How to answer "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Hiring managers will ask many questions regarding your professional wants, objectives, and career path throughout job interviews in order to determine if your personality and technical skills are exactly what their companies need. An interview question that is often used is - “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” You should never lie or exaggerate when an interviewer asks this interview question. Instead, you should be honest and realistic about your long-term career goals. 

Your answer could have a significant impact on the success or failure of your job application. Here are some tips on how best to respond when you are asked about where you see yourself in five years.

1. Understand why the question is being asked and research sample answers along with other career advice

The question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”  is asked because hiring managers use it to determine how much you want to work there. If your answer isn't in line with their requirements, they won't hire you because they might think you'll quit after a while. The question is linked to your long-term commitment to the business. Hiring managers often try to hire people who are ambitious but also have a lot of potential to grow and learn. So, searching for career advice will do wonders for you.

2. Expect the expected, not the unexpected!

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years? is one of the extremely common interview questions from hiring managers, one that can come up in recruitment processes for all types of jobs and across all sectors of the industry. Make sure you're ready for it. If you haven't prepared an answer in advance, then you probably haven't prepared properly for the interview in the first place. This may unintentionally raise doubts with the employer about how interested in the job offer you are. The answers given will vary from one person to another, but effective preparation is something all candidates should have in common.

3. Think about the classic answers you might want to give

There are many acceptable approaches to the question  “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” , so think about sample answers that reflect career goals, such as those along the lines of:

• I want to be financially secure.
• I want to be respected in my community
• I want to be in a leadership role
• I want to travel around the world in search of personal career goals
• I want to achieve my future goals in the required time frame
• I want to be happy in a career that's close to my ideal job

A hiring manager will want answers from job seekers that often relate to the job itself, as well as any additional training it may entail. Therefore, try to link one example answer above to the job description. 

4. Think about your five-year plan in regard to your career goal

Dreaming about your future helps you have a better understanding of where you see yourself in 5 years. You should focus on your career goals and what you want to accomplish to get to a possible position or dream job in a five-year plan. Be prepared to explain how you have a genuine interest in working for this particular company. Do not talk too much about your last job (it is not the same company). Think about what you can bring to the table instead and how you define success in your career. Explain how you can make an impact. And, of course, don't lose sight of the fact that this is a job interview and that you're trying to sell yourself.

5. Show the hiring manager how high you can fly in your potential career path

Ambitious answers will help to show that you're determined, goal-oriented, and in possession of a career goal. Saying things like I want to be an expert in my field in five years, I want to learn new things every day, or I plan to advance my career as much as possible, all indicate that you have a fixed idea of your career destination and that your journey is an ambitious, yet achievable, one.

6. Use your answer to underline your suitability for the job role

It's vital for applicants to give answers that reveal they are perfect for that particular vacancy. A good answer can include the following: 

• I want to be a leader in my company.
• I want to learn how to manage people.
• I want to learn more about the company culture.

 The more bespoke your answers are, the more you are subtly endorsing your own candidacy.

7. Always focus on what the interviewer wants to hear from every job interview question

Recruitment teams are essentially looking for the answers they want to hear, so try to put yourself into their shoes when you are asked an interview question. This holds true, too, when it comes down to the question of where you see yourself in 5 years. Researching companies before applying for jobs is essential. For example, you'll need to know the company's vision, mission, and values. You should also be ready to talk about why you're interested in the role, how you'd contribute to the team, and what you'd do well there. Making sure your long-term goals align with theirs can make a huge difference.

8. Keep your ambitions to the fore and think about how they can help with the type of job you're looking for

Recruiters won't want to hear you say that you see yourself in the same position and do the same things in 5 years from now. They are far more likely to be impressed by future goals that show professional development. The hiring process is often as much about recruiting someone who will be the perfect fit in the long-term future as it is about short-term goals. Saying you have no long-term career goals or you have no idea where your career is headed is likely to show that you could potentially be an uninspiring choice for the position. Ambition is a good thing, so make sure you express your career goals when you get the chance.

9. Avoid unnecessary humour when answering

Some recruitment teams like gentle humour, but many others don't. If you try to be funny with your responses, or you give a vague answer or two, you could come across as flippant and lacking in serious ambition. Do not say that in five years, you want to be running the whole company, for example, or that you'll be a Prime Ministerial candidate. Keep the answers friendly, engaging, and preferably lacking in unwanted glibness in your job interview.

10. Focus on a work-related response

As a general rule, it's not a good idea to mention too much about your personal ambitions in your answers. You might sound unprofessional if you say something like I'm planning to be the captain of my local golf club. Instead, talk about what you're doing now and how you plan to do it better next year. If you can link your response to goals that you've achieved in the past, like project management you have done, it'll subconsciously indicate to the hiring manager that you can do the same in the future.

"Where do you see yourself in five years" is a common interview question that can come your way. At first inspection, it can appear to be a less-than-serious interview question, but it should never be treated as such. Like all responses you give, it can help to build a picture of your suitability as a candidate for the position. So, it's a good idea to see the answer as one of the many building blocks you use to construct a robust case for your application. You can prepare an answer for this in advance, so make sure you give one of the strongest answers of all.

Begin your career journey with Michael Page and pave the way for your five-year plan

If you have a five-year plan to achieve, Michael Page can help you kickstart your career with our wide range of job opportunities. Whether you're interested in a particular industry or sector, we've got you covered. Our job search tool makes it easy to find the right job for you, and you can set up a job alert to get notified when new roles become available. But that's not all - we also offer a salary comparison tool and a salary guide that can help you plan your next move with confidence. With access to salary data across industries, and roles, and locations, you can get a better idea of what you can expect about your future career.

So why wait? Start your job search with Michael Page today and take advantage of our salary comparison tool to plan your next career move with confidence.