How to answer the “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” question?

Another common question that gets asked during an interview is the “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?” question. 

With this question, interviewers essentially want to know if you will be satisfied with the position, and that you will work diligently and stay with the company for a long time.

Generally, employers do not like people who move from job to job. They want someone who is willing to stay and master their current role and take on more responsibility if possible.

Many people make the mistake of telling the interviewer that they want to climb the corporate ladder or become a senior executive. This indicates to the interviewers that you may be using the job as a stepping stone to find a better role. This leads interviewers to question whether you are interested in the responsibilities associated with this job altogether.

Do this instead: use the question to show how interested you are in the role, and how you like to grow and take more responsibility. Remind them that your focus is to get better and perform extremely well in the next role you will be getting. Plan to tell them 2-3 responsibilities that you are excited to take on in the role in question, and use the job description for ideas.

Remember, when you are experienced with more responsibilities, the higher your chances are that you will get promoted or get recruited by another company. For now, tell them you are focused on fulfilling and exceeding the expectations of the current role. 

Here is an example that you could model your answer after:

“So Dulik, where do you see yourself in five years?”

“I am looking forward to joining a company to call home and help the company grow and expand myself professionally. Ideally, I would be able to meet and exceed the responsibilities and expectations in the role, leading to more opportunities to grow within the role and company.

“One of the main things that excited me about this role and your company was the responsibilities and duties that were associated with it. Responsibilities such as managing projects, getting customer feedback, and coaching team members are some of the responsibilities that I am looking forward to performing and excelling in. I had similar experiences and responsibilities in previous roles at companies such as Oracle and Lenovo and had a lot of success with the ideas I implemented. 

“I’d consider myself successful in the next five years, if I am given the chance to implement even better ideas and grow with a company of my liking.

Don't give them the impression this is just a stepping stone for another role. Show them you are willing to do whatever it takes to do great work in the role in question.

That’s it for today!

Much love!