Where do you see yourself in five years time?

 

Job applicant and two interviewers in a secretary interview. Both man and woman wear blue shirts, and they hold the resume of the job applicant--a woman in a white shirt, in their hands. Good secretaries do not dream big, at least not in terms of promotion. They know that the possibilities of career growth are limited, if any.

People want to hire secretaries who will stay with them for a long time, and who will be happy with their daily job. They do not seek someone who dreams of becoming a manager one day…

Therefore you should do your best to convince the interviewers that you would be happy to have the same job in five years time. Of course, you can leave the company in one year time (or even in one month time), if you get a better offer, or if you feel like leaving the job.

While talking in an interview, however, you should try to convince them that you plan to stay for a long time.

Sample answers

A male secretary doing his job. He answers a phone call and at the same time checks for the schedule of the bossI would love to work as a secretary in five years time, doing a good job. I enjoy this profession, and I am not looking for something else.

I do not have any career plans. However, I am thinking about starting a family in four, or in five years time. I would be glad to work as a secretary until then and come back once my maternity leave ends. However, we never know what tomorrow will bring, and my plans may change. We will see what happens.

 

Do not be afraid to talk about personal goals

Each responsible person has some goals. Interviewers do not like job applicants who say that they do not have any plans for the future.

Try to show some enthusiasm for things that lay ahead. Tell them about your personal goals, ideally those that do not interfere with your ability to work for them..

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