1. Think about your overall education goals. Your overall goals might be the answer to one of the following questions:
- What do you want to get out of education?
- How do you want to put your training or education to work?
- How do you want to feel once you’ve accomplished your educational goal?
2. Write a clear goal statement. This doesn’t need to be long. It might be one of the following:
- better job
- Get a job in a different field
- Get a promotion
- Finish your bachelor’s degree
- Feel better about yourself
- Set an example for your children
- Earn more money
- Enhance and expand your skills
- Explore an interest or hobby
3. Identify steps that will move you closer to your goal.; These will become your education or training activities. Everyone will have different activities, depending on where they are in their planning. Some activities you might include are:
- Decide on a career you want to pursue. You can get started with a self assessment.
- Learn about training requirements for a job of interest. Find these in an Occupation Profile for the occupation you’re interested in.
- Learn more about the your education or training options at What’s right for me?
- Search for a local career training program like CCI Training Center.
- Learn about the cost of training, financial aid, and other ways to pay for training
Source: CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor
