Guidelines for Goal-Setting  (adapted from ecareers.sg portal)

1. Why do I need to set goals?

Setting goals gives you a purpose and helps you to plan out the specific steps you need to take to increase the likelihood of achieving your desired outcome. It also helps you to focus your energy and prioritise your time and resources to achieve your goals.

2.    How do I go about setting goals? 

Visualising the outcome!  Goal-setting begins by first knowing where you are in your current state and then thinking of the desired future state by visualising the outcome you want. This outcome needs to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely, in other words, you need to set S.M.A.R.T. goals: 

Specific – Write down what you hope to achieve in specific termsand description. 

Measurable – Your goal should be measurable over time to show progress. 

Achievable – Your goal should be something that you have the ability to achieve. 

Realistic – The goal you set should be realistic given the amount of time and resources you have. 

Timely – There should also be a fixed timeframefor you to achieve your goal. 

Tip for setting S.M.A.R.T. goals: Begin with the end in mind.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Which career would you want to take on?

à Do you know enough about the career option(s) that you have decided on?

à Which courses in the university can you pursue to enter this particular career sector?

à What are the university and course requirements, as well as indicative grade profiles (IGPs) of these courses?

àWhat else do you need to know about the university that you are intending to pursue your further education in (eg learning environment)?

àWhat grades should you target to achieve for each of your major examinations to help you progress towards achieving your desired grades for the A-levels?

à What are the other entry requirements, and what else do you need to be preparing to help yourself apply for the future courses?

3. When do I set goals?

Usually goals are set at the start of the year and reviewed regularly over the course of the year (eg. different terms)in your school. However, some important milestones in your school life require you to pay more attention to the goals you set. For example:

a) When you are in your final year and you are preparing for your GCE A-Level examination to gain entry to the university;

b) If you are representing the school in some competition in your CCA, please check with your CCA coach, teacher or seniors on what is the expected level of proficiency or competency. 

4. Who else is involved in my goal-setting?

Getting feedback from your teacher and parents is important, as they know you well enough to give you honest feedback on whether your goals are S.M.A.R.T. and to support you to achieve your goals.Besides, you can also be accountable to them by giving them an update of your progress regularly.

4. What’s next after goal-setting?

Periodically review your targets (e.g. after each major examination) to check if you are on track towards achieving your goals. If you are not meeting your targets, ask yourself the following:

• What went wrong? Are my goals not realistic enough?

• Were there obstacles along the way that prevented me from achieving my goals (eg inappropriate studying or revision techniques, distractions)?

• Was the time frame for me to achieve my desired goals too short? Should I make adjustments to the time frame?

• Was what I wanted to do to achieve my goals not clear or specific enough?

As you reflect on the possible reasons why your targets may not have been met, do spend some time thinking about how you can manage the difficulties that you encountered, improve on setting S.M.A.R.T. goals and work towards achieving them at the next milestone check. Consult your parents, teachers or ECG Counsellor when necessary.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Career Planning)

For each of the 3 careers that you are seriously considering to pursue (in order of preference), fill in the possible courses/programmes, from the various educational institutes, that are available and helpful in the pursuit of your career. You may obtain the required information from ecareers.sg portal and via the respective university websites.