How to answer 'where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?'

Why is the hiring manager or the interviewer asking this kind of question?

3 reasons you’re being asking these questions are

1.     To see whether your career goals and motivation are in line with that of the organisation or the company. The hiring manager wants to select only the people who help the company achieve its goals.

2.     To select the few applicants who want this job and this job only. The hiring manager don’t want to select people who would want to use company as a steppingstone to land in other jobs. The hiring wants to select those who are realistic and are motivated to work for this company for a long period.

3.     To know those who would be able to work for the organisation medium to long term

What should you include in your answer to this question (Dos)

1.     Your answer must demonstrate you’re going to be working for the organisation for a long period. No organisation wants to spend so much on hiring and training new employees and lose them to their competitors in the shortest period.

2.     Tell them you’ll be a competent and loyal member of their team as well as a good team player who will greatly contribute to the achievement of the organisational objectives.

3.     To be ready to help train new members of staff as a way of transferring your knowledge

4.     Talk about what you will do for the organisation instead of who you will become in the next 5 years

What you shouldn’t include in your answer to this question (Don’ts)

1.     You are ready to do whatever they ask you to do.

2.     Being too ambitious -You want to become the boss of the organisation

3.     To work in different organisations or companies

4.     To become your own boss or CEO

5.     Answer “I don’t have any idea about the question”. You know how to answer this question. This why you need to prepare for these kinds of questions.