How to Respond to “What Are Your Career Goals?”
When applying for a job, employers may ask you about your career goals. This can be a difficult question to answer, as you may not know exactly what you want or what your future holds. To help you prepare for this question, there are several techniques you can use to develop a thoughtful response.
Tips to Respond Effectively:
- Reflect on Your Values: By reflecting on your values, you can get a better idea of the kind of work you are looking to accomplish. Consider what’s important to you and what motivates you at work. Once you figure out what matters to you, you can align that with the mission of the company.
- Research Opportunities: Take some time to research career opportunities within the company. See if there are current or future positions that fit your skills and align with your values. Doing your research in advance can help you articulate a goal that can be fulfilled with the company.
- Focus on Growth: You want to show that you are a motivated and driven individual who is looking for continuous growth. Discuss your career goals in terms of what you would like to learn and how you can utilize the position to further develop both your professional and personal skillsets.
- Highlight Your Strengths: Be sure to emphasize the skills and strengths you have that could benefit the company. Show that you have thought about how your skills and strengths could be valuable to the company, and how that could help you achieve your career goals.
What NOT to Do When Answering the Question
- Avoid Generic Answers: You want to avoid generic answers such as “I want to be successful.” Instead, focus on specific goals related to the job and how you plan to contribute to the organization.
- Don’t Give Long Winded Answers: It can be tempting to give long and drawn out answers when you don’t know what you want. But, this will make the interviewer lose interest. Keep your response concise, yet detailed.
- Don’t Make Unrealistic Goals: Even if you have ambitious goals, you don’t want to make goals that are unrealistic. So, make sure you have achievable and attainable goals that don’t strain the boundaries of what the job provides.
By making sure to include details about the values, skills, and strengths you have to offer, along with achievable goals related to the job, you can provide an effective response to the question of “what are your career goals?” Being able to demonstrate that you are dedicated to having a successful career, while being aware and prepared to take on all the necessary responsibilities, can ensure you make a lasting impression on your future employer.
