The real secret to career success...in any market

I often hear stories and radio commercials about the tough time college graduates are having right now finding work. In a recent bit, some recommendations were to work harder and get online because you've got to find a way to stand out in the eyes of potential employers in this market.

Yeah, yeah...anybody can do those two things. But let's back up. There's one thing that most people don't do: it's setting and managing their goals. I've heard that only around 2% of people have goals and apparently around 1% of people actually review their goals on a consistent basis.

If I was hiring someone - anyone - right now (be it a college grad or seasoned veteran) one of the biggest deciding factors would be whether or not they have a set of personal and career goals that they live and work by.

Legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight once said "The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win." Setting goals and letting them steer your life in the direction you want it go is arguably the most important thing you can do to boost your career and accomplish what you never thought possible.

There's a saying that if you don't have goals you're doomed forever to achieve the goals of someone else. Make goal setting a top priority and hold yourself accountable never letting up on the self-discipline it takes to review them and live/work by them day after day...That's the real secret to success. Study this subject.

Here's a recent article I wrote on setting and managing goals to help you get rolling:
Eight Steps to Accomplishing Your IT Career Goals