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> How do you see yourself in five years? Man, this question. I was asked this question in an interview for a startup. I gave the regular answer that was expec
by karaterobot 4y ago
> How do you see yourself in five years?
Man, this question.
I was asked this question in an interview for a startup. I gave the regular answer that was expected of me. The interview went well, and at the end when the interviewer (who was the co-founder) asked if I had any questions, I turned this around on him: "where do you see [company x] in five years?"
He laughed and talked about finding product-market fit and getting a certain amount of funding, and having so many employees, and that kind of thing. In other words, the things you're expected to say in that position. I was impressed, and took the position when it was eventually offered to me.
18 months later, the company was on fire, most of the staff were laid off, the product I had been working on was shelved, and the company pivoted to a completely different product. I put in my notice just before that co-founder left the company completely, and eventually took a salaried position in a different industry, and moved across the country.
So, we both just said the right things, but had absolutely no fucking idea where we'd be in even two years. If either of us had any idea, we wouldn't have told the other person anyway. Questions like this have no answer, but a trivially correct response, and so are meaningless wastes of time.
- andirk 4y agoIt's a fine question to chew the fat with, and there _are_ wrong answers, needn't I go in to those. Probably the best answer: even better off, more happy, more fulfilled, and not worrying about where I will be in the next 5 years.
- BrandoElFollito 4y agoWhich would be some of the wrong answers?
- cesaref 4y agoHow about 'Living the life of riley on a hawaiian island having embezzled funds from the company'?
- BrandoElFollito 4y agoI think there is a middle ground (= I was looking for serious answers)
- marcosdumay 4y agoAnything that says you don't wat to grow inside the conpany, however they define "growing".
- sakibomb 4y agoI interview people for support roles, when I ask this question it’s to see what their future goals are career wise. If they say they want to be in marketing or something else, I simply ask how they see this job helping them get there. That’s where they can come in with the wrong answer. If this role can’t help you get to your actual goals, chances are you’ll be looking to leave sooner than later and you most likely wont be as invested.
- the_only_law 4y ago> I simply ask how they see this job helping them get there. So just curious, in my last job the real answer would have been “it’s paying enough to let me fund things on the side to help me move towards my goals”. Is this a wrong answer? I imagine most places wouldn’t care for such a blunt, cynical answer, but it’s the truth.
- itronitron 4y ago> How do you see yourself in five years? Standing in front of a mirror.
- Sakos 4y agoBut what if you're turned into a vampire before then?
- LAC-Tech 4y agoI always respond with "half-way through my 10 year plan".
- chrisandchris 4y agoI would try to answer (to my future supervisor) something like "I'll have your job, because I want to grow and get better". But that might the interview. Of all the dumb questions, I think this one is the dumbest because there are only wrong answers.
- zulban 4y agoThe question isn't a way to know the future. It's to gauge whether they have thought about the future. Easy to pass, but red flag for a fail.
- timeon 4y agoGenuine question: why does it matter?
- skibidibipiti 4y agoIf you plan to stay, you’re a better investment
- Nihilartikel 4y ago> How do you see yourself in five years? [Sighs heavily and pulls a tarot deck from laptop case]
- codegeek 4y agoI disagree. I ask this question to get an idea of what you think about your own career and how goal oriented you are. There is no right answer to this question. I don't care if you think the answer is "management" or "team leader" or whatever. I try to read between the lines. If it feels like you had to come up with an answer, then I already know you don't care too much. That is not necessarily a negative but people who do have an idea or at least care about where they want to be, they have the potential to do bigger things. As a hiring manager, I absolutely care about that even though I understand it takes a lot more than just wishful thinking.
- Someone 4y ago>> How do you see yourself in five years? > Questions like this have no answer Is “Retired” ever a good answer to that, even if it’s true?
- SergeAx 4y agoThe idea of this question is not about getting spot on prognosis, but about the general sanity and maturity of the candidate. It is not a technical, it is a behavioral question.