3 Ways To Impress A Job Interviewer When You Are Asked About Your Career Goals

I know you’ve probably had a performance appraisal or a meeting with your manager about “Where do you want to be in three years, or five years, or 6 months” whatever the case may be. Tough question right?

Show your goals and own it!

Chances are you probably didn’t go home on any given day during the week and plop down at the table and start writing: What I want to do with my career in the next five years. Nobody really does that. Okay, well actually the top 5% of people do and I think you might like to know but those are some of the most successful and top earning people. There is a connection.

So let me help you with that. Let me help you, not only impress the job interviewer with three ways you can communicate your career goals but to actually help you get stuff done for your own successes in the future.

Number 1: Longevity In The Company

There is the current generational trend, I forget some of the terms they use but I believe we are on Y and the Millennials, where it’s I guess acceptable to some them and to some employers that they bounce around every six, nine, ten months or a year and they just have this awfully long resume of a whole bunch of different places they’ve worked at.

That’s not where I came from. I guess I am technically Gen X, I’m the late seventies but I guess I got lumped into that somehow and I’m more of the “Hey you know, stick to doing what you’re doing and prove that you appreciate all of the work and value that was put in to your growing up in that company” and if you really do get to the point where you want to seek more it’s probably going to be about the two or three year time frame. And that’s perfectly fine.

By that time you’ve already made back all of the money that has been put into you for training, and all kinds of stuff, and gained enough experience where you have a leg up for your next position. Perfectly reasonable and good to communicate that you’re here for at least the medium to long haul.

Number 2: Learning, Training, And Growth

I’ve said it before myself and I will say it everyone else: If you prove and show that you are absolutely hungry to keep on growing; to read, to train, to get more stuff done and to continue growing there’s nothing more than a manager or an H.R. person would love to see in an employee or potential employee.

There are far too many people that are perfectly content to go home, drink a beer, and watch TV for the next for four and a half hours. And that’s a true statistic according to geniuses that do statistics on this kind of thing and I think it’s pretty sad.

There’s a whole lot of stuff people could do and while I won’t say TV’s is completely worthless; taking smaller chunks and doing more for career development or extra projects or hobbies or even just fun stuff with the family is so much more valuable to every part of your life.

Communicate that to your interviewer, by your thirst to learn and train and grow, and you got one step closer into the door.

Number 3: Advancement And Leadership Opportunities

If you’re constantly saying, or communicating in your resume, that you’re perfectly fine with the position you’re in, you are okay turning down every project that comes your way, and you have complete comfort with where you’ve been, chances are you’re not going to look like a very dedicated or motivated employee.

Let’s face it: Companies have a ton of choices nowadays and they’re looking for the person that’s going to give them the most bang for their buck. It’s a business, after all. This isn’t a friendly transaction. This is a “What is my return on investment for this person that I’m interviewing?” Brass tacks. That’s what it is.

Prove that you have a desire to move up or take on more responsibility given a two, three, maybe five year time frame and do the little steps that lead you to that position whether or not you think you are going to be there, at least make motions towards it.

It may end up being exactly what you’re looking for and if it’s not at least you’ve gained that experience that you can apply to the next place. Either way it looks great to the person you’re talking to in the interview.

Career Goals Really Do Matter

I hope these three ways to impress the interviewer for the position you’re going for will help you in your next interview. If you can prove that you have career goals that are revolving around your longevity with the company and growth inside, as well as your desire to learn, train and grow, and the fact that “you know what advancement and leadership opportunities are legitimate paths for me.”

That this is something they’ll really appreciate. See how this will work in your life and in your next interview, and I think you will appreciate the results.