Jennifer Tardy: Hey, job seekers.
Jennifer Tardy here, your career success coach.
Welcome back where we continue our job interview question and answer series.
Now we have already answered four questions so far.
We've answered the questions, tell me about yourself, what are you strengths, what are
your weaknesses, and why did you decide to apply to this job?
Now today's question that we are going to answer is where do you see yourself in five
years?
We're going to have a really good way to answer this question, and as always, stay tuned through
to the very end because we have my favorite segment, the career success bonus tip for
underrepresented populations or I, as I call them, UPs.
Tune in.
You don't want to miss this episode.
Now guys, you know that I always say this, it does not matter how qualified or how skilled
you are if you are unable to interview or at least, at least articulate why you or how
you have the skills necessary for the job, then you will not be the most competitive
candidate.
If you're not the most competitive candidate, you may not get that job.
That's why we bring this series to you.
Why would an interviewer even ask you this question?
Simple.
Two reasons.
Number one, they want to know that you can see yourself working at this organization
for the long-term.
Number two, they want to see exactly how realistic are you about how quickly you're going to
move through your own career path.
They're asking this question to gather those two areas of details.
Now how to not, and I mean not, answer this question.
Do not share with the employer that you see yourself owning your own company in the next
five years.
To tell your employer that you want to own your own company, to that employer it's a
huge red flag.
Why would they invest in you just for you to take all of the things, that investment,
and to start your own business?
It's like pouring money down the drain.
Why would anybody want to do that?
Whatever you do, do not say, "Well, in the next five years, I'm willing to go wherever
the money takes me," and also don't say, "I don't really know.
I have no clue where I'm going to be in the next five years," because you should have
at least thought about the answer to that question.
Pause.
Wait.
Now have you heard about having a conversational interview?
It is an interview where you are more natural and the conversation is more flowing.
Hey, if you haven't heard of it, I have a video for that.
I want to make sure that you check out that video because while you're in there answering
these questions with these interviewers, you need to know how to make sure that you are
having a naturally flowing conversational style interview.
I've got that taken care of for you.
Okay?
Tell the employer that over the course of the next five years that you see yourself
continuing to hone your skills over the next five years so that you can continue to grow
at the organization in the capacity that you're needed, and that you're able to continue to
add value.
Also, be sure to tell them that if this value means that you're ready or that you're perceived
as being ready for leadership opportunities, you'd be excited about that.
This is a great answer especially if you're not in management yet.
Throwing that in there.
That is a great way to answer this question.
Let's get some conversation started in the comment section below.
I want to know have you ever heard a funny answer to this question?
Have you ever given a funny answer to this question?
Leave me a comment below and tell me what's the funniest answer you've ever heard for
this.
Now we are onto my favorite segment, which is the career success bonus tip for UPs or
underrepresented population.
Now this is not meant to be the type of questioning where you'll answer personally, especially
if you are a woman in an organization where women are underrepresented.
Okay?
If you are a woman, do not answer this question personally saying, "Oh, in five years, I definitely
want to be married and have a bunch of babies."
That is fine if that is what you want to do in the future, but this interview is not the
place to be able to open up and be that completely transparent about your personal life because
sometimes it can truly distract the employer.
Even though none of those conversations should ever be an indication of your ability to do
the job, as humans, sometimes the interviewer will take it as such.
Leave that out of the conversation.
Stick to what's professional and stick to the answer that I gave you.
Okay?
Now if you are looking at this video, odds are you are probably trying to interview right
now.
Now these are some great questions and some answers, but I also have a downloadable guide
for you that has 25 of the most common questions and answers.
I want you to go ahead and click that button, that link, in the details section and get
your guide because I want you to have it as you are going through the interviewing process.
I hope that you enjoyed this video.
If you did, you know what you need to do.
Subscribe to the channel, like this video, and leave us a comment.
Thanks for checking out this video.
I will see you in the next video and always remember, in order to be underrepresented
no more, we must continue to learn, engage, apply, repeat now.