A survey of 2,011 Americans revealed 67 percent of those surveyed defined success as achieving their personal goals.  Around 60 percent of Americans stated their idea of success was loving what you do for a living, while just 20 percent defined success in terms of monetary wealth, according to Business Insider.

However you define success, it is clear your career plays a role in your overall happiness. Harvard Business Review reports the unemployed face significantly higher rates of dissatisfaction, while those in professional positions tended to experience much higher rates of happiness.

The key to being happy with your professional life is to determine what success means to you and to set goals for achieving that success. Landing your dream job as your first position isn’t likely, but charting a path with specific steps along the way can lead to professional fulfillment. To help you create your definition of career success, consider taking these key steps:

• Identify what would make you happy in your career. The first step to finding professional success is to consider what that would look like. Rather than focusing on a specific job title, consider what energizes and excites you, as well as where you excel. Your hobbies can help steer you in the right direction, but as LifeHacker explains, it is also important to consider where your talents lie.  A helpful formula to use to find your ideal career, according to LifeHacker is the G+P+V formula. This stands for Gifts + Passions + Values. You can identify your talents, decide what is non-negotiable in a career in terms of your values, and think about what inspires you most to help you determine where your career should go.
• Establish short- and long-term goals for your career. As CareerWise explains, goals should be time-based and realistic. Setting deadlines for achievements that are attainable will motivate you to take concrete action. For example, if you would prefer a better work/life balance, set a specific goal to apply for 10 jobs with flextime in the next month and a goal to be hired in a position with flexible hours within a year.
• Make your goals actionable and measurable. Set forth specific actions you can take to get closer to finding your ideal position. If you want to be a manager, for example, set a goal to take a leadership course or to ask your boss to be put in charge of a project at work. There should be concrete steps established as part of your goal-setting as well as objective, measurable metrics to help you to determine if you have achieved those goals.

When working to achieve career success, it is imperative you get help from those with the tools and connections that make it possible for you to achieve your goals. PrideStaff Los Angeles/Culver City can provide the assistance you need to build the career of your dreams.

PrideStaff is the winner of the Best of Staffing Diamond Award for achieving the highest client and talent service scores for five consecutive years. Our award-winning staffing service will work closely with you to achieve your professional goals, so give us a call today or contact us online to find out how we can help.