Imagine this: you’re wrapping up a great interview at a company you want to be a part of. You’ve made a connection with your interviewer, done your homework in order to present a detailed plan of how you’ll succeed in the position, and feel confident in how you’ve handled any “red flags” in your career. At this stage, your guard is down, and your thoughts start to drift towards that (well-deserved) drink you’ll be having once this is over.
Related: How To Answer The Interview Question ‘Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?’
That’s when the interviewer asks, “So where do you want to be in five years?”
A trick question? Really? And things were going so well! Avoid the temptation to be dismissive- this rarely works out well.
So what’s the best approach?
For one, shorter is better. The more time you spend rambling on about generalities, the less confident you seem. It’s imperative to move the conversation back to your strengths and aptitudes, and how they match up with what the interviewer’s looking for.
Second, avoid rolling out old tropes like, “I want to sit where you’re sitting!” You don’t want to alienate your interviewer by being too aggressive or out of bounds (blame it on our overly-PC workplace culture).
Here’s What You Should Focus On When Answering:
Communicating Gratitude.
Answering this question can be a great opportunity to talk about how you feel about it, which is a huge factor in why we take on a new position. Do you feel like the company has a culture where you will be valued? Will you be rapidly exposed to new concepts and technologies that you’re excited to learn more about? Will taking the position allow you to provide a better life for your family?
Delivering Strategic Value.
Does nurturing talent excite you? Is figuring out solutions to operational challenges an area you want to focus on? What do you see doing at this job that is different from your current or previous jobs?
Demonstrating Enthusiasm.
No one wants to hire someone who seems “meh” about an opportunity, regardless of how qualified they are. Are you excited by the prospect of this job? Do you honestly feel like you can succeed in an amazing fashion here? It’s time to communicate it!
Desiring A Long-Term Commitment.
This is especially important if you have a lot of short-term positions on your resume. An employer wants to know that you’re in it for the long haul, and won’t jump ship as soon as a new opportunity arises.
Here’s A Sample Answer:
“Contributing to the profitability of this company by doing [x, y, and z] for you. Ultimately I’d like to play a larger role in defining the company’s future, especially in [name an area, ex. product strategy], but what’s most important to me is working for an organization where I can grow alongside some of the most innovative professionals in the industry.”
Expert tip: once you’ve answered, turn the tables on your interviewer by asking a question like, “Since we are on the subject, can you tell me where you see the growth of this company/position in the next five years?”
Anish Majumdar, CEO of ResumeOrbit.com is an executive resume writer, LinkedIn expert, and interview coach. He has helped thousands of job seekers land 6 and 7-figure positions through strong career platforms and breakthrough search strategies. His articles have appeared in leading industry publications and some of the most influential career advice websites today.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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