Career Resolutions 2008

By Jason Price, MS, MBA

Each year resolutions are made – some achieved while others forgotten. According to Accountemps, an international job placement firm, only 12% of workers made career-related resolution in 2006, but nearly three-quarters of those who did achieved their goals by the end of the year.

What is remarkable is that goal setting can make all the difference including in one’s career. Set goals that are reasonable and achievable. Break them into smaller and more practical tasks if necessary – and learn from others. Here are some goals to consider: Learn new skills, set a course to earn a higher pay rate, and improve the balance between work and life.

Learning a new skill continues to score highest according to the Accountemps survey. Training begins at the workplace not necessarily on campus. If formal education is desired then find out what your company offers in the form of tuition assistance. Determine if you qualify and whether there are any classes or training being offered on-site or nearby.

Pay grade is essential but goes hand in hand with experience and accomplishment. What have you done or obtained to command a higher salary? What makes you different and sets you apart from the rest of your colleagues to justify an increase?

We all search for more personal time at home and with loved ones. Shifting work to the home - telecommuting - or launching an in home career offer possibilities. Certainly pursing a formal education consumes even more time. But for some the investment today in education is a payoff for some of those luxuries of tomorrow. Find those who chose this path successful. See what they do differently and learn from them. With respect to education, the executive MBA, which is offered at more than 250 business schools throughout the world is not an end all solution but does provide academic flexibilities that would not be possible for most full time working adults. An executive MBA provides an alternative to the traditional MBA. Students study in a concentrated curriculum of weekends or weeklong sessions, fulfill the same requirements of a traditional MBA, and study with peers in the same boat with full time work, family, and other responsibilities and still graduate within two years.

If you were one of the 12% that made a resolution to learn a new skill, earn a higher pay rate, and find balance between work and home – education is one of the approaches. For business professionals who desire an MBA, the options are less limited if they factor in the advantages – practical and educational – to attend an executive MBA. Find out if it is right for you. To learn more about the Executive MBA, learn more and compare programs, simply visit www.EMBAWorld.com.

SOURCE: EMBA World is a New York City-based organization dedicated to helping employees and employers understand options regarding graduate level business education and in particular the Executive MBA. Jason A. Price, MS, MBA, is Director of EMBA World and author of The Executive MBA: An Insider’s Guide for Working Professionals in Pursuit of Graduate Business Education. Jason is a frequent speaker to media on graduate business education issues and publishes industry articles periodically on the subject. The Insider’s Guide can be found at online bookstores or at EMBA World www.EmbaWorld.com. You can reach Jason A. Price at Jason@embaworld.com.