Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

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The answer doesn't involve you saying that you want to be a Manager or Director in the next 5 years. First, we need to understand why the employer is asking this question in the first place.

Reason 1: They want to make sure you actually want to be there in the long-term.

As realistic or unrealistic as that may seem, if you give any hints that you plan to be elsewhere, and not work at this company from now well into the future, then they'll consider that as a red flag and likely not consider you further in the process. So if you actually truly plan to run a business in the next 5 years, maybe a good idea to NOT mention that as part of your answer.

Reason 2: They want to weed out the ones who want this job and THIS job only, versus the ones that just want a 'foot in the door' or are already thinking about the next job title.

Sometimes companies don't know if they'll have a higher level role for you to go into in the next 2, 3, 5 years.So if you make it sound like it's your expectation to be promoted into a Manager title, Manager role or Director role in the next X number of years, then they'll likely err on the side of caution and not consider you further, because they may not be able to provide you what you want. Or they'll see you as overly ambitious and using this opportunity as a stepping stone to get to the next level.

So, what is the magic formula to answer this question?

There are 2 parts to this answer and in this example:

Part 1

In the first 2 - 3 years, I see myself becoming a true expert and master at my role as a (job title) at (company name). I plan to really immerse myself in the position, understand areas that can be improved on, really get to know the ins and outs of the business and look for opportunities to make the (department) team and department as efficient as possible.

Part 2

For the 2 - 3 years after that I see myself as being a key (department) business partner and liaison to all the other teams in the organization. I want to be able to extend my expertise and offer help to other departments, whether it be sales, marketing or operation using my skills and knowledge gained from my role.

The reason why this formula works so well is because you are keeping it general. You are not talking about specific titles you want to achieve, which may put off some interviewers. And instead, you are talking about "what you'll do" instead of "who you'll be" in the next 5 years.

Secondly, you show that you're eager and that you truly want this job. You are focused on this role, and this role only, that you simply want to help and give value.

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