Clare Jonker
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About me
◦ My time at CSU
◦ What I did before I came to CSU
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Why am I giving this workshop?
Setting career goals shouldn’t be rocket
science but a common sense approach of
identifying the aspects of work you enjoy
and are good at, and then setting yourself
up with the knowledge, skills and
experience to take you forward in your
career.
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Identify personal values
Determine what you’re good at (and
better at then most other people) and
what you enjoy doing
Assess the opportunities
Set your goals
Work out where the gaps are and what
steps you need to take to bridge them
Review regularly
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Goals that you set for your career path.
- career choices
- where you want to be in your career in future
years
Career Goals are important because they....
 give you clarity on what you want;
 motivate you and drive you forward;
 provide you with focus and make you strive to
your highest potential
 hold you accountable for your actions
When we set career goals we frequently think
of them as being:
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Progressing up the career ladder
Making more money, getting more
recognition .....
But there is a much broader aspect to
setting career goals
Maslow’s (1908-1970) hierarchy of needs:
3 assumptions:
1. We have needs that are never totally
satisfied
2. We aim to fill unsatisfied needs
3. Our needs fit into hierarchy – from
basic/low level to high level needs
Maslow’s theory is important because it
separated out pay as a motivator for
employees.
Values are things that you believe are
important in the way you live and work.
They should determine your priorities and
may be the measure you use to tell if your
life is turning out the way you want it to.
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Identify your values based on your
experience of happiness, pride, and
fulfilment
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Does it rely on my best skills?
Am I learning new skills?
Is it challenging and exciting?
Does it make me happy?
Can I achieve a work-life balance?
Am I making friends at work?
Am I a good role model?
Am I maintaining my integrity and
personal values?
Do I make a contribution to society?
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‘yindyamarra winhanga-nha’
Indentify strengths (and weaknesses)
 Ask friends or colleagues
 Professional assessment
 Complete your own self assessment
Strengths
What advantages do you have that others
don’t have? (e.g. Skills and Qualifications)
What do you do well?
What do others see as your strengths?
What unique resources can you draw on?
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Weaknesses
Where could you improve?
What are others likely to see as your
weakness?
Where do you have few resources than
others?
.....
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Analyse the external environment:
◦ what skills are required?
◦ is there a skill shortage at CSU and/or elsewhere?
PESTEL
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Political
Economical
Social
Technological
Environmental
Legal
Opportunities
What opportunities are open to you?
What trends can you take advantage of?
How can you turn your strengths into
opportunities?
Can you open up opportunities by
eliminating your weakness?
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Threats
What threats could harm you?
What obstacles do you currently face at
work?
Is your job changing?
What is your competition doing?
What threats do your weaknesses expose
you to?
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Short-term: short period
(daily, weekly, monthly, annually)
Long-term: goals for life
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What am I passionate about? What is my dream job?
What am I good at doing? Do I have a gift or calling?
What would I do if I was financially independent?
Am I happy in my current career?
Am I looking for a new career or just a new position?
Do I want to make more money or is money even a
priority?
Why do I work at CSU. What is stopping me from
leaving?
How do I define success? Am I achieving success
now?
Who are the people I most admire? What is it about
them and their career that I like?
Where do I want to be in my career in 5, 10, 15
years?
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Visualise your goals
Provide clarity by writing them down
Identify the goals that can be achieved in
the short term and those that are long term
goals
Prioritise them (what are most urgent)
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Tell someone
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Identify the benefits of achieving your goal(s)
Break-down the steps you need to take to
achieve your goal
Set deadlines for accomplishing each step
Identify the resources you need to achieve you
goal (training, support, money, time etc)
Outcomes
Goal
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Benefit
Steps
Deadlines
Resources Outcomes
Goal 1. Further Training
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Research available courses;
Decided on preferred option and talk to someone
who knows about the course. Ask questions about:
how to enrol, what the cost is, how long the
course is expected to take, what your final
qualification will be etc
Speak to your supervisor and, if required, seek
study support
Enrol in the course
Submit CSU forms
Commence training
Goal 2: New job
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Research the job – what knowledge and skills are
required?
Do you have them? If not, get them!
Talk to someone about the job: someone who holds a
similar job or who has performed that job in the past,
the manager, a client, colleague etc.
Prepare and submit the job application
Prepare for the interview
Attend the interview
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Keep focused
Re-read your goals daily
Review them regularly
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Research position descriptions for similar jobs
◦ Look at the position responsibilities and the selection
criteria – what are they asking for?
 Qualifications / equivalent experience
 Communication / Interpersonal Skills/ Organisational skills
 Specific skills and experience unique to the job
◦ Pay attention to the terminology: understanding;
knowledge of; demonstration of; ability to;
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Review the CSU level Descriptors published at the
back of the Enterprise Agreement
Talk to people in similar jobs
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Consider alternate pathways
◦ Fill in for somebody when they go on leave
◦ Consider a sideways (backwards??) move to get
you in the area you want
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Look for other opportunities
◦ Working groups, projects, committees etc
◦ Presentations at conferences
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Move outside your comfort zone
Thank-you Admin Focus Organising Committee