How to Answer "Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years"

Here's how to answer the interview question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" with examples.

By Lauren McGoodwin
December 15, 2023

So, where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?

Have you seen the meme about how anyone who answered this question in 2015 definitely got it wrong? Well, that's fair.

Welcome back to "How to Answer Anything"—our series on answering the toughest and most common interview questions that you're pretty much guaranteed to come across in your job search.

This common job interview question comes up—a lot. This question, or a variation of it, is one you should definitely expect in your interview.

And even though we know the question is common, for a candidate just looking to progress to the very next step of their career, it can be a frustrating question. After all, how are you supposed to know where you'll be in five years when you can't see clearly into next week? We know you don't have a crystal ball!

Why Interviewers Ask 'Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"
How to Answer "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"
Follow This Formula for Answering "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"
Things You Should Never Say When Asked: "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"

While it can be hard to think that far into the future, it's a good idea to keep your eye on the ways in which you'd like to grow. Knowing that can help you prepare a good answer for this question without having to know exactly what you want for the future.

5 Quick Tips for Answering "Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?"

1. Align your professional goals with the specific job description for which you're interviewing. This worksheet can help you decipher a job description.
2. Focus on the future skills you want to master and goals you want to achieve.
3. Explain your ideal future and how this job fits into that, but remain flexible on the timeframe.
4. Show your aspirations for growing within the company long-term...
5. ... Don't make it seem like you're trying to steal the interviewer's job!

Every candidate has a different career trajectory—and you should remember that when applying to certain organizations. Whatever your career goals may be, we have guidelines you can follow to help you communicate your enthusiasm for the role and the company.

Why Interviewers Ask This Question

Hiring managers and recruiters are asking this question to job seekers in order to gauge how you'd fit into the organization. They also might use the question to further gauge how experienced you are—and if you fit the role and the responsibilities that come along with it.

Additionally, having an idea of your long-term goals can help them determine if the position aligns with what you ultimately want for your career. They may want to see if your career aspirations align with the path that the current position would put you on.

Employers also like this question because they want to feel confident that you won't leave in a few months or are just using this role as a stepping stone to a promotion, pay raise, etc. This is why too much job-hopping on a resume can be a red flag according to career coach, Wanda McKenny.

Companies are looking for stability and one of the best ways to do that is to make sure they're hiring new employees who can see themselves at the company for the long term. A company being nervous about employee tenure makes sense given that The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that people stay in their jobs for around four years.

And it's expensive to hire! Every time they need to hire and train for a role, it takes time and money for them. If a company can find a candidate who is genuinely interested in the role, then they are more likely to take a chance on you because it's worth the investment on their end as well.

Don't worry—you don't have to actually commit the next five years of your life to them—you just need them to see you as a person worth investing in.

How to Answer "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"

When answering this question, you can really envision your own goals for your career—and take it a step further by placing yourself within this role (and maybe in future roles, as well!). You may not know exactly where you want to be in five years, but you likely have an idea of what you want for your career.

1. Consider This Question for Yourself First

Rather than trying to answer this question with the specific position you think you'll be in, consider the ways in which you hope to develop your career and the goals you hope to achieve in the future.

Career Contessa Mentor Tiffany Dyba says to answer these questions for yourself first:

What do I enjoy about my current role?
What are my current skills?
Based on my current skills and job preferences, where do I want to end up? What career path do I want to build?
What new skills do I need to get there?
How do I envision building on those skills?

By answering these questions for yourself first, you'll be in a better place to understand how you can align your goals and overall ambition with the role you're interviewing for. Here's how to do that.

2. Do Your Research

This can be a tricky question, but your interview preparation can be supported by doing a little reconnaissance. Before going into the interview setting, research those in roles like yours at the organization.

Does the organization seem to hold on to the same employees for years and years—or is the turnover fairly quick?
Does the company appear to promote from within? If so, are you interested in climbing the ladder within the organization?

You can find rough answers to these questions by looking through current employees' profiles on LinkedIn. From here, you can construct your answer by utilizing your knowledge about the company, its work, and its employees.

Another place to do your research is in the job description. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: the job description is like a "cheat sheet" of what the hiring managers are wanting to hear. It's a document that outlines exactly what they're looking for, so honing in on the descriptors they use is a good idea.

