ifg blog

Future Casting:  Master the Art of Responding to ‘Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?’

When you’re interviewing for a job, you certainly want to be prepared to discuss your short-term goals and why you’re the best candidate for the role. However, hiring managers also are likely to ask you about your future plans so they can get a sense of your overall fit and commitment to the company if hired. Check out how to master the art of responding to “Where do you see yourself in five years?” in a job interview:

Take Time to Brainstorm

The worst answer you can give is that you don’t know or haven’t thought about it. This is a major red flag to hiring managers, as it can make you look unprofessional and lacking ambition and drive. Take time to brainstorm your longer-term career goals – even if you are mainly focused on your immediate job search needs, reflecting on the bigger picture is not only beneficial for interview preparation, it can also give you inspiration to spark your passion and enthusiasm as you pursue opportunities.

Give a Concise Overview

Although hiring managers want to get a sense of your future professional objectives, they don’t expect nor want highly specific details for desired job titles and timeframes – especially if they are not related to the job for which you’re interviewing. Give a concise overview of how you would like to grow in your career in the next five years – describe the broader trajectory you’d like to work toward. Briefly describe the experience you’d like to gain, and overall, what type of general professional aspirations you have.

Focus on What You Want to Achieve

Make your response compelling by demonstrating your work ethic as you discuss your long-term goals. Focus on what you want to achieve in the next five years and discuss the skills you want to develop and improve that would help you make progress toward achieving your goals. Try to connect your professional development objectives with the current job and employer you are pursuing in order to show that you would be an engaged, valuable contributor who is worth hiring and investing in.

Explore New Opportunities

Are you ready to land a new role? Turn to IFG as a resource for your job search! Our team of recruiting experts works with job seekers to match them with the opportunities from our clients that would fit their qualifications and personal preferences. Contact us today to meet with an IFG Business Partner today.