How to Answer the Question “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?” With Confidence (Even if You’re Not Sure)

When you’re preparing for a job interview, it’s smart to run through a list of common questions and prepare your answers. And there’s one interview question that’s almost certain to come up in conversation. If anyone’s ever asked you, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” you know how tough this question can be to answer. But whether you do or don’t have a clear vision for your work or life in that time frame, I’ve got a few tips for you to explain your five-year plans and leave a good impression on your hiring manager.

5 Tips to Answer the Question “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

Some people have their whole life planned—their wedding date, when they want to have kids, getting a first and second job promotion, and monthly toothpaste subscriptions are planned to the day. But career paths aren’t always that linear. The course of your work isn’t always easy to plan or predict. (If only you had a crystal ball to see your future, then answering where you see yourself in five years might be a little easier!) That said, there are a few ways you’ll want to answer interview questions about your future goals when you’re interviewing for a new job. Let’s break down your response to where you see yourself in five years into five elements so you can answer the question with confidence:

1. Focus on your professional growth potential.

For example, if you know you’ve got a talent for connecting with people, explain how you’d like to develop that skill over the next few years. When you think of yourself five years from now, what might be different if you continue to grow professionally? Can you get any technical certifications? Or pursue any industry awards or recognition for your talent?

2. Have realistic expectations of titles and promotions.

I hate to burst your bubble, but if you’re interviewing for an entry-level job, becoming a CEO in five years is unlikely. Instead of focusing on titles you’d like to earn, be realistic by talking about the skills you’d like to hone and ways you can contribute instead. The more a hiring manager sees your enthusiasm to contribute, the more likely you are to get noticed and promoted once you’re hired and working in the role.

3. Mention skills you want to learn that apply to the job.

Then explain how those job skills will help you shine in this role. You could even talk about how you plan to expand your existing skills (for example, learning how to track analytics as a content creator). Read through the job description to see which skills are in high demand and then mention the ones you’re most interested in learning.

4. Explain why your interest in this job will help you reach long-term goals.

Maybe this role will help you reach your long-term goals by providing training or contacts in an industry you love. Explain how the skills you’ll learn here will help you grow in your career. (This shows you value learning and will give this position your all.) Before your interview, do thorough research on the company’s mission, values, products and services. Then explain what it is exactly about this job opening that appeals to you based on your long-term vision for your work.

5. Be specific about skills you need help with.

I know it sounds crazy to admit a weakness during an interview, but it’ll give the hiring manager an idea of how they can help you grow. For example, you can share that you’re committed to growing in an area that’s not your strong suit—and the steps you’ll take to get there.

A Script to Help You Explain Your 5-Year Career Goals

Regardless of what position you’re preparing to interview for, here’s a script you can follow to help you answer questions about your five-year goals or other long-term ambitions. Remember to focus on your strengths, tie your goals to the job position, and be thoughtful.

1. Focus on the goal that’s most important or valuable to you and connect it to the job you’re interviewing for.

“I find so much fulfillment in teaching and mentoring others in my craft. Over the next five years, I could see myself continuing to develop my own skills while creating a training series to onboard new staff or help grow younger associates.”

2. Briefly explain how you plan to accomplish that goal.

“I take courses each year for my professional development, and I’d like to start a team-wide newsletter that would share helpful tips and techniques I’ve learned—especially ones that apply to specific project outcomes.”

3. Share the outcome you hope to achieve from this five-year goal.

“If I’m successful at mentoring younger team members and have tracked their improvements over time, then I’d like to take the next step into a leadership role where my focus is less on the craft and more on team development and coaching.”

You deserve to win at work. Our new book and assessment will show you how.

You can use this example as a template and simply mention the skills, industry and goals that are important for your work and growth in the future.

How Not to Answer “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

If you’re new to the workforce, recruiters understand that you might not have your career goals nailed down to the letter. But they are looking for red flags that demonstrate you haven’t thought about the future at all—or that you don’t take it quite as seriously as you should. Same goes if you’ve been working for a while and you’re further along in your professional experience.

I want you to highlight your strengths and intentions when a recruiter asks where you see yourself in the future. Now, let’s look at what you shouldn’t say when it’s time to detail your five-year plan:

1. Don’t be wishy-washy about your intentions.

Simply saying, “I might want to be a manager,” doesn’t explain much about what you want to learn or the impact you want to make. It also doesn’t come across as very confident or thought-out. Instead, be more thoughtful by highlighting skills you’d like to master: “I’d like to improve my leadership skills by growing a team and mentoring junior-level staff.” It’s okay to be a little more general about the specific details, but be sure to frame your response with confidence.

