“Where do you want to be in five years?”

This week's blog comes from Jennifer Howe, Executive Manager Client Development at Trevor-Roberts.

This is one of the most common interview questions asked of job candidates. In fact, I was asked this question in one of a comprehensive series of interviews to enter IBM’s graduate recruitment program in the early 1990’s. With youthful bravado I responded to the Sales Manager with “in your job” – obviously showing the right level of ambition as I was hired. In reality, I didn’t have a definitive answer to that question and still don’t.

There are many hiring managers around who believe that potential employment candidates must have a fixed and suitably ambitious career plan to be credible. The fear is, that if they don’t have a ready answer such as “I want to a Financial Controller in two years and a CFO in five”, they lack motivation and drive.

Career goals, like all goals, play a very important role. As Alice in Wonderland so nicely put it "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.” However, many people (and certainly most university graduates) don’t know what jobs are out there, or which jobs they will be best suited to. And the jobs that are out there today will be different again in five years’ time – some will have disappeared and new ones will have taken their place. Unforeseen career opportunities will present themselves which need to be recognised and then seized with both hands if they are right for you.

I see it as more helpful to set career “aspirations” than to have a pre-defined career path. If you want to work overseas you need to become skilled in an area which increases your employability in other countries, or join a multinational company or government organisation that offers international transfers or assignments.  Develop a list of job “attributes” you seek, such as the ability to influence corporate direction, or not being desk-bound, or having regular opportunity to present to large groups. These can guide your career direction without being prescriptive about the job.

A smart, capable and ambitious graduate being interviewed today may not know what they want to be in five years, but could be the best hire the company ever made. This graduate could turn the question back to the interviewer and justifiably ask “where could I be if I worked for this organisation for five years?”.

As long as “Where do you want to be in five years?” continues to be asked in interviews, you should be authentic to your own career aspirations whilst talking into account your understanding of the organisation’s expectations for that role.  Once you are in the job, be ready to recognise and grab those great opportunities that help you achieve your career aspirations.