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How to Answer: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
Too Much Focus on the Future
The "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" question is about the interviewer wanting to see if you can draw a straight line from the future back to the present. A two-part answer works well.
- " I want this particular job..." reinforces your desire for the position.
- In part two, explain your future plans "... because it will help ..."
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Where you see yourself in 5 years
A regular job-interviewing question is where you see yourself in 5 years.
The purpose of this question is to see if you would like to stay at the company for many years. Bringing on new employees is both time-consuming and costly. The company does not want to go to all the effort and cost of training you, only to have you leave.
Too Much Focus on the Future
The "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" question is about the interviewer wanting to see if you can draw a straight line from the future back to the present. A two-part answer works well.
- " I want this particular job..." reinforces your desire for the position.
- In part two, explain your future plans "... because it will help ..."
What Career Path the Company Offers
You should answer the question honestly, but your answer should also reflect the research you put into the company.
Find out what training programs are offered through the firm while holding down your full-time job. Mention your goal to grow your skills, and you'll impress your interviewer with your future-focused desires.
Don't Fight this Question
The question forces you to look at your future. Lean into the question instead of away from it.
Don't say, "I can't possibly know..." If you really haven't given much thought to your long-term career path, answer in a broad, nonspecific way while still showing a positive attitude.
Being Realistic
You may be very ambitious to climb as high and as far up the company as soon as possible. If you shoot too high, you may alarm your interviewers and come off as over-eager or unrealistic.
Realize that advancing one or two positions above the one you're interviewing for is the most likely.
Proving Your Staying Power
There is currently a high job turnover rate. Employers are trying to see which candidates are likely to stick around.
Try to demonstrate that you see yourself staying within the company, learning, and adding value.
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Estimate the resources you need
It doesn’t have to be exhaustive. Just a quick outline will help. The point is to have something that guides you.
Do a quick plan on how much time and effort this idea will take, so you can have a bird’s eye view.
Budget your time and energy
Good planning of resources help you plan out your energy and expectations.
So plan out your time and resources accordingly and integrate them into your schedule/to-do list. Block out time in your calendar for the project. Give yourself some buffer as well, in case of contingencies.
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“Tell me about yourself”
... is one of the interview questions that most intimidates job seekers and one that most interviewers assume will be easy. It sounds straightforward — but as every job seeker knows, it...
What your interviewer is looking for
"Tell me about yourself" doesn’t mean “give me your complete history from birth until today.” It doesn’t even mean “walk me through your work history.” It means “give me a brief overview of who you are as a professional.”
Interviewers who ask this question are generally looking to get a broad overview of how you see yourself, as a sort of introduction or an icebreaker before starting to dive into the specifics.
"Tell me about yourself" - recommended answer
- Summarize where you are in your career, note anything distinctive about how you approach your work and end with a bit about what you’re looking for next.
- Your answer only needs to be about 1 minute long.
- Don’t drag yourself. This isn’t the time to explain you were fired from your last job or to confess your difficulties finding the right career path.
- Keep your focus professional, not personal.