What skills will this job be using that you want to advance?
What responsibilities would you have that fit into your broader professional goals?
And while you're looking at current employees' LinkedIn profiles, what projects and accomplishments are they sharing?

Example: I am really interested in working on projects as you did with [OTHER ORGANIZATION]. I'd love to use this role to enhance my project management skills and work with clients in [INDUSTRY].

3. Brainstorm Your Goals

When preparing for this interview question, you'll want to ensure you have a clear idea of what you actually want for your future. While it's hard to say exactly where any of us will be in five years, having a rough idea in mind is helpful (for your own goal-setting purposes, as well).

We believe in the power of setting both short-term and long-term goals. They can be motivating, and that motivation may help you determine your overall "purpose." Take some time to consider your own goals so that you can thoughtfully and honestly answer this question.

Bonus: Need some help figuring out your goals? We've outlined a five-step process that will help you narrow down what it is that you want for yourself—and your career.

We recommend jotting down your short-term goals and your longer-term goals so that you can compare those to what you noticed in the job description. Where do your goals and the skills, qualifications, and descriptors in the job description align? Seeing those side-by-side will help you to determine what to focus on when you're answering this question in the interview.

Example: One of my long-term goals is to continue to develop my marketing skills so that I become stronger at [PARTICULAR SKILL]. I know [ORGANIZATION] relies on effective digital marketing, and I'm excited to learn and gain more experience in the field.

4. Reflect on Your Past Accomplishments

While you're brainstorming about your future, it's also helpful to reflect on the past. Think about the following:

What have you learned in your previous positions?
What's an achievement you've had recently?
What goals have you achieved that you take pride in?
In what ways have you grown or expanded your professional development in the last few years of your career?
Have you strengthened a specific skill?
Have you worked in a leadership role, and did you learn valuable lessons from it?

Then, consider how this new role would align with what you've previously accomplished. Knowing where you've been and where you want to go, would the new position help you take clear steps toward the future career you desire? If so, consider explaining that in your answer.

Example: In my previous role, I gained valuable leadership experience through a stretch assignment that put me in charge of [PROJECT DETAILS]. I enjoyed the challenge and learned [DETAILS]. In this new role, I'd like to use what I learned to continue to grow as a leader.

5. Explain Your Ideal Future (But Keep Things Somewhat Broad)

Hiring managers and employers across the board like candidates with a growth mindset. It shows them that you're intrinsically motivated, driven, flexible, and that you learn from mistakes. With that in mind, it's always a good idea to consider how you'd like to grow in the near future.

Don't feel the need to be too specific like mentioning job titles, but ask yourself a few questions to prepare for this answer such as:

What does your ideal growth look like?
Do you see yourself learning and growing within the position for which you are interviewing?
Does the organization have a culture of growth from within?

Take what you learn and answer with that in mind. This question can bring up a little bit of a Goldilocks conundrum. You don't want to sound too ambitious, but you want to sound ambitious enough to show that you're serious about your career.

If you're worried about sharing exact plans, focus instead on the skills you'd like to grow within the role—as well as the types of projects you'd be keen to work on.

Example: My goal over the next five years is to enhance and grow my leadership skills. Since [ORGANIZATION] has a long track record of promoting from within, I'd love to learn from my managers and hopefully grow into leadership in the future.

6. (Optional) Frame yourself Within the Company

When envisioning your next five or ten years, maybe you do ideally see yourself thriving in this organization. If so, say so! Tell the interviewer about how you foresee your ideal job, working within your team, and how you could advance within the organization long-term.

It's okay to be aspirational in your interview. It's flattering to the employer and gives them a better understanding of how you'd make a good fit and how your five-year plan fits into the direction the company is going as well.

Example: I'd love to work alongside [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] in order to learn [SKILLS] in this industry. I'd love to be a part of initiatives like [PAST WORK] where I can lend my expertise in [SKILL].

The Formula for Answering "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"

Start with a few of your goals
Explain how you will accomplish these goals
Share your future ambitions and aspirations

Example: I really love real estate and learning about new trends related to residential real estate marketing, so in the next five years I see myself having established a strong knowledge base on what’s new and emerging in online real estate marketing.

