Interview Question: Answer to “Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?”

Future is full of twists and turns. Nobody can say for sure what the future holds for them. However, an ideal candidate is someone who knows what he/she wants to achieve or accomplish in the near future. Moreover, having a gameplan will not only help you take timely decisions for your career goals, but it also shows stability and motivation. Future is full of twists and turns. Nobody can say for sure what the future holds for them. However, an ideal candidate is someone who knows what he/she wants to achieve or accomplish in the near future. Moreover, having a plan in action will not only help you take timely decisions for your career goals, but it also shows stability and motivation.

So, to know your plans, the recruiter might ask you this common interview question, ‘ Where do you see yourself in 5 years’.  Hence, to help you ace this common yet tricky interview question, here how you should frame your answer.

Why this job interview question?

The recruiter wants to see how serious and devoted you are towards your career. And, whether you know how you are going to achieve your future aspirations. Moreover, the recruiter wants to know how goal-oriented you are and how this job position will fit in your grand plan. The recruiter wants to hire someone motivated, proactive and organised.

How to answer this interview question?

Some of the pointers that you can add into your answer

Talk about future study plans

If you are a fresher then, you can always talk about gaining some work experience before going for a masters or certification in your desired field. Now, this will project you as someone who wants to gain some practical experience before doing a specialisation in it.
And, if you are an experienced candidate then, you can always mention a few certifications. However, don’t forget to mention that you might want to pursue with your work.

Emphasise on your skills

When answering, you can also mention how you want to improve your present skill-set and develop different skills to keep yourself evolving with changes that are happening in your surroundings. Moreover, you can also mention a few industry-related skills that might help you in the long run. Talking about your skills will show the recruiter that you are serious about your career and knows what you have to do to achieve success.

Mind the smaller details

If you don’t know what you want to do in future then, keep your answer general and avoid being specific. Keep your answer interesting but broad enough that the recruiter doesn’t question your candidature. Moreover, although the question demands a long and detailed explanation but try to keep your answer short and crisps.

Now, you are equipped to answer this interview questions. However, be careful when drafting an answer and make sure you keep it to the point. The recruiter don’t want to listen to all your future plans especially personal. Try to present yourself as confident even though you are nervous from the inside. You can prepare for your interview with Mock-AI, which will evaluate you on your interviewing skills.