Career Goals: Meaning, Examples & How to Set Them

Meaning 1：Professional aspirations (Career goals)

Career goals 🔊

/kəˈrɪr ɡoʊlz/

n. phr.

The specific jobs or positions you hope to achieve in your working life, like a map for your future job path.

Career goals notebook with ladder, graduation cap, and briefcase icons

Professional aspirations 🔊

➕

/prəˈfɛʃənl̩ ˌæspəˈreɪʃənz/

n. phr.

The specific jobs or positions you hope to achieve in your working life, like a map for your future job path.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Career from Latin 'carraria' (road); goal from Old English 'gol' (boundary).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 'Career' as a road (Latin 'carrus') and 'Goal' as a finish line—drive toward it.

📖 Example

When planning his future, Tom wrote down his career goals, which included becoming a team leader within three years. 🔊 When planning his future, Tom wrote down his career goals, which included becoming a team leader within three years.

🔗 Collocations

set career goals – Establish professional objectives

achieve career goals – Reach desired professional milestones

revise career goals – Adjust professional objectives based on new circumstances

🔄 Synonyms

professional objectives (n. phr.) – Specific targets one aims to accomplish in their career

job ambitions (n. phr.) – Strong desires to reach certain positions or achievements in work

occupational aims (n. phr.) – Planned outcomes related to one's trade or profession

🚫 Antonyms

short-term tasks (n. phr.) – Immediate assignments with no long-term career focus

career indifference (n. phr.) – Lack of direction or ambition in professional life

job stagnation (n. phr.) – State of no progress or advancement in work

🌱 Derivatives

careerism (n.) – Excessive focus on career advancement

goal-oriented (adj.) – Focused on achieving specific objectives

careerist (n.) – A person who prioritizes career progression

📖 Cultural Story

The term gained popularity in the 20th century with the rise of professional development literature; it symbolizes a planned path to professional success.