How do you answer the question 'where do you see yourself 5 years from now' in a job interview?

Answer 1

Where do you see yourself:

Here's what the resume advice company Resume Edge recommends as a sample answer to the question, "Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

In ten years, I endeavor to have refined my strategic and client relations skills. I intend to be a leading expert in estate planning. After having proven myself as a senior manager, I hope to help shape the strategic direction of estate planning services. I could do this in any number of official roles. The important thing is that I will continue contributing my abilities in a challenging and rewarding environment.

More advice:

• While it is not usually a good idea to try to be a Jim Carey in an interview, depending on how things have gone and who you are dealing with, you might inject a little humor here and ask: "When do you expect to be promoted?" ....or "When are you moving on?... This could easily break the ice. Seriously, you can easily respond that you have no idea as you have no idea what you are capable of so far, although you know it is a lot. Therefore, you want to make sure you are open and flexible to whatever opportunities present themselves. If you actually know what you want to be when you grow up, you could offer to conduct a seminar on how to actuate that.
• You know when you come to that common situation where someone asks you "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Yea you should call a person on that because that question is silly! You have no idea where you'll be in five years nor should you worry. I mean how depressing can that question actually be? If someone asked me that question five years ago I wouldn't have predicted my life to be like this nor would I have wanted to say my life would be like this, I'm not saying I'm unhappy with my life necessarily its just that in a span of five years a persons likes and dislikes change, the people around them either disappear, reappear, or show up for the first time. The things you once loved could become something you hate or vice versa. Aspirations change and feelings lose their magic. Yes you can say what you'd like to see happen in five years but I'm pretty sure it won't and five years from now when you look back on yourself answering that question you'll probably no longer want the same things. There's always hope but no definite so all you can do is live life like you have those five years to look back on...
• When an interviewer asks this question, they're asking where you see yourself within a company. They don't want to hear you say, "Well, in five years, I will be married to a handsome European man, touring the South Pacific in our yacht with a mai-tai in my hand." They want something like, "Well, that will depend on my individual performance and on the opportunities I'm presented with, but ideally, I will be..." Even if you're going, "Yeah, like I'll be here in 5 years..." act like you will be. They don't want to hear you saying you'll essentially use them to get where you want, and the minute the opportunity is presented jump ship.
• Some might think that you should not tell the interviewer that you want to move up the ladder of success, because they will fear that you might replace them or move on to another job. However, most would recommend that you answer with just the opposite: that you do want to be successful. A good manager wants his employees to be successful and grow in their careers because that benefits the whole company. If they don't want this, you don't want to work for them. As for the actual standards of success and specific career paths, they are very different for different people and different industries. It is most important to show that you do want to be successful.
• Think educationally-- higher degree? certification? Think leadership-- at least one step up from where you are at now.
• Think about what your goals in life are. Then think about what you are doing now. The answer will be somewhere in between, for example "I want to be the CEO of Microsoft and right now I'm studying towards a degree in computering engineering." In five years time the person would probably be "working with a decent computer company in a high position, looking to move on to greater things".
• Be ambitious but realistic. If you are applying for a job in the mail room in a large corporation, don't say you are gong to be CEO in 5 years; but try to find out before your interview where a mail room clerk might be promoted to.
• This is a tricky interview question and definitely something worth thinking about before hand. You should come across as being flexible with strong ideas of several directions you are interested in developing. You should be positive, confident and ambitious but not overly so. Don't say "I want to be doing your job"

Where will you be in five years?

This is a very common job interview question. Think carefully about your plans. Really answer it for yourself, Where do you see yourself in five years? Where do you hope to be?

The interviewer is looking to find out a few things with this question. First, are you the type of person who plans ahead and sets goals? You should be. Second, do your goals match those of the company and the position? Your goals need to fit the career path for the job. They don't want to lose you in a year or two.

Answer 2

You always have to think, "What do they want me to say?" and "What should I say that will help me get this job?" So don't say, "I hope to be sitting on a beach in the Bahamas doing nothing?" even if that is true. Don't say anything about money or your own interests, if possible, but use words that show your interest in the company and its profits.

