How You Can Set Goals for Your Military Career

Uncle Sam wants you! 1.3 million Americans serve in the military, and the military is always looking for new servicemembers.

If you want a bold and exciting career, you should consider joining the military. Yet you shouldn’t sign up just yet. You should think about military goals so you have a path you can take with your military career.

What should your goals look like, and what kinds of goals can you have? How can you achieve your goals? How can you know you are on the right track?

Answer these questions and you can start a terrific military career today. Here is your quick guide.

Be Specific

Read any guide about setting military life goals, and you’ll read advice about setting specific goals. “I want to be a captain” may sound like a specific goal, but in reality, it’s a very vague one. The goal does not give you a way of tracking your progress, and you may fail due to factors outside your control.

Think about what your aspirations for joining the military are. Then give yourself a clear objective you can reach in a particular amount of time.

Make sure your goal is reasonable for the deadline you are setting for yourself. You will not be able to become a captain in five or even ten years. At the same time, your goal should challenge you.

Once you’ve developed your goal, you should write it down on a sheet of paper. You can tell other people about your goal, or you can keep it to yourself.

Research Potential Goals

An Army career can mean a few different things. You may become a commissioned officer and lead units into battle. But you may also become a teacher, public relations officer, or government liaison.

Your career may take you to different parts of the world. You can spend time on a station or army base in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

You can think about the perks of joining the military as well. You can qualify for a low-cost college education under the GI Bill, and you can get discounts at a number of institutions. The military also provides substantial retirement benefits, including yearly pensions.

Think about your personal aspirations and life goals. Then see how you can associate your aspirations and goals with your military career.

You do not have to stay in the military for the rest of your life. Think of a deadline and figure out a time when you should transition to a civilian job.

Figure Out What You Need to Do

Once you have a goal in mind, you should do your research on what you need to do to achieve it. Brainstorm steps you can take in the near future to move toward your goal.

Promotions at the non-commissioned level are relatively straightforward. As long as you avoid getting hurt or being reprimanded, you will receive a promotion to become a corporeal or staff sergeant.

Becoming an officer is trickier. You need to acquire promotion points, which you can earn by taking classes and signing up for important projects.

Assignments to bases abroad can be random. But you may be able to go to a certain part of the world by making a request and using your connections.

Pick Short-Term Targets

Your goal may take you several years to achieve. However, you should not think too far into the future. You may miss opportunities in the present to advance your career, and you may become discouraged if reaching your goal takes too long.

Think of a few targets you can reach in the next few years that will help you get to your goal. If you want to become a captain, think about how you can become a lieutenant first. If you’re looking to get educated, try to find opportunities for job training.

Prioritize these small goals over your long-term goal. As you reach these goals, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and momentum that will encourage you to keep working. If you never reach your main goal, you can take pride in the small goals you accomplished.

Review Your Progress

You should stay focused on achieving your main goal at all times. But you should check in with yourself to see how things are going.

Think about what you can do differently and what you are doing right. Make improvements so you correct your mistakes, and double down on the things you are doing well. Talk to other people about your goal and get advice on how you can improve your performance.

Go to performance reviews and talk to your superiors about your job. Take notes on what they say and ask them questions about things you can do better. Thank them for their advice and give them a gift like a military coin to show your appreciation.

As time goes on, you may find that your goals are changing. You can abandon your old goal, but you should come up with a new one.

Launch Your Military Career

A military career can be about more than shooting guns. You should do your research and brainstorm a specific goal you can reach soon. Decide how long you want to stay in the military and pick a goal appropriate to your tenure.

You can break down the steps you need to take by thinking of short-term goals you can reach. Touch base with yourself several times a year and see what progress you are making.

Don’t stop exploring your options for a great career. Read more guides to military careers by following our coverage.