How do you answer when an interviewer asks the question, “What is your career vision?”

If you’re interviewing at a large company then they’ll want to know that you have ambition and intend to move up within the ranks.

This question is asked to ascertain your ambition and determine if it will fit into the company. You should tailor your answer depending on the company you are interviewing with.

If you’re interviewing at a large company then they’ll want to know that you have ambition and intend to move up within the ranks. If it’s a smaller company with less room for growth, then they will want to make sure you won’t be unhappy and look for something else within a couple years.

For interviewing at a larger company, where you know there is promotion potential, you want to show you aspire to learn and grow within the company. As an example, I worked for a big corporation and was interviewing for a promotion to a management position. The regional manager was interviewing me.

She asked me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

I answered, “In your job.”

Her eyebrows shot up and she had a distinct impresses look on her face. She said, “Good!”

Managers within large companies are taught to look for employees that can take over for them some day. In this rat race, everyone is looking to move up. Showing that you have ambition and drive to continue to be promoted makes you a valuable asset.

Conversely, a small company will be looking for someone that isn’t super ambitious because their concern is that you won’t be happy there and will be looking for a new job within 2 years.

After I had enough of soul sucking corporate greed, I took a position with a local non-profit that provides food and shelter to the vulnerable population. Working for a non-profit is not where someone with ambitions for a mansion and luxury cars should go. They have limited funds and a small staff.

When I interviewed with them they asked about my future ambition as well and this time the conversation went more like:

“What are your goals over the next few years for your career?”

“To learn as much as I can about the work you do here and help in any way possible wherever I’m needed.”

This statement conveys that I am excited to learn and grow within my position, be cross trained in other positions, but does not show an expectation of promotion. I knew that most likely there would be limited opportunities to move up but I was fine with that.

When you interview, it is very important to research the company beforehand. You want to know:

  • How many people do they employ?
  • What is their footprint? Where do they operate and who do they serve?
  • What is their mission statement?
  • How long has the company been around?
  • What, exactly, do they do? Is it a service they provide or a product that they produce?

You want to come up with questions for them based on what you learn about the company. This will also help you tailor your interview answers to that specific company.