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Same goes for "where do you see yourself in [some amount of time]?" Is anyone ever truly honest in responding to that question, or is the intent to have the int

Same goes for "where do you see yourself in [some amount of time]?" Is anyone ever truly honest in responding to that question, or is the intent to have the interviewee lie and pledge their long-term loyalty to a company that they don't even work for yet?

sidlls 10y ago
It depends on the company and individuals, like everything else. I've had both positive and negative results with honesty. I was honest with my current company. I told them 5 years from now I'd be considering moving back closer to family with sufficient experience and promotions on my resume to demonstrate my ability to acquire work that pays better than what engineers typically make in that region. I also told them it's unlikely I'd be at the company longer than 2-3 years without some very interesting work. I had a similar level of honesty with an employer I was interviewing with several years ago and they turned me down (without indicating the reason, but clearly the honesty for that question either worked against me or had little or no impact on the decision).
- iamatworknow 10y ago
  Good point. Answering honestly will have one of two possible results: they'll appreciate your candidness and won't hold it against you, or they'll disregard your application because your honest answer was "not what they're looking for". In the latter case that's probably a good thing since you probably wouldn't want to work for a company that will judge you negatively for voicing an honest opinion (or prediction). Sounds like a toxic environment brewing from the get-go. Still a bad question, in my opinion.
WhoBeI 10y ago
"In the mirror?"
- ErikVandeWater 10y ago
  Well, I would hire you. Don't know about others.
ErikVandeWater 10y ago
Does anyone in this thread use this question? If so, why do you use it?
tjalfi 10y ago
"On a beach in Mexico with a bottle of tequila, a girl named Juanita, and $5 million in embezzled funds." I saw the quip above on http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.162121.20 http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.162121.... and have been saving it for a special occasion.

sidlls 10y ago

It depends on the company and individuals, like everything else. I've had both positive and negative results with honesty. I was honest with my current company. I told them 5 years from now I'd be considering moving back closer to family with sufficient experience and promotions on my resume to demonstrate my ability to acquire work that pays better than what engineers typically make in that region. I also told them it's unlikely I'd be at the company longer than 2-3 years without some very interesting work. I had a similar level of honesty with an employer I was interviewing with several years ago and they turned me down (without indicating the reason, but clearly the honesty for that question either worked against me or had little or no impact on the decision).

iamatworknow 10y ago
Good point. Answering honestly will have one of two possible results: they'll appreciate your candidness and won't hold it against you, or they'll disregard your application because your honest answer was "not what they're looking for". In the latter case that's probably a good thing since you probably wouldn't want to work for a company that will judge you negatively for voicing an honest opinion (or prediction). Sounds like a toxic environment brewing from the get-go. Still a bad question, in my opinion.

WhoBeI 10y ago

"In the mirror?"

ErikVandeWater 10y ago
Well, I would hire you. Don't know about others.

ErikVandeWater 10y ago

Does anyone in this thread use this question? If so, why do you use it?

tjalfi 10y ago

"On a beach in Mexico with a bottle of tequila, a girl named Juanita, and $5 million in embezzled funds." I saw the quip above on http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.162121.20 http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.162121.... and have been saving it for a special occasion.