There’s Only One Right Answer To This ‘Impossible’ Interview Question, According To Career Experts
insta_photos | Shutterstock There's one job interview question that you can almost guarantee hiring managers will ask that many people still struggle to answer. That's because there really is no clear angle.
Still, if you're looking to set yourself apart from other candidates, there technically is a right answer, according to career experts. While some interview questions are meant to measure your skills and how you would fit within the role that you're interested in, there are others that exist purely to test how you can function under pressure.
There's only one right answer to the interview question: 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years?'
Madeline Mann, founder of career-coaching business Self Made Millennial, told CNBC Make It that, in her experience, the common "Where do you see yourself in five years?" interview question always trips candidates up.
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It's "kind of an impossible question,” Mann said. Nobody actually knows what their future career will look like, but the question "gets so many job seekers rejected — and they don’t realize it." Mann insisted that a job seeker's response to this question should demonstrate how their goals and experience will "fit into this role."
Career experts recommend job seekers focus on 'tangible career outcomes.'
Mann recommended that job seekers focus on their career outcomes rather than job titles or promotions in their answers. She encouraged people to think of the question as "How is this role favorable to my trajectory?"
Instead of saying, "I see myself in a managerial role” in five years, or whatever the next steps seem possible on your career trajectory, Mann said candidates should focus on the steps to get there. Something like: "I envision x,y,z in sales," or "I want to implement x,y,z changes to make the department run better."
Mann explained that job seekers should especially avoid talking about personal milestones, such as hoping to get married and have kids, or unrealistic professional goals, such as opening a business. These answers make you appear as Mann described, as a "flight risk," someone who doesn't want to stay at the company and grow in your role.
In a TikTok video, another career expert, Anna Papalia, had similar advice, especially about offering personal information, but she stressed that the right answer is always much simpler than candidates expect.
"If someone is interviewing you and looking to hire you, all they wanna hear is that you will be a dedicated, loyal employee and you will be here for five years," Papalia said. "So that's what you tell them: 'In five years I see myself at this organization.'"
Job seekers should also avoid answers that emphasize the importance of titles and seniority.
Aspirations and confidence are good traits, but that's not what the hiring team is looking for when it comes to the five-year question. Job search expert Hanne Keiling pointed out, "While having grand ambitions can certainly be a positive character trait, it may not be appropriate to discuss all of them when answering this question if they aren’t relevant to the job."
Basically, telling the team you want to be a C-suite employee in just five years shows that you only view the role you are interviewing for as a stepping stone instead of a goal.
"Maybe I’d say, 'I’d like to be taking on more direct reports,' or, ‘I’d like to be owning bigger accounts, and I would like to be the go-to person in the organization for expertise,’ or, ‘I’d like to be speaking on bigger stages," Mann said.
She continued, "Instead of just saying, ‘I’m chasing a title,’ you’re saying, ‘I’m chasing outcomes that are going to be beneficial to the business.'" The better your answer conveys that your goal is to stay in the role they are hiring for and do it to the best of your ability, the better you'll perform.
Interviews are stressful, and it's easy to mess up under pressure, but if you break down the motive behind the questions, it gives you an advantage. In the simplest terms, companies want employees who will do their job well and be loyal to the company. Convey that message, and you're setting yourself apart from the crowd.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
