Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years? — The Job Interview Question That Misses the Point

Yet another annoying job interview question. Honestly, it is none of your business. I am here for the job that is available now. Can we please focus on that?

And even if you meant to say, “Where do you see yourself in this company in five years?” — well, for a start, I would need to actually get the job. Then I would need to see if this company is even worth staying with for that long. Why is the burden on me to create a five-year dream plan when I do not even know if your workplace culture is toxic?

Why do interviewers assume that job seekers should be filled with ambition about the next five years when they themselves often have no plan for the person they are hiring? That is the real question. What is your plan for me? Do you have a clear career progression pathway? Training support? Internal promotions?

That is what I want to know.

This question makes no sense in most cases. It sounds like someone read it off a script from a management seminar in the 90s and thought it still makes sense. It does not.

If you want to know whether I am serious about the job — ask something meaningful. And maybe, just maybe, tell me what you have in mind for me over the next five years. Because it works both ways.

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