“People don’t change when they feel good.”

-Og Mandino

When we’re out of work, we’re not feeling too terribly good. So what is it that pushes us to set goals? Pain. When it’s painful enough such as the unemployment insurance running out, the mortgage is 60 days behind, they’re talking repo on the family SUV…….. we eventually sit up and say, “I better get serious about this job search.”

Goals, goals, goals, we hear it all the time for things like securing our financial security, for climbing the corporate ladder or in athletics. Now it’s being trumpeted in the job search. why, because they work.

So, what’s the difference between having a plan, and setting goals. Aren’t they the same? Isn’t the goal just to get a job?

No not really. Here’s the way it breaks out: there’s planning, wishing, dreaming and goals.

Wishing – “I wish I could get a job making $100k a year.”

A wish is an expression, a desire or hope concerning the future or fortune. Wishing is usually fleeting, and passes with little residual effect. But wishing over a prolonged period of time can morph into dreaming.

Dreams – “I want to live in Vail,Colorado.”

Dreams are just that – ethereal, celestial, not of this earth. But let’s not dismiss dreams because the greatest of all accomplishments started with the most ridiculous of dreams, imaginative thoughts of what can be. It’s a beginning point. But you have to move past dreams.

Planning – “I’ll perform a six part set of actions to locate, engage and accept a job I want.”

A good start, admirable and doable. But it’s much more helpful if planning is packaged with time tables, short term requirements, assessments, and motivators. Which leads up to the whole package of goals.

Goals - ”I will live and work at in Vail, Colorado. I will accomplish this by creating a plan                          and working the plan to move to Vail and make $100k a year by March of next year.

What’s so great about goal setting?

Good goal setting gives an job seeker an edge in four areas:

1. They provide direction.

2. They employ a doable plan.

3. They provide feedback.

4. Goals motivate and provide a daily purpose.

Tips for effective goal setting:

1. Set both short-term and Long-term goals.

2. Identify task goals in addition to outcome goals.

3. Work a plan with action as the primary activity.

4. Evaluate your goals.

5.   Make your goals doable.

So make your goals more than just about getting a job. Make the goal that of getting the kind of job you want, the kind of job you can attain, the compensation you deserve and the job you deserve. And set those goals now.