The Interview Question of the Week - Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years

 

 

It's that time again. Time for the Interview Question of The Week.

 

As you know, when you are looking for a job, being prepared for an interview can be the key to making yourself a must-hire. So, each week we take one interview question and figure out the best strategy to answer it.

 

So, here you have it, The Interview Question of the Week:

 

 

Question:

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

 

 

 

Why its a trap:

Personally, I have always hated this question. I think the purpose of the question is to find out if you are someone who has a long term plan, if you are planning to stay with the company and to see if you have prepared for the interview. The problem here is that if your goals sound too lofty, you may come across as someone who is not going to be happy in the position. But, on the other hand, if you are vague and say that you aren't sure, then you may seem like someone who lacks ambition.

 

The best answer:

Your best bet here is to reassure the interviewer that you are interested in a long term career with their company. Tell them that the position sounds like it would be the best fit for you. Remind them of your specific skills and expertise and let them know that you know that if you perform well for the company that other opportunities will come along in their own time. This allows you the chance to continue to promote yourself, show that you have ambition and goals, without being too specific about them.

 

For example, you may want to say this: “I am very interested in making a long term commitment to my next job. From what you have told me about this position and from the job description, it seems like this job is a perfect fit for my skills and experience. It is just the sort of job I have been looking for, and it is what I am best qualified to do. Because of my skills with (one of the main skills needed for the job), I am confident that I would be able to do this job well and be an asset to the company. I am sure that if I excel at this position, other opportunities will open up for me here.”

 

What do you think about this question and answer? Let me know in the comments.

 

 

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for SalesHeadsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.