Interview Tips: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

What are the best replies to the interview question – "Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?"

When a interviewer asks where you see yourself in 5 years, they are trying to figure out:

  1. Your career goals as well as how the job works with your overall plan
  2. Your career goals as a way of ensuring you are proactive, motivated, hard-working, and will stay with the company
Although an interviewer may not ask the specific “5 year” question, they may ask these variations:
  • How would you define success?
  • What do you value most in a career?
  • What type of job is ideal for you?
  • What long-term career goals do you have?
Here are some specific factors to include in your response to the question: where do you see yourself in 5 years.
  1. Plan a Career Path
  2. Begin with why this Job interests you
  3. Goals Lead to Results
  4. Advancing in your Career
There can be 4 approaches to this question:

1st Approach

“My goal at the moment is to find a position which allows me to discover new challenges as time passes and grow. Ultimately, I would like to take on more management responsibilities, including those involved with product strategy. The most important factor for me is to work for a company that lets me build a career.”

2nd Approach

“I always strive to be the absolute best at any task and would like to work at a company that gives me opportunities to work on interesting projects, develop my skills, and be part of a team that includes people I can learn from. I would love to start a career here because some of the thinkers with the most innovation in the industry are here.”

3rd Approach

If you are looking to become an expert in your field: “In 5 years, I see myself making progress in the industry as well as the company, gaining new skills which help the company. I find this position to be extremely motivating and interesting. I see multiple challenges ahead and I am looking forward to experiencing these. Therefore, I want to invest my five years in learning every aspect of this job and hope this job will help me advance professionally.”

4th Approach

If you would like to take on a management role: “In 5 years, I picture myself taking on a senior position (if you have anything specific, please mention that), or coaching employees, or managing more people, and of course having more responsibilities. I would like to pursue my career with the company’s goals. I feel that learning about the company’s environment as well as investing in business education will be in the interest of the company as well as mine.”