How to write your Career Vision Statement

“You can’t be what you can’t see”. You may have heard this phrase before, and so have I. Not only have I heard it, I have come to make it a powerful principle in my career and life in general. It’s also the reason why I started creating a Career Vision Statement for myself, because rather than hoping and wishing, I wanted to see where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in the future.

Your Career Vision Statement is the equivalent of a mental picture of what inspires you and where you aspire to be. These are not expectations from society or what others think about you, or want you to do. It’s about your own view of success according to your personal values and interests. The reason why a Career Vision Statement is so powerful is because it helps draw out a path for your work, create meaning behind it and direct your actions as you move towards your career purpose.

How to write your Career Vision Statement-2

This study revealed that one of the reasons why women persisted in fields as challenging as STEM was because they had a “personal vision”. A strong Career Vision Statement will keep you inspired, motivated and engaged.

As a working woman, having a Career Vision Statement has helped me face and overcome discrimination, bias and barriers in the workplace. I believe it can also help you achieve bigger and better things in your work.

Here are three simple steps to create your Career Vision Statement:

Define who you want to be and what you want to do

It’s important to be as honest with yourself as possible about who you really are and what you really want to do when it comes to your career. Many of us have a flawed vision of who we should be, based on feedback from friends and families, or expectations that are not in aligned with who we are.

Instead, ask yourself: “Who do I want to be?” “What do I want to do?” Through this process, do not settle for second best. Let go of logical thinking and pragmatism. Turn off those negative voices and dare to think “big”. Anything is possible!

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

How do you define career success?
What type of job or career do you envision yourself doing?
What would you do if money weren’t a concern?
If no obstacles stood in your way, what would you like to achieve your career?
Who are the people you most admire?
What does your life look like once you achieve success?
Do you have a gift or calling?
What do you love to do?
Where would you like to be in 1 year? 5 years?
What makes you special?

Recognize what you need to do to get there

Reality check: There’s a gap between the “who” you want to be, and the real you at the moment. This is not to beat yourself up for not having reached the levels of success you’re aspiring to.

Your Career Vision Statement is a great place to devise HOW you intend to make your professional vision come true. Think about a few steps you can put into action to illustrate ways you can get to achieve your career goals.

Review periodically!

Review your Career Vision Statement periodically, preferably as often as possible! I keep mine in my wallet and try and read it at least once a week, if not multiple times a week. I find that every time I read it, I get a boost of self-confidence and motivation.

Make it a habit to review your Career Vision Statement and update it regularly.