How do I address the “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” interview question?
Why do employers ask, “Where do you see yourself in five years”?
Simply because, a candidate’s future vision of themselves determines whether or not, they’re a proper fit for an organisation.
In addition to fitting into the organisation, employers ask this question for a number of other reasons:
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Why do employers ask, “where do you see yourself in five years”?
To make the best hiring decision
It is the interviewer’s job to get a clear and accurate description of the candidate and eventually make the best decision. Proper hiring decisions are made when an employer can evaluate a candidate’s past, present and future. They need to consider what your future self looks like to decide if that person can be of value to their company.
Get a comprehensive picture of who you are.
Your resume and cover letter give a screenshot into your past work history and where you presently are in terms of your career. Employers however, want to know about your future. What future plans, goals and aspirations do you have for yourself?
Comprehensively identifying your future goals speaks about your character, your ambition, career aspirations and work ethic.
Does your ambition align with the company’s vision?
Apart from identifying your career ambitions, it is important for employers to gauge whether your ambitions align with those of the company. Does your future vision involve the company? Do you intend to be a part of the team, grow and contribute to the organisation?
These are fundamental reasons why employers enquire about a five-year career plan. They need to determine if the person they are bringing into their company has intentions of establishing a mutually rewarding working relationship with them.
Avoid high employee turnover
Turnover rates can be costly for organisations when they have to invest time and resources to interview, hire, train and motivate employees. To prevent high turnover rates, employers utilise the five-year plan interview question to identify those candidates who would be more inclined to stay and grow with the company.
Will you be satisfied?
Employers generally know that satisfied and motivated employees work hard and provide high productivity towards an organisation. Therefore, it is the employer’s duty to not only determine if you are right for this position, but also if this position is right for you. Asking “where you see yourself in five years” is an effective technique that allows employers to understand whether or not this job position complements your career goals.
Going with employee trends
On average, five years is the typical amount of time a person stays with a company. Employers do expect at some point, you would desire a career change and growth. Asking you “where do you see yourself in five years” demonstrates your openness to growth and whether the kind of growth and development you’re seeking is what they can offer.
Tips on answering, “where do you see yourself in five years”.
Addressing this question involves a combination of tact, brevity and thoughtfulness.
Perform some background research
If you see yourself growing with the company in five years, you have to realistically understand how this role evolves. What further opportunities within the organsiation does this position lead to? For example, an Accounts Clerk position may progress to an Accounting Officer, Supervisor, Coordinator and eventually Manager.
Once you know what future opportunities available, you can weave them into your response. Weave future opportunities from this job signals to the interview that your research is top notch and that you profoundly understand the position.
Be realistic with your ambitions
Remember, employers are evaluating your character and ambitions from this question. You want to produce an answer that highlights of a realistic view of yourself, the job position at hand and other external factors. For example, statements such as “becoming CEO of the company” or “being a millionaire” are unlikely outcomes which no employer will realistically believe.
Focus on productivity and professional development.
When mentioning your five-year plan, it would be beneficial to state your goals and then state clearly how do you plan to achieve them. In other words, how is your five-year plan a reality going to become a reality? If for example, becoming an industry specialist is your five-year goal, explain how you plan to achieve that through mentoring or pursuing higher qualifications. Make your five-year plan realistic by providing the actionable details on how you plan to get there.
Where do you see yourself in five years Sample Answers
What are your career goals?
“I’m applying for this legal position because I am deeply interested and passionate about this career path. I have a degree in law, so I know that I would be most fitting as a legal assistant. Even though this may give me an advantage, I do not intend to remain complacent. I do have other career aspirations. Therefore, within the next five years, I want to utilise my knowledge in this entry-level position and develop more as a practicing, legal professional.”
Where do you see yourself in five years in our company?
“Within five years, I see myself rising within the ranks of this organisation. I understand this organisation places a lot of emphasis on employee training programs. I want to capitalise on that and gather as much skill training and professional development as I could. That way, I will be better prepared to operate within a supervisory or managerial capacity and earn a positive reputation both within this company and the industry. That’s a top career priority for me.”
How do you plan to achieve your five-year goal?
“As a creative professional, I want to develop my current skill sets. Within a five-year period, I want to further my knowledge in the latest graphic design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or Sketch. I also want to become more proficient with related marketing skills such as social media management and copywriting. I see there is a very comprehensive program at UWI offered as evening classes for working individuals. I’m thinking to enroll myself to learn these desired skills and apply them to your company.”