By working as a digital marketer at the largest residential real estate company, I will have gained experience in analyzing the results of a range of marketing strategies and tactics, as well as become proactive in professional networking groups with realtors, mortgage brokers, etc.

I will have also used my skills and knowledge to help launch new marketing campaigns for properties and gained experience launching campaigns for a variety of price ranges. Not only will I build a strong marketing foundation, but I will be able to leverage digital trends appropriately so the homes sell faster and reach the target audience quickly.

From there, I’m hoping to decide if I’d like to niche down on a specific type of marketing or property type, but regardless, I’m hoping to eventually move into a marketing leadership position where I can be involved in branding as well as marketing.

Sample Answers

Of course, we all have different visions for our future plans. We have different personalities, different priorities, and different values.

With that said, determining what yours are can help make this question a lot easier to answer. While your own answer will be specific to your goals, we've written a few example answers here to inspire your own.

When Your Goal Is Leadership

"My ultimate goal in the next five years is to successfully manage a team and take my management skills to the next level. Your company is widely known for extensive leadership training certificates, and I really value your organization for making training and coaching a priority. I've always believed leadership is the secret to successful teams, and I want to grow in this role and be the type of leader who can motivate and inspire a team."

When Your Goal Is a Skill

"I've made a very thoughtful career transition from finance to marketing over the last few years, and my goal for the next five years is to carve out a niche in digital marketing with quantitative results and accomplishments. I want to work somewhere I can learn a lot, but also make a big impact, which is why I think I'm a great fit for this job."

When Your Goal Is Company/Industry-Specific

"I think the entertainment industry is going to continue to go through various changes and adapt to new consumer demands. That's why my five-year plan is to work at a company that is trailblazing these efforts and embracing the shake-up we're experiencing. In addition to my skills and qualifications, I think my creativity can bring a lot of value to the long-term strategies of this company."

Things You Should Never Say When Asked: "Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?"

"I'm Not Sure"

No matter how true this answer might be, we caution you against telling your interviewer this. It shows that you haven't given any thought to your future, including your goals. This can be an interview red flag for recruiters because it shows you're unsure of what you want, and they don't want to be a testing place for that.

"I Would Love to Have Your Job."

We're adding this to the list because it's a divisive answer. Some interviewers would love the confidence, but other interviewers might feel threatened or annoyed with this statement. Plus, until you've actually worked at the company, you don't really know what the supervisor's job is like.

"In a More Senior Role"

When the interviewee is already asking about promotions or moving ahead in the role, it can also be off-putting to the interviewer. They don't want to hire you and then six months later, you are asking for a promotion or bored with your current gig. Try to stay focused on the job you're interviewing for—with a goal to grow within the role and responsibilities.

"I Just Need to Pay My Bills"

Again, this might be an honest answer, but companies hire people to come in and solve their problems—not so they can give you a paycheck. Instead, use this as an opportunity to explain why you’re a good fit for the role and company. Perhaps the role offers you hands-on experience on a topic that really interests you.

"I Want to Run My Own Company"

A common mistake we see in all of these answers is using the company as a stepping stone to something bigger for you. Or not sticking around long enough to make their investment in you worth their time. Even if you want this job so you can learn the ins and outs of the business so you can then launch your own, it's better to leave that out of your interview answer.

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Lauren McGoodwin

Lauren founded Career Contessa in 2013 after experiencing a gap in career development resources for women who might be job searching, soul searching, leading and managing, or trying to find new ways to advance within their careers. With women accounting for more than 50% of the workforce and the workforce being less defined than ever before, it seemed crazy (and outdated) that a resource for us didn't exist.

Fast-forward to today, Career Contessa is now the largest online career site built inclusively for women. Lauren is also author of Power Moves: How Women Can Pivot, Reboot, and Build a Career of Purpose (2020), co-host of The Career Contessa podcast, and an educator/speaker on a variety of career topics.

Formerly, Lauren was a University Recruiter for Hulu focused on hiring, employer branding, and program management. Lauren has a Bachelors in Education from the University of Oregon and a Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California where she wrote her thesis on millennials and career resources.

When not Contessa-ing, you can find Lauren spending time with her family in Redondo Beach, CA where she lives with her husband and daughter.