I have noticed this question become more and more common as Millennials have become a larger percentage of the workforce. It’s not that it was particularly rare before, but it has become a lot more common in the last few years, perhaps due to the tightness of the job market since 2014 or so. This is a good question to prepare for, but don’t spend too much time on it – having a bad answer can immediately eliminate you from contention, but knocking it out of the park won’t win you the job on the spot. Have something prepared for this one but don’t spend all day on it.
Why are they asking this question?
A lot of employers have noticed that their 20 and 30 something employees tend to hop jobs every year or so, and hiring someone new and then training them can cost the company money. HR is slowing catching up to the fact that Millennials, having spent the majority of their working years in a tight job market, tend to approach their interviews from a position of control, and will often times be making their employment decisions based on the career path of the role they will be taking instead of on the role itself. Asking this question therefore gives the employer a chance to get a glimpse into the trajectory you see yourself on and allows them to compare that trajectory to the opportunities available within their organization – if you are going to be able to achieve your goals internally, you are a better fit than someone who is likely going to leave in the next few years to pursue something not possible for them to offer you.
I should also note that this question gets asked a lot of younger candidates, but it would behoove those of longer tooth to be prepared for this as well. If you are asked this question, it is a great sign that the company doesn’t intend for you to sit in one chair and rot for the rest of your career. You may want to consider asking them this question yourself if they don’t bring it up – say something like, “If I were to take this job, where would you see me in 5-10 years?” You will find that many hiring managers will sputter a bit and will ultimately not have an answer prepared, but it allows you to segway into talking about your own goals.
Common Strategies
Typical (mediocre) answers include:
- I want to be in a job where I am growing and learning
- I want to be the manager of the department by this time next year
Or, the worst answer of all:
- I don’t know
In general, the best way to answer this question is to be honest about what your goals are. Don’t try to give a wishy washy answer like the first option above – Everybody wants to be in a job where they are learning and growing. That doesn’t tell the employer anything, and it makes it appear as though you have no idea what you want out of your career. It is just as bad to have an answer like the second one – ambitious answers are fine, but if you come across as too ambitious they will worry they will not be able to provide the growth plan you are looking for. I had a candidate interview for an HR Generalist once that told the Director of HR during her interview that she wanted his job within 5 years. The HR Director loved the drive and ambition, but thought 5 years would not be enough time for that person to rise to that level, and didn’t hire her as a result. His specific feedback was, “She was great in every other respect, but I can’t offer her that kind of growth. If she really wants to be HR Director in 5 years this isn’t the place for her.”
One other thing to note about a question like this is that is a good chance for you to bring up any goals that you have outside of work. Maybe you are training for a marathon and are hoping to eventually have a sub-4 hour marathon. Maybe you are a big chess nerd and are hoping to become a grandmaster. Maybe you are hoping to start a family. Answers like these will allow you to connect with the interviewer on a personal level, and can make you seem like a multi-dimensional candidate.
My template for you is as follows:
- On a personal level, these are my goals.
- On a professional level, these are my goals.
Pretty simple eh? But that isn’t the hard part – the hard part is being honest during a high-pressure interview. Don’t be afraid to be frank about what you want – if the company cannot offer you the opportunities you want then perhaps it isn’t the company for you at this time. If they can offer you your desired career path, you want to make sure you set expectations now, so they know to put you in a position to achieve what you want to achieve!
This how I might answer the question:
On a personal level, my goal is to grow my family. I have a little girl now and we want to make sure she has at least one sibling. So, in ten years, I’d like to have two kids in school and enough flexibility to be able to take them to soccer games or whatever afterschool activities they are into. On a professional level I would like to be in a position to lead a team of other recruiters using the experience I will have gained by working with your firm.
Sample Answers
As usual, please don’t crib these directly – this is about YOUR goals, not the made up ones below I am using as examples.
On a personal level, I would like to complete an Olympic length triathlon. I have done a few sprint triathlons, but I have been a bit nervous about the swimming part – with an Olympic length Tri you have to swim over a mile and that’s a bit scary. Personal fitness is very important to me, so I would like to make sure I have enough time over my lunch break to make sure I am eating properly. On a professional level, I would like to eventually learn how to program CNC Machines using an offline software like Mastercam. I have a strong interest in programming, and while I don’t have the chops to step into a role like that immediately I do have a strong desire to move that direction at some point in the future.