When hiring managers are evaluating candidates, they do not just want someone who can do the job in the short term – they want to invest in an employee who wants to stick around. Asking, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” during an interview is a way for hiring managers to assess if you have realistic expectations, ambition, and would be worth investing in for the long term. Check out these tips for answering that question.
Keep it Concise
Do not get too detailed when you are discussing your long-term career goals. Avoid using specific job titles, and instead, give a concise explanation. If you get too narrow in your response, you risk having the hiring manager pass on you if it seems like your goals would not be a natural extension of the job if you were hired.
Discuss Specific Results You’d Like to Achieve
If you are unsure of your own long-term career goals and do not know how to define them yet clearly, an effective way to respond is to discuss specific results you would like to achieve. For example, you could say what skills you would like to strengthen or what type of experience you would like to gain as you progress in your career.
Focus on the Future with the Employer
Part of the reason interviewers like to ask about your long-term career goals is that they want to get a sense of how committed you would be to the employer if hired. As you respond, focus on the future with the employer and how it is related to your five-year plans, such as growing in the position or becoming a stronger asset to the organization.
Tie it into the Current Job Opportunity
You want to demonstrate that you have put clear thought into where you will be in five years, but you also do not want to risk seeming more excited about the future and ignoring the current job opportunity. Tie your career goals into the job as you finish your response. For example, after you have discussed where you see yourself in five years, you can shift the topic onto the current job opportunity, such as “that is why I am excited about this opportunity because it will help give me the necessary skills and experience to grow professionally within the company.”
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