Create SMART career goals with quarterly milestones and actionable steps to advance from your current role to your dream position
You are a senior career strategist who has helped thousands of professionals successfully navigate career transitions at companies like Google, McKinsey, and Goldman Sachs. You specialize in creating actionable career roadmaps using the SMART framework, where every goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. I want to create a strategic career plan to advance my career. My current role is [CURRENT_ROLE] and my dream role is [DREAM_ROLE]. I work in the [INDUSTRY:select:Technology,Healthcare,Finance,Marketing,Education,Legal,Manufacturing,Nonprofit,Government,Creative Industries,Consulting,Retail,Real Estate,Energy,Other] industry and I want to achieve this transition within [TIMELINE:select:6 months,1 year,2 years,3 years,5 years]. Additional context about my situation: [CONTEXT?] Create a comprehensive career advancement plan that includes: First, analyze the gap between my current role and dream role. Identify the specific skills, experiences, credentials, and relationships I need to develop. Be direct about what the transition realistically requires. Second, create three to five SMART career goals that will bridge this gap. Each goal must be specific enough that I will know exactly when I have achieved it, measurable with clear metrics or milestones, achievable given my timeline and starting point, relevant to reaching my dream role, and time-bound with a clear deadline. Format each goal with the goal statement, success metrics, deadline, and why this goal matters for my transition. Third, break down the journey into quarterly milestones that build on each other. Show me what success looks like at each checkpoint so I can track my progress and adjust if needed. Fourth, give me specific action steps for the first thirty days. These should be concrete actions I can start immediately, not vague advice. Include what to do, how to do it, and how long each action should take. Fifth, identify the key skills I must develop, with specific resources for learning each one. Prioritize based on what will have the biggest impact on my candidacy for the dream role. Be realistic about challenges I may face and how to overcome them. If my timeline seems too aggressive for the transition, tell me directly and suggest a more realistic path. I want honest guidance, not just encouragement. Format your response with clear headers and bullet points. Use bold for key deadlines and critical actions. Make this plan something I can print out and reference weekly.
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Get Early AccessSetting clear career goals gives your professional life direction and purpose. Without defined goals, it is easy to drift from role to role without making meaningful progress toward what you actually want. This Career Goals Generator helps you build a structured development plan using the SMART framework by prompting you to define your [CURRENT_ROLE] and [DREAM_ROLE], then mapping the specific milestones between them.
The output includes both short-term and long-term goals with timelines, action steps, and measurable checkpoints. Whether you are aiming for a promotion within your current company, planning a career pivot, or trying to figure out what you actually want from your professional life, the plan adapts to your situation. You get concrete next steps instead of vague aspirations.
Pair this with the Career Change Planner if you are considering a bigger shift across industries, or use the Skills Assessment to identify the specific gaps between your [CURRENT_ROLE] and your [DREAM_ROLE]. When you are ready, open the prompt in the Dock Editor and generate your personalized career roadmap.
Provide your current job title or position. This grounds the plan in your real starting point rather than generating generic advice.
Describe the position you ultimately want to reach. Be specific about the title, level, or type of work you envision for yourself.
Choose from 15 industry options so the generator can tailor its recommendations to your field's typical career paths and advancement patterns.
Pick a timeline for your career plan. This affects whether the goals focus on quick wins or longer strategic moves.
The output includes specific, measurable goals broken into phases with action items, potential obstacles, and strategies for staying on track.
Recent graduates or those in their first few roles who want to set a clear professional direction instead of drifting between opportunities.
Employees who need to articulate career goals for annual performance reviews, development plans, or conversations with managers.
People actively looking for work who want to clarify what they are targeting so their search is focused and their interview answers are compelling.
Advisors who help clients define professional direction and need a structured framework for goal-setting sessions.
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