Future goals

When someone asks ‘What are your future goals?’ people will immediately say ‘I want to be a ….’ or ‘I have no idea what I want to be yet’, but it is important to remember that future ambitions and goals do not always need to be centred on your career or job prospects.

There are plenty of other important goals and experiences that you can begin to think about now, and asking the following sorts of questions can allow you to think about what’s important to you, and therefore start to shape what you want your life to look like…

  • Do you want to go to college/sixth form?
  • Do you want to go to university?
  • Do you want to travel around the world?
  • Do you want to own a house/flat?
  • Do you want to get married and have a family?
  • Do you want to have a pet?
  • Do you want to go on lots of holidays?
  • Do you want to be able to continue a hobby throughout your life?
  • Do you want to be famous?
  • Do you want to live somewhere new?

You may be thinking that you are too young to be thinking of these things now, but people of any age can benefit from goal setting, and thinking about them from a young age, will improve your likelihood of achieving the goals. Why? Because having goals and ambitions can help you make decisions. They can help set a clear path for you to work towards, and they will allow you to see what’s important to YOU!

What are your future career goals?

Once you start to think about your lifelong ambitions, it’s then important to start thinking about your career goals, as these will support you in reaching your personal ambitions. 

The career you choose is very important. You’ll spend a huge amount of your adult life working, and so it’s important to choose a job/career that is right for you. However, what makes something a ‘good’ job? Here are some common reasons why people think a job is a ‘good’ job:

  • If you enjoy it
  • If it allows you a good work/life balance (do you have time to do hobbies/see your friends and family?)
  • If you find it interesting and/or challenging
  • If it is secure
  • If you get good benefits (e.g. paid if you are ill, maternity leave, etc.)
  • If you get a good wage

These are things that you should be considering now, as you begin to decide what subjects you enjoy, and potentially what career path you may choose to go down BUT it’s also fine if you don’t know what career path you want to choose yet. You’ve got plenty of time to work that out still and new types of jobs and careers are being created all the time. So, even if you feel like there is no job that is suited to you, there could be one created a couple of months from now that is the perfect fit for you!

Click here to download the Gateways Website Knowledge Trail Worksheet Answers. If you completed the ‘Year 8 Gateways website knowledge trial worksheet’ at the end of the Year 8 section and were on the hunt for the answer key then CONGRATULATIONS you’ve found it! If not, keep on reading below. 

How do you find out information about a career/job?

Have you ever done any research into the career that you want to do in the future, or even just the subject area that you’re interested in going into? Do you know how many hours you’d be working, how long it’ll take to get to the job, or what the day to day roles and tasks would be?

It is extremely important to know these things, before you become set on the career. This is why research is so important to do at an early age. The National Careers Service website is a great place to start your research: Click here to visit the website.

Complete our new worksheet to help get a greater understanding of your chosen career, or to begin thinking about areas you may be interested in pursuing click here to access the worksheet.

We’ve learnt today, that the next few years of your education are very important. It may get tough, but if you continue to keep in mind the goals that you have for your future, and consistently ensure you are working towards them, this will keep you determined to work hard and do well. The harder you work now, the easier it will be for you in the future, so stay motivated, give 100% effort, and enjoy the next few years at school doing the subjects that you enjoy! Now it’s time for Year 10!

Year 10

Our Year 10 pages focus on pathways into higher education, student finance and much more.

Read more

Why Study?

Why not check out our Why Study? page to find out what our students really think about their courses and about student life.

Visit the University of Manchester's Why Study? page!