Have you ever asked yourself personally how would you like to see your career grow in the next 5 years as a measure of growth projected in favor of your dream, vision and life objectives? If you have not, every dream, career, ambition, or professional vision needs to have a blueprint which will nonetheless serve as it torchbearer on the path to fulfilment and greatness.
Being a visionary is one of the very salient characteristics of any leader in any field, this is why it is important as an individual or organization who aspires to witness massive professional development in time to come in their various undertakings to always have solid planning and appropriate projections.
Asking how would you like to see your career grow in the next 5 years can also about during the moment of employment between prospective employer and employee. That is why it is a common question you may be asked during a job interview. Employers typically ask this type of question to gather insight into how well the job fits with your overall career goals. Even if you don’t have an exact picture of where you want to be in five years, there are ways to answer this question that show your enthusiasm for the job.
To many, it can be a very hard question. To others, it may be a seriously challenging one. This is often so because many of us do not have any plans for the future. Hence, the lack of preparation for professionally intelligent questions like that during interviews. The employer needs to know whether you are the type that knows what he is doing or not.
Below are points that answer your question – how would you like to see your career grow in the next 5 years?
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Knowing Goal-Compatibility
When crafting your answer, remember to carefully review the job posting. Consider which of the required skills and traits you already have and would like to strengthen and also those you’d like to gain more experience in. It can be helpful to look at the specifics of what the job entails and think about what it would mean to advance your knowledge and expertise in these areas over the next five years.
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Understanding Your Versatility and Organization Skills
It can be a helpful practice to think about what an ideal resume might realistically look like for someone in this role five years from now. Think about the following categories and how they might look in the future:
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Are there incremental job titles you could grow into? For example, moving from an Engineer I to an Engineer II.
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Are there certain skills (technical or soft) that people in this field typically hone? A social media manager may want to gain experience creating videos or graphics.
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Are there any relevant or well-known industry awards or certificates you could pursue? A sales representative may aim to win a “top salesperson of the year” award.
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Are there specific achievements you could map out? For instance, becoming an expert and winning the opportunity to mentor junior team members.
You may not need to include all of these points in your answer during the interview. However, thinking about what your future resume might look like can help you shape your response.
Read: How To Present Your Strengths During Job Interview
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Identifying Your Strengths
In any profession, there is room to grow and continue learning. There might be a particular area of interest you want to focus on in the role you’re interviewing for and it might reasonably take several years for you to reach an expert level.
Reasons Why You Are Asked the Topic Question
Why do employers and you need to ask yourself the question, how would you like to see your career grow in the next 5 years?
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To see if your expectations align with the role
Employers want to know that your goals fit with the job they’re offering. For example, if you’re interviewing for an accounting associate role and say you’d like to eventually lead more complex accounting projects, that shows the interviewer you’d like to grow in this position in a way they can reasonably support you.
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To smell ambition
It can be difficult to know or even plan for what you will be doing in five years, however, managers still look to hire a candidate who has a sense of how they want to grow and progress in their career. It’s important to note that employers are particularly interested to know your goals within this role.
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.
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To see whether you will be hardworking and committed
Employers may also use this question to assess whether you’ll be satisfied and engaged in the role over the next few years. If you want to reach a more advanced job title in five years than the employer can accommodate, they may determine that you are overqualified or would too quickly become bored in the position you’re interviewing for.
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To know your time limit with the company
The length of time employees stay with the same company varies based on age and industry. On average, 54% of people stay in the same role for at least five years. Hiring, onboarding and training a new employee is considered an investment and turnover is costly, so most employers seek candidates who plan on being at the company long-term.
