The question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” is a tricky question asked in interviews all the time. Answering this question right can eliminate your odds of not clearing the interview.
The interviewer does not expect candidates to exactly know what they will be doing in 365 days. Rather, the interviewer wants to know your long-term career plan and whether it aligns with the position offered by the company. They want to know your goals to see if you would stick with the company for a long time and if you are excited to work tirelessly to do a decent job. Interviewing is a time-consuming and costly process and you can miss your chance if the interviewer gets an idea that you are already planning to leave for something better as soon it comes your way.
A crucial point to remember while answering this question is not to give a general vague response. Response to the question should be precise, realistic, and related to work vision. The interviewer is not interested to know how financially secure you want to be in 10 years or if you want to travel the world. Show enthusiasm for the job and depict the interview how the company can help you achieve your 10-year work goal. The interviewer would want to know how this opportunity meets your expectation.
The interviewer may have followed up with questions on desired training, interesting leadership position, and ambitions. It is advisable to be prepared in advance by writing down your 10-year plan. While it is hard to write a long goal, start by writing a short-term goal and try visualizing your ideal path, culture, and values to flow it towards a long term plan.
In situations where you are changing your career paths, be confident in backing up your answer to “where do you see yourself in 10 years?”. The interviewer can be doubtful if you are really interested in the role and no one wants to hire a candidate who is dispassionate for the job. Make your response believable and reply convincingly this is the right opportunity for you.
Equally important is to understand things the interviewer does not want to hear to question “where do you see yourself in 10 years?”. For this, try to avoid responses that make the interviewer believe you will not be with them for a longer duration. You may have long-term goals of settling out of the country or going back to school but these should not be shared with the interviewer to raise any doubts on your profile. And take a pause to think about what you should answer instead of responding at first that you “don’t know.” The Interviewer should not feel that the question is not taken seriously. Go with the natural flow of progression and make the interviewer believe that you have a defined vision and you are excited about that.
The chances are good that you’ll be asked this question at some point during your career. Luckily, now you know you’ve got the skills to answer questions during an interview within seconds.
