Short vs. Long Term Goal

One question I get from coffee meetings is "What do you want to be when you 'grow up'?" I'm curious how everyone sets their career goals. What metrics do you use besides title, salary or deal volume? Also, what factors do you consider when you set these goals?

In terms of short term goal (1-2 years), I want to work at a REPE shop or debt fund and be exposed to different asset types. However, when it comes to long term goal (5 years), I want to be a VP because the role seems to come with deal-making and tapping into one's network.

6 Comments
 

I want to make MD and then once they are ready to give me the boot, I'll use that to lateral into a teaching position at a university in a target city (Chicago or Toronto, mainly).

 

It's more abstract but think about what job you would want in the industry if salary was irrelevant.

Ignore status, title and salary and think about what you want to be doing 40, 50, 60, 70 hours a week for decades and would still love to do. You can make a lot of money in any area of CRE if you are bright, work hard, and have a solid network - but think about what YOU want to do.

 

Totally forgot to log into this account and just logged back in by accident. It's interesting to look at your answer now that I have a few more years of grinding. Can't agree with what you said more though. I am realizing that the titles really don't mean anything since the actual work varies based on your shop. However I am increasingly valuing money more especially knowing that I am severely underpaid now. Thanks for sharing your view! 

 

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