2. Don’t joke around or admit you haven’t thought about your goals.

If you have no idea where you’d like to be in five years, don’t fall back on a joke like, “I’ll be retired on an island!” This won’t impress your hiring manager as much as being thoughtful and honest. Instead, you could say something like, “For now, I’m focused on learning more about [a skill or topic] and I plan to review my goals every year.”

3. Don’t reveal your plans to leave the job immediately.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people tend to stay at their jobs for an average of four years.¹ If you’re the right person for the job, hiring managers want you to stick around for a long time. But they also know that people’s lives change, and so might job situations. If you need temporary work or a side job just to pay the bills, that’s okay. But don’t make it obvious this is just a temporary stop. Instead, highlight how you plan to make the most of this opportunity.

4. Don’t say, “I’m coming for your job!”

This just sounds arrogant. It’s good to be hungry, but I want you to be smart. A humble attitude goes a long way toward building trust and getting more responsibility in your job over time. Saying you want to take over someone else’s job sends a signal that you’d do anything to rise to the top—including taking others down—and that’s a red flag in any healthy organization.

5. Don’t lie or ramble.

Be honest, be brief, and stick to the point! Rambling can make you appear nervous or like you’re fishing for an answer. If you truly don’t know what you’d like to be doing in five years, answer honestly and positively. For example, “I know that I’m on the right track working in this industry, but I can’t predict the future. For now, I’m dedicated to learning as much as I can about [topic] in each opportunity.” Keep it simple and sweet.

Why Do Hiring Managers Ask “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

Interview questions like “Tell me about yourself” or “Why do you want this job?” are guaranteed. But being asked on the spot about your long-term work goals can be a little tricky. After all, nobody knows what the future holds or how plans might change.

Still, hiring managers are looking for a few key pieces of information when they ask where you see yourself in five years. Whether or not you have a long-term vision for your work mapped out, you can answer this common interview question with confidence and clarity. Here are a few reasons hiring managers and recruiters ask potential hires where they see themselves in five years:

1. They want to know you’ll be a loyal team member and stick around for a few years.

Are you a chronic job-hopper, or will you dedicate at least a few years to this role? Companies spend a lot of money (thousands of dollars!) and time recruiting and training new employees. They want to make sure you’ve bought in to the company’s mission and are eager to grow in the role before they commit to bringing you on the team. If you’re just in it for a paycheck or as a temporary job while you continue to search for something better, you might not be a great match for their team.

2. They’re making sure your career goals match their hiring needs.

Say your goal is to eventually be in a sales manager position, but you’re applying for a public relations role. Those jobs require totally different skill sets and involve different development tracks to grow professionally and be successful. If your long-term ambitions are way off the mark for the job this company needs support with, it’s probably best to look for a different opportunity that aligns more with your goals.

3. They’re considering how much ambition you have.

If you haven’t considered where you’d like to be in terms of job growth or abilities in five years, now is the time. When recruiters and hiring managers ask questions to get a feel for your long-term work plans, they want to see if you’re able to look into the future and work backward to achieve a goal and make your vision real. If you simply don’t care where you end up in five years, that signals a lack of purpose and planning—and that won’t do you any good in an interview.

4. They’re evaluating your communication style and self-awareness.

If you know where you’d like to be, can you communicate your goals, vision and values clearly? Are you coming into this interview with intention and motivation? Do you have a grasp of how this professional step will move you forward in a productive way? Hiring managers want to see that you’re confident in your values and can articulate exactly what long-term outcome you’d like to achieve in your work.

5. They’re wondering how your strengths will benefit the company if you get hired.

Your future goals can help a recruiter understand the impact you’ll make in the present. Will you make an awesome team player and help create a healthy culture the longer you’re at the company? Will you bring new ideas to the table? Do you have the chops to set new records or improve standards? Hiring managers are trying to predict the potential you have to change their workplace for the better.

Other Versions of “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

During your interview, you might hear other versions of the five-year plan question. Keep the tips I mentioned above in mind because they’ll still apply. Here are some other examples of how employers might ask about your future goals and work aspirations:

• “Do you have a five-year plan?”
• “What job would you like to have in five years?”
• “What experience would you like your resumé to show in five years?”
• “What would you be proud to accomplish in the next few years?”

Get Ready for Your Next Interview

Now that you’ve thought about your goals for the next five years, it’s time to prepare for the rest of your interview. If you really want to impress your hiring manager, download my free Interview Guide. You’ll learn the five areas you need to spend time on to prepare for your next interview, the most common interview questions, and how to create a strong first impression.

And if you’d like more clarity on the right professional industry and opportunities for you, I recommend checking out the quiz that’s helped thousands of people find the work they do best. It’s called the Get Clear Career Assessment (and it’s included with my new book, Find the Work You’re Wired to Do). Check it out for results that will help you get specific in your job search, grow in your career, and make more money doing work you enjoy.