Setting Career Goals
CEFR: B1
Read/Listen first
This year I decided to take my career path more seriously. Last year I changed jobs and started working in project management, and I had to learn new software very quickly. Sometimes I felt frustrated because I was not able to meet every deadline. Now I want to set clear goals so I can achieve a better balance between family and work. I haven’t set detailed goals for the next five years yet, but I know what I would like to do. I would love to lead a small team, get a promotion, and train new colleagues. I also can’t stand wasting time in unproductive meetings, so improving my planning is a priority. My coach asked me to write concrete targets for the next twelve months, such as finishing an online course in English and presenting one important project to senior managers. I am going to review my progress every month, and I must be honest with myself when something is not working.⚡ Learning goals
- Set short- and long-term career goals using clear, concrete language.
- Talk about past training and experience using appropriate past tenses.
- Explain feelings about work and future plans politely and clearly.
✨ Key language
- set clear goals “I want to set clear career goals for this year.”
- be able to meet a deadline “I need to be able to meet every deadline.”
- would love to + verb “I would love to lead a small project team.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Past simple for finished past events
Rule: Use the past simple to talk about finished actions at a specific time in the past.Examples: Last year I changed jobs.; I started working in project management.; Sometimes I felt frustrated at work.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use present perfect with clear past time expressions — use past simple with markers like “last year” or “yesterday”.
Choose the best option: Last year I ____ jobs.
Tip: Use the past simple with finished actions and clear past time expressions.
Fill with the best answer: Last year I ______ jobs.
Tip: Use the base verb plus “-ed” for regular verbs in the past.
2️⃣ had to for past obligation
Rule: Use “had to + verb” to talk about obligations and things that were necessary in the past.Examples: I had to learn new software very quickly.; I had to stay late to finish the report.; She had to cancel a meeting with her coach.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use “must” for past obligation — use “had to” instead when the action is finished.
Choose the best option: I ____ new software very quickly.
Tip: Use “had to” for past necessity that is already finished.
Fill with the best answer: I ____ learn new software very quickly.
Tip: Think of the past form of “have to” when you talk about yesterday’s obligations.
3️⃣ Present perfect for unfinished plans
Rule: Use the present perfect with “yet” and “already” to talk about plans and tasks that are connected to now. Examples: I haven’t set detailed goals for the next five years yet.; I have already decided to focus on project management.; She hasn’t written her targets for this month yet.Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use past simple with “yet” — use present perfect to show the task is still open.
Choose the best option: I ______ detailed goals for the next five years yet.
Tip: With “yet”, use the present perfect to show the plan is still open.
Fill with the best answer: I ______ detailed goals for the next five years yet.
Tip: Remember to add “not” in contractions like “haven’t” when the task is unfinished.
4️⃣ would like / would love to for ambitions
Rule: Use “would like to” or “would love to” plus infinitive to talk politely about future ambitions. Examples: I would like to do more training in English.; I would love to lead a small team.; She would like to get a promotion next year.Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes omit “to” — always use “to” before the verb in this structure.
Choose the best option: I ______ a small team in the future.
Tip: After “would like” or “would love”, use “to” plus the base verb.
Fill with the best answer: I ______ focus on my strengths this year.
Tip: Use “would like to” to talk politely about what you want to do.
✍️ Vocabulary
career path
Meaning: the direction and series of jobs someone takes in their working life.Synonyms: professional route, work journey, employment direction.
Chunk/Idiom: plan your career path early.
Example: I decided to take my career path more seriously this year.
Morphology: noun phrase; career = noun, path = noun.
Self-practice: Write three sentences describing your ideal career path.
promotion
Meaning: a move to a higher position or more responsibility at work.Synonyms: advancement, progress, step up.
Chunk/Idiom: work hard to get a promotion.
Example: I would love to get a promotion and lead a team soon.
Morphology: noun; promote = verb, promoted = adjective.
Self-practice: Describe one situation where you felt ready for a promotion.
deadline
Meaning: the final time or date when something must be completed.Synonyms: due date, time limit, cutoff point.
Chunk/Idiom: meet a tight deadline.
Example: I felt frustrated because I could not meet every deadline.
Morphology: noun; dead = adj., line = noun, no regular verb form.
Self-practice: Write three deadlines that are important for your career goals.
priority
Meaning: something that is more important than other things and must be done first.Synonyms: main focus, first concern, key importance.
Chunk/Idiom: make learning a top priority.
Example: Improving my planning is a priority for the next twelve months.
Morphology: noun; prioritize = verb, prioritizing = verb-ing, prior = adjective.
Self-practice: List three priorities that will help you achieve your promotion.
frustrated
Meaning: feeling annoyed or upset because you cannot achieve something you want.Synonyms: disappointed, irritated, discouraged.
Chunk/Idiom: feel frustrated about slow progress at work.
Example: Sometimes I felt frustrated because I was not able to progress faster.
Morphology: adjective; frustrate = verb, frustration = noun.
Self-practice: Write one sentence about a time you felt frustrated at work.
achieve
Meaning: to successfully reach a goal or complete something important.Synonyms: accomplish, reach, attain.
Chunk/Idiom: achieve a long-term career goal.
Example: I want to achieve a better balance between my family life and my job.
Morphology: verb; achievement = noun, achievable = adjective.
Self-practice: Describe one big result you want to achieve this year.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
This year I decided to take my career path more seriously.
I had to learn new software very quickly in my new job.
I haven’t set detailed goals for the next five years yet.
I would love to lead a small team and get a promotion.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
In the text: Sometimes I ____ because I was not able to meet every deadline.
Tip: Use the past simple to describe completed feelings in the past.
Which option correctly completes: I ______ my progress every month?
Tip: Use “be going to” plus verb to show a clear future plan.
Fill with the best answer:
I ______ with myself when something is not working.Tip: Use a modal verb to show strong personal obligation.
Fill with the best answer:
Last year I ______ and started working in project management.Tip: Use the verb “change” in the past simple form plus its object.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
Which phrase describes the direction of someone’s working life?
Tip: Think about long-term direction, not a single task or moment.
In the text, what does the learner sometimes fail to meet?
Tip: Look for the word that describes important time limits at work.
Fill with the best answer:
I would love to get a ______ and lead a small team.Tip: Think of the word for moving to a higher position at work.
Fill with the best answer:
Improving my planning is a ______ for the next twelve months.Tip: Use the noun that describes something more important than other tasks.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: I haven’t set detailed goals for the next five years yet.B: Let’s start by writing your main priorities for this year together.
A: Great idea. I would love to focus on the steps to my promotion.
Why this matters:
Clear goals help you measure your progress and stay motivated. They also make it easier to say no to tasks that do not support your career path. When you know your direction, everyday decisions feel less stressful.Verb & Adjective Pack:
set clear goals — This year I will set clear goals for my career.feel frustrated — I sometimes feel frustrated when I miss an important deadline.
be able to balance — I want to be able to balance work and family better.
get a promotion — She hopes to get a promotion after finishing her course.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: I decided to take my ______ more seriously.
Tip: Use the phrase that describes the direction of your working life.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: I haven’t set clear goals last year.
Tip: Use the past simple with “last year” instead of the present perfect.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
I would love to lead a small team.
Tip: Pay attention to the rhythm of “would love to lead”.