Where do you see yourself in five years? Anyone who thought they knew where their lives would be five years ago is probably re-evaluating their plans right now. Five years ago, we had no idea our world would change as much as it has due to a global pandemic.
Yet, unfortunately, “where do you see yourself in five years?” is a question job interviewers still tend to ask in job interviews. Often, interviewers ask this question because they want to know if you actually do want the specific job you’re interviewing for and they want to know if you see yourself at their particular company for the long haul. This question allows them to get insight into your personal career goals to see if it aligns with the role and company. As a job candidate, it can be tricky to know if you should be brutally honest or fake and flattering when posed with this question.
To make answering this question easier, here are the only three things you need to focus on the next time you’re asked this awkward question:
It may sound compelling to let the interviewer know that you plan to have a much higher senior title in five years or that you plan to start your own company or something similar, but these options aren’t the best way to approach this question. If you mention to the interviewer that you plan to have a specific job title at the company in five years, you might be shooting yourself in the foot before you even get the job. It’s uncertain if the particular role you might mention would even be available five years from now. If you mention that you plan to do your own thing five years from now, the interviewer might assume that they’re merely a stepping stone for you and that you’re not truly invested in the opportunity.
Instead, you want to focus on the responsibilities you hope to partake in over the next five years. Next time try something like, “In the next five years, I see myself growing and becoming an expert in [job function/industry]. I see myself still working on challenging projects like [specific projects mentioned in the job description or interview] and probably taking on even more challenging work as I learn and develop even more skills.” MORE FOR YOU
While you can’t predict where exactly you’ll be five years from now, or the role you’ll have, or that you’ll even be at the company you’re interviewing for now, you can visualize how you’d like to feel about yourself and your career five years from now. Focusing on how you want to feel when answering this question also gives you the chance to subtly infuse the elements that are important to you in your next career move. Plus, if the company’s culture and values align with your career goals (as they should), this will give you the chance to further prove to the interviewer that you’d be a great addition to the team.
Here’s an example of what you could say: “I see myself feeling excited about the work I do. I see myself working with colleagues and a manager who still inspires and empowers me to keep growing and stretching myself to achieve and exceed expectations.”
Companies want to hire problem solvers and team players and this question is a great opportunity to show that you have a strong desire to make an impact over the next five years. Focusing on how you plan to contribute is a creative way to do that without predicting the future and mentioning specific details that may or not happen five years from now.
To show how much you intend to be an asset, you can say something along the lines of, “I see myself continuing to be an asset to my clients, team and all the other people I’ll have the honor of working with over the next five years. That’s why I’m so excited about the opportunity to join your team as a [job title you’re interviewing for now] because I know I can jump right in and add tremendous value now.”
Yes, this question may seem awkward and intrusive. But, when answered the right way, it’s a great opportunity for you to share a little more about you and to drive home the key factors that make you a great candidate for the position. By only focusing on these three things, you’ll be able to answer this question with more confidence and authenticity, and you’ll likely increase your chances of getting hired.
Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure the positions theyve been chasing. Grab her free guide.
Uncomfortable Questions and How You Should Deal with Them in English
The final uncomfortable question is supposed to wrap-up the conversation, so you should prepare a few brief statements to make a convincing finish. Stay confident and repeat your strengths, suggesting that your skills and achievements deserve to be tested in this company.
Audrey Lamp is a proactive journalist who likes to gain knowledge, analyze, and present fresh ideas. Her background and various interests inform her writing. Find her on Facebook and Twitter.***
There is a smooth way out of the trap. For instance, you can say that your current position doesn’t allow you to learn and progress as much as you want. Or you could say that the company doesn’t invest in the lifelong learning of its employees as much as you would like. Note that this is an opportunity not only to provide a good reason for leaving but also to highlight the importance to you of self-improvement and progress.
A majority of recruiters begin interviews with this question. Although it might seem easy, it’s actually not that simple to answer such a vague and generic inquiry. Therefore, you should prepare a brief paragraph that focuses on your professional capabilities. HR advisors at the dissertation help service made a list of a few introductory topics to focus on: a) Tell your name and academic background, b) Quickly go through employment history, c) State your skills and achievements, and d) Explain why you applied.
For instance, you could say: I am not comfortable with speaking in front of large groups. An answer like this is perfect because it doesn’t mean you can’t speak in front of large groups—just that you don’t feel comfortable doing it. And this weakness can be easily worked on and improved. Ideally, you’d also talk about what you have done and continue to do to work on this weakness.
Make sure you can say with confidence that you project the same professional image online that you do at work McLean Mills
Interviews are the most terrifying 8-12 minutes of your life and if you’re lucky, they’ll be the most terrifying moments of your life through three rounds of upper management second interviews or callbacks and you’ll eventually get your dream job.
The key to staying cool under pressure is being prepared for the intimidating and sometimes downright strange questions you are asked.
Monster polled young professionals and found some of the most awkward interview questions. Here’s the best advice on how to knock these curveballs out of the park.
Q: What would I find if I Googled you?
1. Do not lie. 2. Before you interview, update your social media settings to private if you feel there’s anything questionable.
Your social media can’t do much to help your job search and it can do a whole lot to hurt you. Regardless of how private your accounts are (they should be protected like missile codes) this question might come up. Thus, make sure that you can say with confidence that you project the same professional online that you do at work. The closer this is to the truth, the more confidence you’ll have in saying it.
Q: What would make you quit this job?
