Ask the Readers: What Are Your Career Goals?

Editor's Note: Congratulations to Susan, Mami2jcn, and Jeff for winning this week's contest!

Setting goals motivate us to improve ourselves, whether it's in our personal life, health, or finances. Career goals, in particular, can keep us from falling into a rut and can help us live the kind of life we want.

What are your career goals? Do you have a game plan or a timeline for achieving your goals? What steps have to taken toward your goals?

Tell us about your career goals and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards

We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win!

Mandatory Entry:

  • Post your answer in the comments below. One commenter will be randomly selected to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

For Extra Entries:

  • You can tweet about our giveaway for an extra entry. Also, our Facebook fans can get an extra entry too! Use our Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win one of the other two Amazon Gift Cards:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're inspired to write a whole blog post OR you have a photo on flickr to share, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.

Giveaway Rules:

  • Contest ends Monday, July 11th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. Winners will be announced after July 11th on the original post. Winners will also be contacted via email.
     
  • You can enter all three drawings — once by leaving a comment, once by liking our Facebook update, and once by tweeting.
     
  • This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered, or associated with Facebook.
     
  • You must be 18 and US resident to enter. Void where prohibited.

Good Luck!

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Mami2jcn

Before I had my 4 children, I was a marketing director at a financial institution. I've been a stay at home mom for 13 years now. I don't have any career goals at the moment! I'm thinking about my children's career goals now.

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Guest

I'm working on my PhD and will finish that within the next year and then I will start work as an analytical chemist!

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Guest

I work in banking and I want to work with credit policy. I enjoy working with policies and procedures and finding ways to structure banking products to fit policy without compromising on lending standards or quality.

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Elena

My career goal right now is to get a job

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Jamie

My career goals are mostly money-based. I want to make enough to live and save for retirement so I would like to make at least $50,000 by 35 (6 years from now)

I switched from the arts to finance and do not have any finance degree but am working on getting the certifications I need. Last month, I got my health and life, accident, and annuities license! Next year, I plan to study and take the Series 7.

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V

To be happy with what I do for a living and to make a difference in the world.

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Jenny D

I do the bookkeeping for our family business, but I would like to get a side job. I want it to be near my home and I would like to enjoy my work. I've been thinking along the lines of something where I'd assist people in some way. So far I've done some online research about jobs of this nature and their requirements, plus I've looked at the Help Wanted ads.

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Matt

I want to find a job where I can work consistent hours. Right now I work very unpredictable and late hours and it makes planning activities and spending time with my family a challenge.

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Gina

My career goals are to find a better paying job at a stable company with great benefits and a pension. I'm working on improving my skills so I can find a better job.

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Guest

I am a classroom teacher but would like to have a job outside of the classroom in the next 3 years. I would also like to continue investing in rental properties.

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Sheryl

My career goal is to retire as soon as possible!

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Elle

My career goals are to keep advancing and continue to do a good job in my position.

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Mary W

My career goals were to find passion and love what I do AND get paid for it. My game plan was to continue to try new things and take advantage of opportunities. I had no timeline for achieving my goals. I did find my career goal and it has everything I wanted except the pay. But now that I'm retired it's OK!

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Julie

I want to make a difference in the world, even if it's just a small one in my little corner.

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Lisa

My goal is to have enough saved so that I can not work a 9-5 desk job as soon as possible. Not my own business but move into a career that is more in line with the things I love (nature and animals) and less drone work.

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Emily S.

My goal is to move up the ladder as quickly as possible in order to achieve financial independence and retire early. I earned an advanced degree in my field to jumpstart this path.

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Erin

My career goal is to get a raise by 2017

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MELISSA HANSSON

I would like to stay with my current job, but develop some long-term savings strategies.

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MELISSA HANSSON

I would like to stay with my current job, but develop some long-term savings strategies.

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Bethany

I want to make it through homeschooling and then with the 10 years before officially retiring I'd like to work as a paramedic or for the postal service.

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J

My ultimate career goal is to retire early and be financially independent. My working career goal is to become a CIO or IT leader in big data. I've done many things to support this goal over the last decade.

