A wise employer will want see how motivated you are to work for them. Recruiting can be an expensive business and is always very time consuming. If your motivations and goals are too great for the company, then you won't be there very long. They won't want to go through the effort and expense of having to replace you only a short while after you've been with them.
- What are your career goals?
Link in your goals with the company that is interviewing you.
- What are your future plans?
The interviewer wants to know if you are ambitious, plan ahead and set goals for yourself. The interviewer may also want to know what kind of expectations you have of the company. Usually the interviewer does not expect you to know exactly where you hope to go in the future. They are rather seeking from you an awareness of where the position for which you are interviewing might lead. For example: "I know that it is possible to move from this sales position to a sales management position. I look forward to having the responsibility for training and supervising a sales team. My goals after that will become clearer as I gain more experience and skills."
Don't jeopardise this opportunity to get that job by mentioning to the interviewer any other plans that you may have that could put them off from offering you this position. This isn't necessarily an underhand way of operating because your own plans may change. Keep your options open by seeming to limit your future plans to revolve around the role under discussion.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
The interviewer is trying to find out if your long-term goals are compatible with their workplace. If you are planning to move to another city, retire soon, quit work to raise children or to attend university, they will want to know it. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, does their company offer these opportunities? Or, if you are looking for a job to settle into for years, is that possible with them? The interviewer also wants to know if you will be happy in the position, or if you want to work in it only as long as it takes to find something “better.” Prospective employers also like to hear anything to do with their industry.
- Why do you want this job?
Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects that have attracted you to apply for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job in question.
- If you could start your career again, what would you do differently?
"Nothing. I am a fortunate enough to say that today, so I don't want to change my past."
- What career options do you have at the moment?
"I have three areas of interest..." Relate those to the position and industry.
- How would you describe the essence of success? According to your definition of success, how successful have you been so far?
Think carefully about your answer and relate it to your career accomplishments.
- What would your ideal job be?
Remember where you are. Describe the job in terms of the criteria they have used to describe their job. An ideal job might include things like exciting and challenging work, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new technologies, apply all your skills, etc.
- Why did you choose a career in this industry?
Be positive about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical statement as to why you did so.
- Why are you changing careers?
This question will only be asked if you are making a radical change in your career. Always stress the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative aspects of your previous career - you do not want to come across as someone who is moving just because you hate your old career. Say why you think you will be good in the new career - this should come from your experience and achievements and stress the transferable skills you have, such as leadership ability, etc.
Further related questions for you to consider are:
- What are your long range goals and objectives? How are you preparing to achieve them?
- What are your goals and aspirations for the next three years, five years and 10 years?
- What are your standards of success/goals for a job? Are you goal oriented?
- Why do you think you would be good at this profession (sales, retailing, marketing, etc.)?
- Why are you interested in this industry/ profession/ occupation?
- What are your career interests?
- What work would you like to do that really interests you?
- In what environment do you want to work?
- What geographical location interests you most when working?
- Do you prefer theoretical or practical problems?
- Why do you want to work for XYZ company?
- Please tell me five things about yourself that would make you an asset to any organisation that hired you.