"Where do you see yourself in five years?" It is a question about your future plans or goals that you may be asked in an interview. Employers typically ask this type of question to gather insight into how well this job fits with your overall career aspirations.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
You may or may not have an accurate picture of where you want to be in five years.
Either way, there are some guidelines you can follow to help you answer where you see yourself in five years in a way that conveys your enthusiasm for the job and impresses your interviewer.
Some other formulas
Dear, there are a large number of variants of the question "What is your dream job?" In this article, you can answer any of these questions, including:
- What are your long-term career goals?
- What would be your ideal job at this point in your career?
- What are you looking for?
- How do you know success?
- What is the most important thing for you in your career?
- How do you see yourself in the future?
Why does the interviewer ask you this question?
When the hiring manager asks you for this, there may be a few things running through your mind. For example, "Move up the ranks," "Run this place," "Work for myself," or "At your job."
The interviewer wants to understand more about your career goals and how this position will fit into your grand plan.
They care about your career goals because they want to hire someone who is motivated, proactive and likely to stay and work hard if hired.
How to prepare for the answer
If asked, "Where do you see yourself in five years?", be upfront and specific about your future goals, but consider this: The hiring manager wants to know:
- If you have set realistic expectations for your career.
- If you have ambition.
- If the position aligns with your goals and growth.
Your best bet is to think realistically about where this situation could take you and answer along those lines.
And if the position isn't necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations? It's okay to say that you're not quite sure what the future holds, but you see this experience as playing an important role in helping you make that decision.
One way I like to think about it is: Think about where this situation could realistically take you, and think about how that fits into some of your broader career goals.
Examples of answering the question
Sample responses can help you understand how to carefully answer the question “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Consider these sample answers to help inspire you to prepare your own answer:
Well, I'm really excited about this position at your company because in five years' time, I'd like to be seen as someone with deep experience in the energy sector, and I know that's something I'm going to have a chance to do here. I'm also very excited to take on more management responsibilities in the next few years and maybe even take the lead on some projects. I've been fortunate enough to work with some great managers, so developing into a great manager myself is something I'm really excited about.
My goal now is to find a job at a company where I can grow and take on new challenges over time. Ultimately, I would like to take on more management responsibilities and be involved in product strategy. But most importantly, I want to work in an organization where I can build a career.
I am driven to be the best at what I do and want to work somewhere where I will have opportunities to develop my skills, take on interesting projects, and work with people I can really learn from. Some of the most creative thinkers in the industry work here and that's a big reason why I want to build a career here.
In five years, I want to complete an internship program for my position. I've read about it on your website and I think it's a great program. Not only will I get all the training needed for my role, I'll be on the fast track to becoming a Project Manager. This is the most important goal of my career. Additionally, my ideal path would involve working abroad for a few years. I understand that it would be beneficial for you to find people who are willing to do so.
One of the reasons why I want to work at P&G is that I find your personal approach to coaching attractive. I am excited about the opportunity to work with a mentor and immerse myself in learning new skills. I'm also the kind of person who likes to get started and jump into projects ASAP. So, over the next five years, I see myself taking on as many complex tasks as the position allows, and by the end of that period, I would say I have built lasting relationships with clients. I want to say that I am one of the best salespeople on the team. I don't mind becoming someone who can coach and mentor others when the time comes, too.
See: Interview Question “What Is Your Expected Salary?”