What Are Your Long Term Career Goals - Job Interview Question

What Are Your Long Term Career Goals - Job Interview Question
This open-ended question, and others like; "Where do you
see yourself in five years?" throw most candidates off
balance. The object of the question is to check for your
self-awareness and communication skills.

Dan Harrison is the staffing manager for Wesco Corporation
and is about to interview three candidates for a project
manager position. He is looking for someone with planning
and long-range vision skills.

Phil Holmes describes his goal - "To be a Marketing Manager
within five years, and have a hand picked team reporting to
him."

This is a very specific and narrow goal, which may not be
an option at this company. The "hand picked" team
demonstrates a lack of flexibility. Best to stay away from
too specific a goal.

Shawna Green answers - "I have been so busy with my
responsibilities and achieving company goals, that I have
not focused on personal long-term goals.

While a strong work ethic is certainly desirable, this
answer does not demonstrate vision or planning.

Marsha Severson states- "I plan to return to school to earn
my MBA, and have my own consulting business one day.

While it pays to be honest, this answer could turn the
interview in the wrong direction very quickly. The employer
is looking for someone to stick around for the long run,
not to stop over on the way to a new career.

Focus - Exercise

If you are the type of person who prefers an organized way
of life, you may find this question a "piece of cake". But,
if you are among the majority of persons who let life
happen as it comes along, you will probably not have a
smooth answer without some forethought.

* What are your goals? - The best answers will come from
you thinking about what you want. Most successful business
people will tell you that a key success factor is the
ability to set and achieve goals.

Begin by setting short-term goals. Right now your goal may
be "to get a job". But, what kind of job? And, where do you
go from there?

* Be employer-centered - The employer is looking for
someone to come in and solve problems. Since planning is a
key factor in this job, think of examples where your
planning has made a difference in results.

Scripting

After giving some thought to where you want to go and how
you can help the employer achieve results, try scripting
your answer to focus.

I have learned that long-term goals are best achieved when
I break them into shorter goals. My short-term goal is to
find a position that will place me in a forward-moving
company with solid performance and future projections. As
part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow
the company. My long-term goal will depend on where the
company goes. My plan is to move into a position of
responsibility where I can lead a team.

No one can tell you exactly how to answer this question -
it will come from what is important to you. However, the
more and focused and employer centered you can be about
your goal, the better your chances will be of steering the
interview in the right direction.

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