How to answer "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

A careers guide from Brandeis University says the interviewer wants to know you have goals. They want to see the job fits your long-term plans, and that you're committed.

Northern Ireland's government advice makes a similar point about a related question. The employer wants to know whether you would stay for any length of time.

1. Skills: what you want to get good at in the next few years.
2. Fit: how this job helps you build them.
3. Stay: that you'd like to grow here, if the job is right.

CareerOneStop's practice questions ask the same thing over three years. They advise showing you're keen to learn and progress, without treating the job as just a stepping stone.

They also suggest you don't name a specific job title. Brandeis adds: keep it fairly general, especially if you don't know the usual career path there.

A goal is easier to believe with a first step behind it. That could be a course you've started, a skill you're practising, or a task you asked to try.

Use the STAR method, as England's National Careers Service sets it out. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result:

• Situation: where you were and what was going on, in a line or two.
• Task: what you had to do, or the problem to solve.
• Action: what you did, step by step. This is most of the answer, so say "I", not "we".
• Result: what changed, with a number if you can, and what you learned.

Aim for about 90 seconds out loud. Keep it short and to the point, and be ready for follow-up questions about it.

• "In your job." It can sound like a threat, even as a joke.
• Naming a job in a different field, or a plan to start your own business soon.
• Naming a title two levels up. Talk about skills and the kind of work instead.
• Making up a plan to please them. Be honest, and focus on what this job will teach you.

Look for words about training, progression or growth in the ad. If the employer trains people for bigger roles, say that's part of why you applied.

Some graduate programs move people through teams. If yours does, say which kinds of work you're keen to try.

Here is a made-up answer from a new childcare worker. The STAR rows show the first steps she has already taken towards her goal.

Mia's goal is real and linked to this employer. She shows steps already taken, and avoids naming a title.

Written by Seal the Offer from these pages, last checked on 1 November 2026. Rules change, so check the employer's own page and the job ad before you apply.

• Answering “Where do you see yourself in five years?” · Brandeis International Business School careers service
• Common interview questions · nidirect, Northern Ireland Government
• Practice interview questions · CareerOneStop, US Department of Labor
• The STAR method · National Careers Service (England)