This is very much a loaded trick of a question. It’s actually a very good one because it puts you on the spot and helps them weed out those who aren’t interested. A diplomatic answer would be to say, “If I felt I wasn’t contributing enough to the vision of the company.” You can add variations, but you should make it clear that you will be putting the company’s best interests first.
Q: Name a time you’ve personally failed but persevered through it anyway.
This is a pretty excellent question because it gauges how hard you screw up and how well you problem solve (a skill essential to pretty much everything). Be sure to have an anecdote ready. One of mine is: “On my first film project the school’s camcorder was stolen from my backpack. I had hidden it well but somebody was on a mission. I was also on a mission and I had to get the movie made. I had to use a semi-broken old camera we had at home which meant paying that much more attention while shooting. Ultimately, I made exactly the movie I wanted to and learned a valuable lesson in keeping track of the important things.”
It’s hard to not make yourself look bad with the first part. I’m certainly embarrassed by my screw-up, but the perseverance and eventual success is key. I used this story as my college essay and in interviews all the time. A similarly vulnerable but ultimately endearing anecdote should do the trick.
Q: What’s your weakness? Pause… Nope. Keep going.
“What’s your weakness?” is a very common interview question and once again, quite tricky. My go-to is “I have a hard time being concise especially in emails. I was raised by writers and write a lot, but I always notice my emails are longer than the responses. So I’ve been trying to be more short and sweet so as to be less demanding of people’s time.”
While it is important to be as concise as possible in your work correspondences, this is a pretty excusable weakness, which is key. Whatever you choose to go with, make sure it is indeed a weakness, but don’t tell them your deepest darkest secret.
Q: Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?
This is an extremely important point in the interview: you are interviewing your potential employers as well. While everyone in entry level will have to compromise a bit of their ultimate goals (if only to pay your dues on the way to achieving them), there are limits.
You should never have to disclose your sexual preferences. While there are different variations of the truth we all know we tell in interviews, you should never find yourself in a position where you have to flat out lie about an important piece of who you are to get a job. If you can’t be yourself at work, chances are you won’t enjoy working there.
Monster Wants to Know: What are some of the toughest or most awkward interview questions youve been asked? How did you answer? Share with us in the comment section.
There are few ways how to answer these unpopular questions…
The best way is to answer the questions honestly but in a way that aims on how you address the issue.
Don’t lie. You might get tempted to claim a weakness that you don’t really have or tempted to pretend that you are leaving your current job for a completely different reason that in reality actually is. There can’t be nothing worse than to be caught lying at the interview.
Make sure that whatever statement you make, you can back it up with a good example. Always highlight the positive results of your actions.
Some of the most awkward questions are quite common while pushing the interviewees to think critically and creatively about their answers. When you state your answer, choose the words that are aligned with you, who you truly are, your values and your why.
Always remain positive when responding to negative questions. Always try to turn any negative into a positive and focus on the improvements.
Don’t get personal. Don’t talk about people, talk about things. If you are asked if there is something that you didn’t like about your former manager, don’t focus talking about the person. Instead, try to focus on your past role itself and again shift the focus on something positive you did to help to improve the situation.
Don’t let any of the tricky and least expected questions dive you in a panic before the interview.
Be truthful, express your authentic self and remain positive.
To show how much you intend to be an asset, you can say something along the lines of, “I see myself continuing to be an asset to my clients, team and all the other people I’ll have the honor of working with over the next five years. That’s why I’m so excited about the opportunity to join your team as a [job title you’re interviewing for now] because I know I can jump right in and add tremendous value now.”
Companies want to hire problem solvers and team players and this question is a great opportunity to show that you have a strong desire to make an impact over the next five years. Focusing on how you plan to contribute is a creative way to do that without predicting the future and mentioning specific details that may or not happen five years from now.
Here’s an example of what you could say: “I see myself feeling excited about the work I do. I see myself working with colleagues and a manager who still inspires and empowers me to keep growing and stretching myself to achieve and exceed expectations.”
It may sound compelling to let the interviewer know that you plan to have a much higher senior title in five years or that you plan to start your own company or something similar, but these options aren’t the best way to approach this question. If you mention to the interviewer that you plan to have a specific job title at the company in five years, you might be shooting yourself in the foot before you even get the job. It’s uncertain if the particular role you might mention would even be available five years from now. If you mention that you plan to do your own thing five years from now, the interviewer might assume that they’re merely a stepping stone for you and that you’re not truly invested in the opportunity.
Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure the positions theyve been chasing. Grab her free guide.
FAQ
How do you answer 10 difficult interview questions?
- Stay Calm. If you are asked a question that stumps you, first take a deep breath. …
- Buy Some Time. If you draw a blank, know that it is OK to take a little pause before answering. …
- Ask Questions. …
- Think about the Job. …
- Follow-Up.
How do I get over an awkward interview?
- Story Highlights.
- “Tell me about yourself” is the perfect moment to toot your own horn.
- Always ask for feedback from your colleagues to gauge your performance.
- Don’t badmouth a boss or give a laundry list of reasons for leaving your last job.
What should be avoided while answering interview questions?
- Allow Yourself To Feel Disappointed After The Bad Interview. …
- Talk About The Bad Interview With Another Person or To Yourself Through Journaling. …
- Follow Up With A Thank You Email And Address Your Mistakes. …
- Reflect On The Experience And How To Improve. …
- Ask For Feedback After The Bad Interview.