Say something like, "I hope to be working happily for your company, being promoted so I can do the best job that I can."

Answer 3

This is a very good question. Many organizations will ask this question within their interview process. If one is not prepared to answer this question, it could be a downward turning point during the session. I would image all of us should be prepared for this type of inquiry. In order to see yourself in the future, you must have a vision. OK, what is a vision? A vision is a clearly articulated picture of the future you intend to create. In other words, it's a dream. However, a dream without direction will never be realized. Therefore, where we might see ourselves in the future needs a method of approach that will result in successful outcomes to bring that very vision into reality. We need to develop a road map for ourselves that will bring us to our overall goal or objective (the vision). OK, lets look at a very, very simple example: Lets say I was just coming out of the military at the age of 22. I have had this reoccurring vision of a great satisfying job as an accountant in the corporate sector, however I do not have the knowledge or the credentials in order to gain employment in that area. Thus, I must develop a road map leading to the future I intend to create for myself. Thus, I map out a starting point leading in that direction with short term objectives (or short-term wins) that indicate I'm staying on course and moving closer to the end result. The road map might look something like this: * First stop - Research a college offering a program of study in accounting * Second stop - Visit the college and speak with a college Rep. * Third step - secure financial information to include G.I. Bill * Fourth stop - Apply to the institution * Fifth stop - Enroll for the first semester * Sixth stop - Check off courses completed and courses left to take. OK, this would continue until graduation and through employment possibilities after graduation. Granted, its a very simplistic example but you can get the drift. You must have that vision with short-term wins that will give you then incentive to strive on toward your overall goal and objective. Warning!! Stay focused on the overall goal, and do not let yourself get side tracked by some short-term win that might lead you off course. Keep focused on the prize. Many individuals see a so called short-term win that leads to another short-term win, and so find themselves moving horizontally instead of vertically toward the long-term win (the vision). Where do I see myself in 5 years? I'm not telling...it would spoil the surprise! Viper1

Well l see myself in 5 yrs with my own dress designing company,beutifull children & a handsome man
i would see myself in a more responsible and respectable position
There is a sight that morphs your face, though it's not very accurate. I can't recall the name, nut you can go to googe, and kust type in, "WHAT WILL I LOOK LIKE IN TEN YEARS?". Click on whichever one looks like a better website. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Such questions are fairly typical of those you will be presented with when applying for a job

As with most things, it is all about preparation. If you fail to prepare then be prepared to fail. There are many 'standard' questions. There are no standard answers as most are asking about you personally. Because of that no one but yourself can answer many of the questions you will be asked. Think about such questions in advance and have your answers ready. There are many sources of the type of questions you may be presented with. The internet and your local library being the main ones. Be positive; do not repeat what you have read in books or on the Internet. By all means read sample answers but do not repeat them verbatim. The person interviewing you will have read all those answers too.

There is more to having a successful job interview than just answering the questions asked. Many would say much more. First impressions count for far more than many realise.

Dress for the part. Be punctual and polite. Listen to what is being said. Answer only the question asked. (Don't ramble)

Answer 5

The best way to answer this question would be to say you want to grow with the role you will be offered and will be in a management role in 5 yrs.The basic reason the interviewer asks this question is because he would like to see if you want to stay in his company for a long time as he would like to benefit from person who would stay in his company longer than for temporary and also he would like to see you would want to grow in your role rather than staying the some postition in that long time. I do accounts and the way i answer is " I want to be working for a prestigeous company like yours and try to see myself as an accounts manager in 5 yrs".

Answer 6

The company is asking you to imagine what you'll be doing in 5 years. They probably want to hear that you'll still be with their company, perhaps working toward a higher position or dreaming of management.

Answer 7

The best of my answer which I give to the Interview board is, "I want to see myself as the top of the management of the organization and make my organization successful and the number 1 in the market. pecpte(.)com

Answer 8

tell them a position from that company that is higher than the one you applying for

Answer 9

It all depends who you are and what you like to do.Answer truly where do you think you'll be.

Answer 10

tell them what you can see yourself doing...do you see yourself being a leader? getting a higher salary? designing new projects for your company? what you wanna do