Employers are not just hiring to fill an immediate opening, they are building their team for the longevity of their organization. They do not want to invest the time and money of identifying, interviewing, hiring, and training a new employee only to have them jump ship after 2 years. That’s why “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” has become a standard interview question.
Achieving career success requires you to differentiate between short- and long-term goals. Picture your career like the Eiffel Tower. Your ultimate career goal is the pinnacle, but it is undergirded by platforms—each with their own incredible vista—along the way. Your values and skills are the trusses that give structure and stability to your achievements.
Effectively answering “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” requires you to understand and articulate your career goals and guiding values in the context of the position for which you are interviewing. Your response should note where you are going and explain it through the skills and values that direct your work. Ensure all the structural elements of your own Eiffel Tower are present: goals, values, skills. For example, “I am passionate about student outcomes and have a penchant for devising and implementing methodology to improve trajectories. That is what’s led me to pursue leadership in higher education.”
If you need help identifying your career goals and the steps to reach them, leadership coaching is a pivotal tool to empower your achievements. Contact us today to discuss how this can unlock your goals.
