, those who have been promoted got their new titles because they were able to seemingly effortlessly slip into a role suited for them. Finding my niche will give my superiors more reason to make sure I am the one in charge of a certain aspect of our workplace. I will also need to get a better score on my next employee evaluation. I did not do very poorly last time, but I also did not achieve the score I know I am capable of. This is my own fault, and next time I will slack off less and be more active in order to get my score up. (C3) The best resource I have at my disposal is the head of the company. He has an open-door policy for meetings, so if I were to set one up with him, he’d be more than willing to discuss my future at the company and where I see myself fitting best in a more substantial role. I should also go over my company’s mission statement and the employee handbook again to refresh myself on what the company is all about, and how I can align myself with ideas that have already been put forth in writing rather than trying to effect change from within. (D3) After winning Employee of the Month, I will set up an initial meeting with the head of the company by May 15th to discuss my future with the company. I will set up another meeting by August 15th to discuss the matter further. At that meeting, I will also come ready with ideas about the sort of niche I see myself fitting into a more supervisory capacity. I will also set up a meeting with my immediate supervisor at this time to debrief my project management and get the wheels moving towards managing a new project, along with planting the idea of promoting me in his head. I will have a new title in mind by September 1st. (E3) I will benefit from achieving this because I would become a more permanent part of a company that I wholly enjoy working for.