Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years - How to Answer

TL;DR

Use a Specific to Broad formula to answer the question, breaking down the five years into specific and broad intervals, focusing on skills and growth rather than specific titles.

Transcript

• Where do you see yourself in five years? is a problematic question, because the wording tricks you into thinking about a role you might wanna have in five years. Where do you see yourself, right? But the best answers actually focus on the journey you hope to take, instead of imagining a five year time skip and saying a title you expect to have in... Read More

Key Insights

• ⁉️ The wording of the "Where do you see yourself in five years?" question can be misleading and unrealistic.
• 🍳 The Specific to Broad formula suggests breaking down the five years into specific and broad intervals to focus on skills and growth.
• ⌛ It is important to avoid mentioning specific job titles and instead focus on what the candidate expects to be doing in different time frames.
• 👻 The formula allows candidates to showcase a proactive attitude, willingness to learn, and desire to add value to the company.
• 🍉 Mentoring others and taking part in pitching client engagements can implicitly convey long-term career goals.
• 🥹 The answer should start specific and become broader to avoid backing oneself into a corner.
• 👨‍🔬 Researching the company and industry beforehand can help provide a better understanding of what to expect in different job intervals.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is "Where do you see yourself in five years?" a problematic question in a job interview?

This question can be problematic because it tricks candidates into thinking about a specific role they want to have in five years, despite the uncertainty and potential lack of interest in staying with the company for that long.

Q: What is the Specific to Broad formula?

The Specific to Broad formula suggests breaking down the five years into one to three year intervals and discussing specific goals and expectations for each interval. This allows candidates to focus on what they will be doing, rather than specific job titles.

Q: How does the Specific to Broad approach help in answering the question?

This approach helps in several ways. It allows candidates to focus on their skills and development, demonstrating a proactive attitude towards learning. It avoids giving a specific job title that might seem either aggressive or conservative. It also signals to the interviewer a willingness to stay long-term without explicitly stating it.

Q: Can you provide an example of an answer using the Specific to Broad formula?

Yes, an example answer is provided in which the candidate discusses their eagerness to absorb industry-specific knowledge, develop project management skills, specialize in a particular vertical, and take an active part in pitching client engagements, all while demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and adding value.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video discusses the challenges of answering the question "Where do you see yourself in five years?" in a job interview, highlighting the importance of staying authentic and avoiding unrealistic expectations.

• The Specific to Broad formula is introduced, which suggests breaking down the five years into one to three year intervals and discussing specific and broad goals for each interval.

• The formula helps to focus the answer on skills, growth, and learning, rather than specific titles or roles, demonstrating a proactive attitude and long-term commitment without explicitly stating it.

• An example answer is provided to illustrate how the formula can be applied in practice.