This open question, and others like; “Where do you see yourself in five years?” unbalance most of the candidates. The purpose of the question is to check your self-awareness and communication skills.

Dan Harrison is the personnel manager for Wesco Corporation and is about to interview three candidates for a project manager position. He is looking for someone with long-range vision and planning skills.

Phil Holmes describes his goal: “To be a marketing manager within five years and have a handpicked team reporting to him.”

This is a very specific and limited goal, which may not be an option at this company. “Hand-picked” equipment demonstrates a lack of flexibility. It is better to stay away from too specific a goal.

Shawna Green responds, “I’ve been so busy with my responsibilities and achieving company goals that I haven’t focused on long-term personal goals.

While a strong work ethic is certainly desirable, this response does not demonstrate vision or planning.

Says Marsha Severson, “I plan to go back to school to get my MBA and have my own consulting business one day.

While it pays to be honest, this answer could turn the interview in the wrong direction very quickly. The employer is looking for someone who will stick around for the long haul, not stop on the road to a new career.

focus exercise

If you are the type of person who prefers an organized way of life, you may find this question a “piece of cake.” But if you’re among the majority of people who let life happen as it happens, you probably won’t get an easy answer without a little forethought.

* What are your goals? – The best answers will come from you thinking about what you want. Most successful entrepreneurs will tell you that a key success factor is the ability to set and achieve goals.

Start by setting short-term goals. Right now your goal may be to “get a job.” But what kind of work? And where do you go from there?

* Be employer-focused: The employer is looking for someone to come in and solve the problems. Since planning is a key factor in this job, think of examples where his planning has made a difference to the results.

scripts

After giving some thought to where you want to go and how you can help the employer achieve results, try writing your response to focus.

I have learned that long-term goals are best achieved when I break them down into shorter goals. My short-term goal is to find a position that places me in a forward-looking, strong-performing, and forward-looking company. As part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow the company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company is headed. My plan is to move to a position of responsibility where I can lead a team.

No one can tell you exactly how to answer this question; it will come from what is important to you. However, the more focused and employer-centric you can be about your target, the better your chances of steering the interview in the right direction.