MHAW: “Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?”

“Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years” is such a stressful question. I understand this question would help recruiter identify if job seeker is a good match for the company, however, it could be the question that scares you off.

I often receive the same question out of blue. Not only from recruiters, but also from my family, friends, colleagues or even strangers. They might think this could be a good icebreaking question. I am not sure about others, but for me, whenever I face with the similar questions, I feel so nervous. My unconscious mind quickly becomes defensive, or, self-doubt will sneak in in a second. “OMG do I look bad if I don’t know how I would become in the near future?”, “Are they judging me because I don’t see myself anywhere in the next 5 years?”, I am devastated.

Anxious friends, hear me out, you are not alone. In my 20s, I even didn’t know what I would like to get for lunch or dinner at the same day – 5 years planning ahead seemed so unrealistic for me. I’m 30s now and it’s totally fine not to know the answer for that kind of question. Instead of planning for the next 5 – 10 years, I only pick up one keyword of the year and live up to it. And I only have few purpose-driven goals in my life. One of my current goals is living, working, developing relationships in the most meaningful way. That means when it comes to the decision I have to make, I’ll choose the one could give my life a beautiful meaning to live.

Hope this small tip could help you make peace with yourself and your mind. You can totally use those responses to steer curious questions away if you find them uncomfortable for you.

Have a great week ahead as always!