Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years? Find Out The Aptest Reply!

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You are sitting in the job interview for your dream job at your dream company. You have introduced yourself well, talked about your experience and skills, discussed your strengths, and reflected upon your weaknesses too. The interview is going pretty well, and the interviewer seems to have painted a good impression of you. And then they put forth this question- 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' There is an awkward silence, and you are caught off guard! You have so much to say, yet there is nothing you can put in your answer to this question. Wait! We don't want you to land in such a situation. At all. So we are here to help you frame the right answer to this interview question.

Hiring managers often ask, 'where do you want to be in 5 years?' deliberately so that they can get a clear picture as to what are the future goals of candidates or how likely they are to stay in the organization. Whatever the reasons, they expect job seekers to answer this question with confidence and utmost clarity. Let's get into the details.

'Where do you see yourself in 5 years'- Why this question?

Nobody can see the future (not even a fortune teller with a crystal ball!). And 5 years is a long period. It is hard to spell out your plans for the next half a decade! So what do the employers want to know when they innocently slide the question - "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

When potential employers question your 5-year plans, they aren’t expecting you to know exactly where your career or life is going to be in 5 years. In fact, no one can ever be dead sure about how exactly their career is going to look like in the next 5 or 7 odd years. There is a possibility that you might not even be working with the same employer after a few years. So an accurate answer to this question is next to impossible. However, what surely is possible, is to give an answer which is credible, smart, and compelling and underlines your realistic goals.

By asking, 'where do you want to be in 5 years' the recruiters generally want to get a hang of the following information:

1. The duration you intend to stay with the company: Whether a company is hiring for an entry-level position or for top leadership roles, the employer wants the employee to have a meaningful impact on the company. A short stint won't be able to achieve it. So the primary reason behind interviewers asking the question 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' is to determine the duration the employee intends to stay with the company.

2. If your professional goals align with those of the organization: Every employee has plans for professional development and their own career aspirations. For example - A management trainee would like to know if he can switch to his preferred vertical or department after his probation period is completed. So, it is important for the potential employer to understand the intended career trajectory of the candidate. Thus, by asking 'where do you want to be in 5 years?' the hiring manager wants to know if your ultimate goal aligns with the company goals.

What is the most apt reply to 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'

1. The interviewer wants to learn about your long-term aspirations and desires to know if you give enough importance to your professional and personal goals. This conveys the idea that you are organized and work-oriented with the gist to achieve your long-term goals.
2. They want to know about your future career path and if you are an ambitious and driven person in general.
3. They want to know if you are genuinely interested in the job role they are hiring for and that you aren't just applying out of desperation.

Employers have a wide range of applicants, and, in most cases, they select candidates who have a specific reason for pursuing a job. Keeping the above points in mind will help you frame an apt reply to 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' The bottom line is that if you don't show employers that you have a clear picture of the direction your career is going to be in the near future or if you are not able to show that your goals align with the job you’ve applied for, it is likely that you won't end up getting shortlisted.

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

Common job interview questions like 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' seem to be easy but are actually hard to get by. Here are some points that will help you deal with this question smoothly.

1. Be clear about your career goals

It is important to introspect yourself and know your priorities before you start looking for jobs. Ask yourself, 'where do I see myself after 5 years in my career?' What are my career goals and what do I want to achieve in my life?' Figure out whether you are a person who yearns for work-life balance or are you okay with slogging day in day out to reach the pinnacle of your career.

2. Try to establish a connect between your goals and the job description

This, perhaps, is the most important thing that you can do. Going through the job description (JD) thoroughly is essential because :

• It helps you get an idea of what skillsets and qualifications an employer is looking for.
• Based on what the JD says, you frame a better answer to the question.

You can ignore those points in your resume that are less relevant from the point of view of the job description and highlight those that are relevant from the JD's perspective.

