Interview Insights | Interview Question: Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

Interview Question: Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?

While this is a common question, the truth is that no one has a crystal ball.  Chances are that five years ago you wouldn’t have imagined being where you are today. So take this question with a grain of salt and be creative. Here’s how you can tackle this question tactfully.

Believe that you will be promoted 1-2 times within a five year period. Do your homework and ask your network if that is a reasonable time frame within their organization. Consider the title that you will have within five years and search LinkedIn for profiles of employees who are in that position today.

• What accomplishments have these employees picked up along the way?
• How have their responsibilities broadened in terms of direct reports or managing larger and larger budgets?
• What clients did they support and in what capacities?
• Did they have a chance to work abroad or work on global accounts?

The key is to find a real person who works for your target company and focus on mentioning the things that are beyond what you would be doing within your current level yet can be earned as part of your future role during the next five years.

Here’s one example:

I’m interviewing with Forbes because your news stories matter to tastemakers, iconoclasts, and power players. Your readers are affluent. The publication is industry-recognized. Articles are measured in terms of viewers – which I find really attractive because it’ll give me a great sense of whether my stories are sticky. I also know that career opportunities with Forbes are vast. In five years, I would like to become an influencer amongst this audience. I want to be one step ahead and uncover news stories that entertain, educate, and inspire a wide audience. Within that time frame, I would want to be an Associate Editor for Forbes covering lifestyle stories in the fashion, fine arts, and philanthropy worlds similar to Jane Lee. I’ve been following her pieces for quite some time. But until then, my plan is to video edit, contribute timely pieces, and assist with the post-production needs of the department as an Editorial Assistant. I’m glad you asked this question because I’ve take a proactive approach to my career ever since I graduated Columbia University’s School of Journalism.

This is one of those interview questions that can trip up even the savviest business executives. I can help you nail the 26 others in an easy to download eBook “The Interview-Strategy Playbook for Olympians.”

In this new eBook:

• You will discover and focus on the interview questions that can trip up some of the world’s best corporate athletes and as a result save time and still feel sufficiently prepared.
• You will prepare like top-performers who aim high. The frameworks and tools in this book were used by Corporate Olympians; my most successful clients who also tend to be top 1% employees.
• You will have a complete set of 27 questions that are blindsiding executives who want to secure Fortune 500 roles across sectors.
• You will have access to proven and easy to use frameworks to craft your own powerhouse interview answers and understand why these questions are being asked.
• You will be able to take comfort in knowing that you have adequately prepared for any interview and benefit from positive interview results.

Click here to learn more about the Interview-Strategy Playbook for Olympians.