"Where do you see yourself in X years?" 2

[HgTX]

How in hell does anyone answer this question in anything but the vaguest terms?

If I like where I'm at, I stay. If I don't, I won't. And if I don't stay, then where I go will depend on the opportunities available, which will be different X years from now.

Some people definitely know they want to be in management or independent consulting within X years. I don't know that. What else is there to say?

Hg

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[IRstuff]

This and other questions of its ilk don't have a correct answer, and the test is really whether you can answer at all, and how well you answer. No one's really recording your answer, so pretty much any answer that answers the mail will do. That said, this is an opportunity for you to differentiate yourself from your competition.

I would probably want to have 3 different responses, depending on the company environment, and the way the interview progresses.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[Lion06]

I've always thought that was a bit of an odd question. The way I answered it (not that it's worth much given it was in interviews for my first job out of college) is to say that I'd like to be taking on more responsibility on projects and very general (as you say, vague) things like that.

 

[zdas04]

No one who asks that question cares about the answer--they ask it to get a reaction. There is no right answer. The wrongest answer is "who the hell knows?". If you answer with something like "after spending 5-10 years as an individual contributor, I hope to have moved into a supervisory role where I can pass my learnings onto the next generation of Engineers while staying in touch with day to day Engineering activities", they will move on to the next question and never remember your answer.

David

 

[dvd]

My response is to see where I've been and what I've done in the previous X years and to extrapolate based on that interval.

 

[KENAT]

I'm guessing answering by saying something like..


"answering the same stupid BS HR inspired questions to HR peons five years younger than you"

Probably isn't the correct response?

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[ctopher]

The rate staring at computers are degrading my eyesight, I won't see myself in X years...
Hopefully I'll still be working in X (ten?) years.

Chris
SolidWorks 09 SP4.1
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[mauricestoker]

If I could see X years into the future, I would tell them I see myself working for the Psychic Hotline. If they are still interested, I'd quote some Zappa.

 

[metengr]

Where do you see yourself in X years?"

with y options.

 

[Ron]

David's right...there is no right answer to that question.

The last time I answered that question, I told the guy that I should be in his job by that time.....I got hired and 3 weeks after being hired I had his job! Unusual, but he actually wanted out of his job at the time (and didn't bother to tell me!). So he was actually interviewing me for a job different than what I was after at the time. He moved up then and within a couple of years became company president. A great guy to work for.

Kenat...I like your answer, but it probably wouldn't get you hired!!

 

[JohnRBaker]

That's like the story about the Medical School applicant who was asked; "Where do expect to be in 20 years?"

He looked down at his watch and then replied; "Since it's Wednesday afternoon, 20 years from now I expect to be on the golf course."

Not sure if they accepted him or not.


Personally, if someone were to ask me a question like that, my reply would be that in 4 years I expect to be retired and spending more time with my grandkids

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[rowingengineer]

I ask this question with young engineers, and am looking for them to tell me that they plan on becoming chartered ect.

Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud. After a while you realize that they like it

 

[dgillette]

When I was finishing my MSCE, I got taken by surprise by this same question. I had nice, friendly interviews (including technical discussions and a visit to a local project - in my 3-piece suit and shiny shoes) with the principals of the firm and another senior guy. Then, we went to lunch with the business manager, who took a somewhat agressive tone. My answer was along the lines of "Well, I...uh...don't really know for sure, but I'm...uh...hoping for some...uh...good interesting projects to work on." The place was noisy, and I don't know if either of the principals even heard any of that, but they hired me, and it was a great job, with good interesting projects. Sometimes wonder why I left.

I would liked to have said "Sitting in a corner office, with you fetching my coffee."

 

[romulus2009]

I asked this question in an interview a couple of days ago. I wanted to know if the guy wanted to move up to Management or whether we could count on him remaining a Technical Specialist after the effort we will go through to train him in our company procedures and turn him into a Technical asset.

The guy's answer was that he doesn't have Management aspirations in the near future, however, he was honest and said he'd leave if someone offered him double the salary. No surprise there...

I'm surprised at the amount of people who consider this question a silly HR question. A lot can be told about an applicant from how they answer this question. Among them, a clear career path they wish to follow. If they dont know the answer to this question, then it shows they are just wondering midlessly and just going for who pays more, rather than doing what they love, and aiming at obtaining their dream job one day.

Dreams jobs generally dont fall out of the sky. You need to have a pretty good idea of what you will do tomorrow, the week after, the month after that, 6 months from now, 3 years from now, 5, 10 and 20 so that you can plan for it.

Romulus

 

[KENAT]

Hang on, to me at least, there's a difference between asking "Where do you see yourself in X years?" and asking "Where would you like to be/what would you like to be doing in X years?".

One requires the skills of Sylvia Brown, the latter just some idea of what you think you'd like to do.

If you really whether he wants to move into management or stay technical why not ask that question? Or are you concerned you may lead the question?

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[Mr168]

A pine box.

 

[metengr]

A pine box.

My preference is in a molten steel ladle or tundish.

 

[jberg]

From the movie "Patch Adams":

"...and if they bury you a$# up, I'll have a place to park my bike"

JWB

 

[BillBirch]

As a graduate, I was on the third round of interviews with an Aussie engineering group, this time in front of three divisional general managers.

One asked that question, and I responded with a smirk, "I guess the standard answer is - your job". He grinned back as if to say "touche" (for such a corny question). I ended up getting the job in his division which turned out to be the most interesting (pressure vessel and heat exchanger design and fabrication).

 

[abusementpark]

"Doing your wife" is always a funny answer to that question.