The Secret Signs to Where You See Yourself in 5 Years

In many interviews, just when everything seems to be going well, we are suddenly asked where we see ourselves in five years. While many of us imagine that we might be CEO and driving luxury cars, that is not what the interviewer wants to hear. Neither is an interviewer interested in knowing about our personal lives. What they are really checking is to see if we plan on staying with the company during the long haul. What they also want to see is if we are worth their time and investment.

Here are a few tips to answer this question in a way which can come across.

  1. Show that you are organized

Don’t let this question catch you off guard, because then it shows that you are not a planner and are not organized in your life. Make sure you have this answer carefully mapped out and you are sure where you stand in your life. Also show that you are a goal-oriented person with an ambition to climb higher.

  1. Be realistic but hopeful as well

If you are applying for an entry level job refrain from answering unrealistically, like seeing yourself as the COO of assignment services UK Company. Some people also make the mistake of saying that they see themselves in the position of their interviewer. This might come across as offensive or incredibly daring. It will also make you seem highly overconfident and irrational.  The possibility is that it may have taken your interviewer more than ten years and many rough trials to reach their position. Some interviewers feel threatened by this answer as well thinking that you will try to deface them and thus may not hire you. It’s better to sound hopeful and drop hints that you see yourself progressing higher within the company.

  1. Showing long term commitment

A company is taking out valuable time and investment to hire new employees and training them. They would want to invest on someone they know would stick with them long term. Even if you are not planning on staying with a company for more than a year, do not let them know this. A company does not want to go through the whole process of interviewing, hiring and investing in someone new all over again.

  1. Responsibility and enthusiasm

You must show that you are a responsible person willing to commit to a company’s policies and standards and are willing to take responsibility. You must also show that you are enthusiastic about your role and that you genuinely enjoy working with the company. Be sure to research your post and learn what you will be expected to do and are willing to come up to par with the standards set by the company.

  1. Sharing values with the company

It’s important to show that you and the company you are applying for are rocking in the same boat, so to speak. This means that you share the same moral values and the mind-set of your company. This way, both you and the company would be able to understand one another and work long term.

the future you

  1. Be unspecific about your post

When asked about your plans, it would be better to say something related to your field. It would be deemed more suitable if for example you are applying for a post of designer, and you say that you see yourself as a Senior Designer or Art Director in five years rather than as a CEO. But it’s better to speak about it in an unspecific way. You can say that you are looking forward to more responsibilities and hope to lead a team as compared to a direct referral to a post.

  1. Loyalty to the company

What a company values above all is honesty, sincerity and loyalty. Once you commit yourself to a company, you become part of a team involved in ensuring the optimum performance given by you and others around you. A company wants to ensure that you stay loyal to them after they train you and encounter rough obstacles rather than bailing out.

Where do you see yourself in five years? This question is normally asked to filter non serious applicants. A company wants someone who is serious in their work and willing to commit long term so that they can invest in their training without having to worry about their departure. If not answered correctly, this question can turn the tide of your interview and the post would be given to someone far more dependant.
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Kaelynn Bailee provides academic consultancy service to learners in the UK as well as other regions of the globe. She’s also a passionate blogger and loves to write on culture.