Interview Questions – ‘Where would you like to be in the next five years?’

For Service-leavers who haven’t got recent interview experience, the prospect can seem daunting. Our new series dissects some of the more common but no less tricky questions so that you can show your best side to interviewers and land your next post-Services role.

‘Where would you like to be in the next five years?’
What this really means  is, ‘Do you want this job – or any job?’ It could be reworded to ask how soon you will need to change to prevent boredom or unrest or whether you really know what you’re getting into.

Few people actually know the answer to this particular question – so don’t panic if you’re not one of them.

You might answer that you’re here to talk about the job on offer and are not getting carried away by where it could lead you. By default, you’ll come across as focused and serious rather than driven perhaps, by imagination and whimsy. Cynical interviewers might think that you could apply a bit more ambition but only if you don’t make clear that you aim to make the very best of the role on offer – as a logical starting point from which to progress – and to then survey the landscape around it. Don’t stray into trying to be too ruthless or aggressive, more that you ‘live in the now’ but with an eye to getting the best out of the role for all concerned.

Reflect
It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how you dealt with things during the last time you were new at a job. This may well have been in one of your roles in the Forces but that doesn’t mean that you won’t have learnt and developed since that point – and of course, this is really what any employer will want you to do to be successful while you’re their employee.

The question also examines whether you’ll be ‘here’ in five years’ time. A good answer to this could be that having done your research, you feel relatively familiar with the company structure and can see that you’d enjoy being part of the organisation in other roles too – though be prepared to answer the follow-up question: ‘Such as?’

Remind the interviewer what drew you to their vacancy in the first place and how your skills and experiences match what’s on the job description.

Realistic
Be modest and realistic. Five years is a long time but to say: ‘I want to be manging director’ is probably overcooking it. Similarly, saying ‘I want to travel to South America’ or any other non-professional ambition, is largely irrelevant.

Keep in mind what the job is. Some jobs clearly require an ambition to move up while in others, it can be a distraction.