Common Interview Questions

"I am looking for a long-term career opportunity. As you can see, I have had solid and consistent career growth. I would love to see the same pattern of success and tenure with your company. As an international organization, I understand that this company has global leadership opportunities that arise from time to time. If I could work my way into a leadership role here or in another country, I would be thrilled."

"Five years from now, I would like to be an executive assistant supporting one of your corporate executives. I have built a great deal of experience as an administrator and feel that the next step to EA is reasonable in that time frame. To meet this goal, I plan to learn more about employee recognition software and begin to build more tech prowess with systems such as Hootsuite and Salesforce."

"The next natural step in my career is to be granted the role of general manager with your production team. In five years, I would like to grow into a regional management position. I researched career path opportunities in your organization and saw that you spend a great deal of time preparing your employees for promotions, which I was happy to see. I believe that to make a jump in five years from general manager to regional manager, I should focus on strengthening my exposure to inter-departmental communication and remote employee management."

"In five years, I would like to be seen as a sales leader in the SaaS industry. I plan to be well-connected and trusted regarding the work and results that I bring to your organization. To achieve this goal, I plan to take on every continued education opportunity presented to me with full enthusiasm. I plan to learn everything that I can from my leaders and have already begun to seek a mentor."

"I am interested in running a franchise location of my own. I have researched your organization's requirements for franchise owners and have already started saving money to purchase a location. I believe in the brand story and plan to be fully invested now and in the years to come."

"I value stability and longevity. In five years, I plan to be at your school, perhaps as the learning leader of the math or science department. To reach this goal, I will seek out opportunities to mentor others. I will volunteer to be a coach of a sports team within your school to make stronger connections with the student body. Also, I will continue to grow professionally through ongoing education opportunities. Down the road, I plan to get my master's degree in leadership, another valuable asset to the school that I will call home."

"In five years, I would like to be leading the digital marketing team and working towards a directorship position. I have seen examples of this career progression in your organization and want this same career trajectory for myself. To achieve this goal, I will dedicate myself to continued learning and will become a mentor to others while also seeking an internal leader to act as my professional mentor."

Avoid answers like, "In five years, I plan to work here, maybe even in your job!" (insert awkward laughter). The interviewer will quickly see that you have not done your research on the opportunity, and you're trying to mask that fact by telling a joke.

Customize your career goals to what the company stands to offer your professional future. Start by performing research on yourself. Get a clearer understanding of your career goals in the present and five years into the future. Next, conduct some LinkedIn research on the company and its team members. Gain a better understanding of the typical career trajectory of the people who held this role before you.

For instance, your LinkedIn research may show that the previous general manager was promoted to regional manager after five years and then promoted to area director after three years. This research would give you a strong sense of what is reasonable for career growth in the organization, enabling you to comment on the career growth options with the company that stand out to you most, while clearly outlining that this feels like a strong match. Express your interest in their internal growth opportunities. Doing so will suggest you are, indeed, seeking a long-term fit with their company.

The goal of your response is to show the interviewer that you are clear about your career goals and that you believe their company can provide you with the career challenges and growth needed to provide you with the job satisfaction you seek, even five years from now. Revisit any milestones in your career progression or previous five-year career plans you've had which clearly showcase how you've been striving to reach this opportunity, based on your previous goals. Remark on how this interview, in itself, is an accomplishment.

"Five years from now, I will hopefully be tenured, perhaps having risen to a senior position with a clinic whose values, mission, and pillars are well aligned with my own, with a strong portfolio of trusted clients. Also, by then I hope to have earned my master's degree, and as a psychologist, be more competitive in my offerings."