3. Ask yourself if the company can help you in achieving your career goals

It is important to understand whether your company can prepare you for your career goals for the next five years. If this is not possible, revisit your position or see if there are other companies where you would probably like to stay for a longer time.

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Sample responses for 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'

1. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 

In five years, my goal is to successfully complete a couple of certifications related to my position. I went through your website before this interview, and I found out that you offer higher education and upskilling assistance for your employees that include pursuing certifications to take a step ahead in their careers. Thus I truly believe that through this position, I can achieve my career goals and eventually move into a management position within your organization over the next few years.

2. Where do you see yourself five years from now?

My goal for the next 5 years would be to become a subject-matter expert in my domain and gain as much knowledge pertaining to my position and advance into a managerial role within my department. I am really intrigued by the customized training your company offers to its employees, and I truly believe that this will allow me to pick up new skills over time and grow myself within this position. In the next five years, I see myself taking on challenging projects within your company that will prepare me for a management role with the organization.

3. Where do you see yourself in five years?

My goal for the next few years is to lead the writing team and acquire new and relevant skills pertaining to my position. I am excited about the opportunity this job offers to me as I believe this job will support my long-term career goals, help me grow within your company, and allow me to use the skills I have acquired to go about my projects in a better fashion.

4. How have you planned the next five years for your professional growth?

Since I became a project manager in my last job, I realized that apart from having leadership skills, I really like project management and handling resources. So, in the next five years, I will be gearing up to lead larger projects or lead multiple project teams while upgrading my project management skills. Taking up the role of a Senior Project Manager in your company is a big step in that direction. I think it would be a fine challenge to take up wherein I can leverage my 3+ years of project management experience in the same industry.

5. What are your future plans with respect to your career progress? 

In the next 5-10 years, I hope to lead a team or department. I’ve always enjoyed being in a leadership position in my career, so developing myself as a leader is one of my core career goals over the next few years. Your job posting appealed to me and looked exciting and mentioned some great leadership opportunities. Also, I can see myself fulfiling my personal career goals through this position. So I was eager to have a job interview and learn more about this opportunity.

Mistakes to avoid while answering 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'

1. Avoid humor

Not all interviewers would appreciate the humor in the interview room. The best option is to avoid it altogether. As humor can be subjective, trying to be funny may make you appear as frivolous. It can also pose serious questions about your work ethic and sincerity towards work. So, exhibit good communication skills, and this will do the trick.

2. Be honest

Sometimes, one may not be clear about the career route that one might take up in the future. In this case answering 'where do you see yourself in five years?' can be tough. Hence, you must prepare a response that shows that you are interested in the current role but would be ready to experiment with new roles within the company. Your objective must be to show your long-term commitment.

3. Don't be too specific or too generic

Being new to the company, you might not be aware of the positions or departments that you may be interested to be part of in the future. So being too specific about a particular job role and responsibilities can also hinder your chances of selection if you don't know the nitty-gritty of the role. Similarly, being too generic with the response to 'where do you see yourself in five years?' can also be a bane for you. For example, saying, "I will work hard towards the success of the company," is a lazy response.

4. Avoid over-ambitious answers

You must avoid giving answers that are utterly over-ambitious and hogwash. For instance, if you say that you are going to be the CEO of the company in the next 5 years, you are bound to make a mockery of yourself in front of the interviewer. Therefore, your answers should be sensible and credible enough for the interviewer to believe in you.

5. Getting too emotional with your future plans

As per career coaches, answering too emotionally is unprofessional. Therefore, keep your answer focused on career goals and stay concise.

Summing it up

If you know how to project your skills effectively, there is no dearth of job opportunities. Hence for questions such as 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?', a well-structured and concise answer that highlights your ambitions and skills will certainly take you ahead in the interview process.

A good reply to 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' will show that you are goal-oriented in your career and have taken the time to think about where you see yourself in five years or more. And if you can drive home your point of how the current position fits in with your career growth as well, then the interview panel will surely be more impressed with your response.

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