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Annette Cumins

I am a mom of 4 and because of life circumstances and challenges I have now become the the sole provider for my children and my husband! I have been working part-time as a peer counselor for new mothers with their newborns and have loved that job. I recently resigned because I am going to attend college full-time in the fall so that I may learn the skills that will help me provide and receive a better salary. I have researched many careers to find the right fit with the right pay scale. I have discovered that becoming an Occupational Therapist Assistant is where my heart and head are. I have a son who needs the assistance of a occupational therapist and after watching her work with my son I knew this was the career for me. It will take 3-4 years to complete this planbut I know I can do it!

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MelodyJ

I would like to get a job and make a living wage. My plan is to refresh my math, computer and foreign language skills to make that happen.

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Susan P.

My career goals now that I'm retired are to maximize my investments and economize to utilize them the most efficiently.

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Christina

My career goal is to leave my current job the beginning of next year to be self employed.

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J. Pario

I want to find an interesting, challenging job that requires creativity and people skills--and that makes a positive difference in the world.

Then I plan to use that job to fund starting my own business. I am heading toward working for myself.

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Karen Patterson

Retirement!

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JEAN

I would like to increase my professional knowledge and training. Whether taking a college class, a workshop offered by my employer, getting a certification and/or continuing education.

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Catseye

My career goal is to earn a Medical Office Tech Certificate so I can work at a clinic, hospital or insurance company. I am striving for a full-time job with decent pay and benefits.

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Guest

I'm really happy with my job - maybe eventually an MSW would be down the line, but overall I love my job and see myself staying here for at least 4 years.

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Michelle D.

My career goal is to find something I love doing and be able to make a living off of it.

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Kelli

My career goal is to find a new job that I truly enjoy that also pays enough. I'm still trying to find a way to make money at doing what I love. Right now I'm just looking for a job and am looking into those books that are supposed to help you find your passion.

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amanda sakovitz

Mine is to move up to an executive office manager position

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Miss Kim

My career goal is to go back to work and further my education as well.

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Carmen N

My career goals are changing because there's no room for growth were I'm at right now.

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Susan Smith

No career goals currently. I'm just enjoying being a SAHM.

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Ernest S.

My goal is to find passion in my work. I feel like I work hard and have overall good results, but I lack feeling excited about my work. I'm hoping to change that very soon!

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Rebecca Ross

Right now my career goals are to become full-time at my part-time job.

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Jay

For our business to continue to be successful.

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Hilary

Career goals are doing something I love and make a living

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Donna D

Just keep getting a decent paycheck, but have life/work balance.

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Michael

I would like to have more work-play balance in my life.

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Laurajj

My career goal is to do something I love and working toward retirement.

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Maura

My career changed from 20 years in a school library to assessment data reporting. It was a good change and will probably take me into retirement.

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Rich

I would like to take on more functions in lateral departments.

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Louly

I would like to eventually be partner here.

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SKB

I would like to find something that makes me want to go back to work.

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Monique Hubert

I am working on the coursework and then the internship (and exam) to become a registered dietitian. I'd like to work as a diabetes counselor and would also love to get involved in research. Somewhere in there I'd like to work on a Master's in the field as well.

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Lynda

my career goals is job stability and hour freedom

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Pam ricks

My career goal is to write a book!

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Raquel Serrano

I want to be a certified career coach. Right now, I'm currently working on my resumé writing certification, paid with a scholarship! Once certified, I can offer services at a reasonable price through social media marketing, networking and Fiverr. Profits will go towards my official cert as a full-fledged coach! Give me five years, tops.

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Tracy Hirsch

I guess you could say my goal is to un-career. We are working hard to save so that we can retire early at 55 (4 years). Then my husband and I plan to volunteer in between travels.

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Jeff

the only career goal I have at the moment is to just get through a few more years of work before I retire.

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Trish

I am currently in a great job with great benefits so my goal at this stage is to work on maximizing these benefits and work toward retirement.

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BRB

To make the coffee stand that we just bought a success!

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Andrew

My goal is really to start my career over again, and then to be really amping up my plans for eventual financial independence through a combination of great defense when it comes to expenses, side projects and income, and using all the tax-advantaged resources I can. First, a good job!

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Happy Love

I want to finish my Ph.D. so that I can advance as a college lecturer.

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Liz

I would like to continue to climb the ranks!

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Natalie

I want to become an othopedic certified specialist. I am a physical therapist and want to earn this extra specialty.

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Tabathia B

I want to go back to work in the next few years and be financially stable

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Thomas Murphy

I want to own a business

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Ashley P.

Have more work/life balance.

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Ana

I currently don't have any career goals at the moment.

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Kat

To use my time more wisely at work.