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How to Answer “Where do you see yourself in 5 Years?”

Keep your response to the interview question "where do you see yourself in five years?" brief and broad. Explain your plans for professional growth as they relate to the internship role. If you've ever been asked this in an interview, you might be curious as to why. This article will explain why prospective employers are interested in knowing your long-term goals and objectives, and will provide tips for developing a compelling response to the question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
How to Answer “Where do you see yourself in 5 Years?”
When you are fresh out of university, you have several aspirations and dreams to fulfil. One of them, and the most important one, is grabbing an internship and embarking on your career path. That’s why, when you appear for interviews, the interview panel usually asks this one questions no matter what. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN NEXT 5 YEARS?

Ideally, most of us do not think beyond three or six months beyond the current moment, but for students about to begin working, it is strongly advised to have their five yearly goals in place because that will help in their progress, especially once the internship ends.

What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know

When the interviewer asks this question, he tries to measure your enthusiasm and dedication to the profession. It consumes a lot of effort, time and resources for an organisation to hire. They want people who can work for a longer time for them, they expect the interns to be converted into full time employees after the internship.

Employers also desire motivated and proactive staff. You are lot more likely to invest in work if your long-term career ambitions fit with their business – and hence far more likely to be fulfilled and productive. The interviewers won’t hire people who think might leave in just six months of time, without paying any though to the company, training or the work they are involved in.

How Interns Should Understand This Question

You, as an intern now, might be doing something completely different five years along the line. You might not even be, say, a software developer, you could be farming somewhere far. But your answer at the time of interview should be focused on the current job, or company. A strong response is the key to ace this question, like:
1.    I expect to reach to the next levels within this company itself
2.    Would love to work in the same industry because of the (state the benefits) and growth prospects
3.    I aim to be reach the Lead/Manager Level or equivalent in 5 years of time, preferable in this company only
4.    I would like to complete my XYZ certifications, gain the required skills to reach a particular position
5.    Aim to excel in my public speaking skills and conduct training sessions for similar batches of interns

What Interns Should Avoid Saying

1.    Responding as ‘I don’t know, I haven't given too much thought to it’.
2.    Responding as ‘I am an adrenalin junkie and like to live my live as the day comes, no plans, no worries of future’.
3.    Talking about irrelevant goals.
4.    Dishonest and unrealistic goals.
5.    Talking about your other dream company in the current company’s interviews.
In any case, your focus should be on the current company instead of anything else. Whatever you would be doing or achieving, either it should be personal or related to this company. Anything else will make interviewers skeptical about your dedication and they might reject you in the end.

Different Ways This Question Might Be Asked

There are always other ways this question can be asked, some of them are:
1.    What are your long term goals?
2.    What is your ambition?
3.    How do you think this job will benefit you?
4.    Where do you see yourself in next 7-10 years?
5.    What have you thought about your future goals?

Each of those questions actually tries to determine how excited you are in the long run about this job. Would you like to remain with the firm and keep growing? You look for a salary, or are you seeking for something better? Make sure you explain to them what they will receive in return if you want to work long term with the company.
You will make the interviewer's mind easy by placing yourself as a long-term employee and displaying your relentless passion and setting yourself for professional achievement.
 

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