Know what to answer when someone asks 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'

Almost everyone has come across the question ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years? job, where they are most common.

But what to answer to this question?

Although it seems like a simple and unpretentious question, this question brings a reasonably deep and important reflection to some extent.

By understanding this importance, some specialists in different areas decided to investigate which is the best answer, bringing some tips as a result of this investigation.

Learn more in the topics below!

in job interviews

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, usually job interviews are the situations where it is most common to hear someone ask 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'.

According to Harleny Vasquez, a career coach who lives in New Jersey, in the United States, this question is used when the interviewer wants to know what the candidate's future intentions are.

“It works a bit like asking, 'Why do you want to work here?' or 'How do you see yourself in this organization?'” Vasquez said.

She also said that, depending on the answer, the candidate may reveal a misalignment with the company's purposes. Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention.

According to Vasquez, ideally, before going to the interview, the candidate researches the company in order to find out what its core values ​​and objectives are.

At the same time, it is important to know which positions the organization wants to fill and what prerequisites these positions require.

As an example of this, Harleny described how someone running for a position within the marketing sector of a company should respond when asked 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'.

“You can say something like, ‘Well, in the next five years, I hope to be in a leadership role within this marketing department, helping the company to improve its objectives and its brand,’” she said.

Vasquez says that an answer like that sounds very positive to the interviewer's ears. "With that, you're saying something like, 'Hey, my brain and my goals are thinking five years ahead, and I really believe in the mission and values ​​of the company,'" says the trainer.

Finally, Harleny Vasquez advises that, when answering this key question, candidates are concise and direct, without too much precision in the answers.

In addition, it is important to maintain the same line of responses after being hired, when a superior asks the question. This is because questioning can be a test of the employee's commitment to the company.

in informal conversations

Outside of job interviews, it is also common to hear the question 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?'.

And, although it seems unimportant outside the professional scope, this question can bring necessary reflections to people's daily lives.

For these cases, Harleny Vasquez also gives some tips on how to formulate the best possible response.

Again, she advises that, faced with this issue, the person introspects to locate their main motivations. After that, the response will flow naturally.

However, Vasquez explains that, unlike the job interview, in conversations with friends, family, and love interests, it's not vital to be assertive and concise in your response.

Because it is an informal conversation, the person can make assumptions, projections of desires and even digressions about how he will be five years ahead.

Graduated in History and Human Resources Technology. Passionate about writing, today he lives the dream of acting professionally as a Content Writer for the Web, writing articles in different niches and different formats.