So, you’ve had your career counselling, finished all the relevant training, and it’s time to get yourself a role in your chosen field. That means preparing for interviews where you get to showcase what you offer to employers, as a new, fresh-faced pro or someone engaging in a career change.
What Are The Most Common Questions Asked In A Job Interview?
Well, you have things like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “Why do you want to work here?”, but what we look at here are answers to another extremely common question - “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”, as there’s certainly a right and a wrong way to reply.
Answering The Question - Where Do You See Yourself In 5 years?
So, as you go through career counselling, you’ll touch upon interview prep to ensure that you perform well at this important stage. It’s actually something of a cliche in the world of interviews - simply because it’s something that gets asked A LOT! It really does pay to be prepared for it.
Here we offer some guidance by going through what and what not to say when asked the question, ensuring it benefits your application, rather than getting you to put in the ‘No’ pile. So, let’s first cover what you should absolutely avoid saying in response.
What & What NOT To Say In A Job Interview
When you’re aiming for recruitment online education shows us that you need to sound enthusiastic throughout your interview, but what you say matters too. Take account of the following, and it will work towards ensuring that you’re remembered for all the right reasons.
Don’t…
Say ‘Um’ And ‘Ahh’ Because You’re Not Prepared - Something else that career counselling teaches us is that failing to prepare can hurt your job chances, so it doesn’t do to be vague and non-committal when answering this question. Have something prepared, at least to show you have direction and ambition.
Mention Something Not Related - Everyone has some kind of ‘pie in the sky’ idea about what they’d like to do in their career, but you need to frame your answer within the confines of the job you’re applying for. Otherwise, the interviewer may feel that you only see them as a stepping stone.
Say “When Im Sitting In Your Seat” - Of course, during the tension of an interview, you might think that breaking it with a light-hearted joke about being in the interviewer’s chair in 5 years would help, but most often, it doesn’t. That’s because to some, you might come across as hard to manage.
Do…
Talk About Realistic Goals & Training - By doing some research into the company you’re applying to, you can find out more about the role and what can realistically be expected when working there. By talking specifics and covering possible training, you’ll present yourself as someone who’s realistic and open to development.
Mention Specialisations Within The Company - As short courses online on career counselling show us, being knowledgeable about what the company does will definitely work in your favour. Perhaps also find a specialism within the company that you might like to pursue in due course, as it will clearly show a deep level of thought.
Frame Things Around Your Enthusiasm - When detailing what you see the next 5 years bringing, it’s a great idea to centre things around how enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity you’d be. A positive attitude and a conversation around training and development will ensure you’re viewed positively.
Boost Your Employability With Short Courses Online
While it might only be one question, interviewers can tell an awful lot about you from your answer, so it’s vital to do your utmost to show your employability. A great way to do so is by developing your soft and hard skills with Short Courses online from OCA.
At OCA, we offer a wide range of CPD-approved courses covering more than 20 different industries - something you can find out more about by visiting us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au. Created in conjunction with industry experts and coming with mentoring support 7 days a week, our training can even be paid for in manageable instalments.
If you’d like to get in contact with us directly, you can either call us on 1300 611 404 or email us at [email protected]. Alternatively, to see just how stimulating our online learning is for yourself, take a look at our student study demo that tells you all about it.
