What Are Your Career Goals?

What are your short-term career goals?
What are your long-term career goals?

This is common question that every recruiter will ask you at a job interview. You should match your answer to employer’s job qualifications. You can ref sample of interview answers, job interview tips …as follows:

1. Answer structure

Levels of career goals:

• You are not sure about your goals, then answer: I’m rather busy with my duties and goals of the Company; as a result, I haven’t focused much on my long-term personal goals.
• You have goals not or very little relating to the current job: For example, you are applying for a sales manager, but your career goal is to become the head of marketing department in the next 5 years.
• Current job oriented career goals: For example, you are working as a sales manager, you goal is to become the area sales manager in the next 2 years and in the next 5 years, you will be the regional sales manager.

2. Answer tips

• You can state some of your goals as following: Study for an MBA certificate or other degrees…Become specialist in the sector…Get to the title of XYZ something. Note that long-term goals must be set for the next 3-5 years.
• When you have identified your goals, you need to answer the following questions: Are those goals suitable to the job you are currently applying for? Are those goals helpful to your current job? Are those goals helpful to the development of your current job in the next 3-5 years?
• You should identify methods and plan to answer: How to achieve those goals?
• Your plans should include a position like the one you are applying for.
• Goals that are completely irrelevant to the company will only make the interviewer question your intentions.

3. Answer samples

Answer sample 1

My career goal is to take up new challenges each time to revive myself and add value to the company. I would achieve this with keen observation, practice, innovation and dedication. Thus, I can make my company rely on me in crucial circumstances and decision making.

Answer sample 2

I think it is very important to stay within a position for at least 3 years by educating yourself completely with the company and your job because your knowledge and know-how represents your company based on this. I would like to commit to this company long term by working from base level and if the opportunity presents itself in the future to excel in a different position, than I am highly motivated to try to advance myself within the company.