I recently got a great comment on my post: Where Do You See Yourself Five Years from Now? Lori wrote to tell us her answer to that very common and oh so annoying interview question. Actually, she told us how she used to answer the in five years (or five years in the future) question and how she just answered it in a new way that got raves!
How Lori used to answer that common job interview question:
I have always gone with, “Moving towards promotion within the company.” And it has been an ok answer but never an attention grabber with any interviewer I’ve sat in front of.
Lori’s new answer to the stale old five years question:
This time, I changed my answer at the last minute. Someone told me that right now more than ever interviewers are looking for skilled “people” and not Scripted Interview Robots.
So I focused on what I felt was best for my family and said, ” I have 2 children. One in Junior High and one in Elementary. It is crucial that I remain intact geographically to allow my teenager the best stability and growth possible. Therefore, I aspire to be in THIS position. There is ample room for growth within this area and so my answer is, in 5 years, I expect to be right here, continuing to exceed expectations and growing daily.”
They LOVED that answer!
I love it too, Lori. What a great honest – and yet good for the employer – response. For me the best response to this question is one that feels real – and definitely NOT scripted!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I wish you the best of luck!
Why scripted interview answers don’t help you
And now back to Lori’s terrific point. What people so often don’t get is that interviewers want to see the real person – and not, as Lori points out “scripted interview robots”.
I get so mad at websites that tell people to deliver these pre-packaged scripted answers that can only hurt the candidates. Even with a few small tweaks, they often come off flat at best and insincere at worst. Your answer has to fit the circumstances and the flow of the interview. And they have to reflect the real you. So please don’t memorize these scripted robot interview answers, and please don’t use them. They will only work against you.
What about those unscripted interview nerves?
Oh…I’m sure some of you are thinking “But I get so nervous. A scripted answer has to be better than looking nervous.”
No. It’s not. At least nervous is real. (Of course, there are some things you can do to help ease your nerves a bit.) But these bad answers often come off wooden or worse yet phony – even though the interview “expert” authors make them sound as if they are THE answer. The same answer for everybody? Oh pullease! And yet I’ve interviewed folks who sound like they are doing exactly this – repeating something they found that they think we’ll never realize came from a web page.
Seriously…you will not help yourself by regurgitating scripted interview answers you find on the internet. These will NOT get you the job – unless the other candidates are even worse.
If you need help, by all means check out a variety of websites and blogs and use the interview answers you find to help formulate a general answer in your mind. But when you get to the interview, use your own words and your own sense of truth when you answer interview questions. The more real you are, the better chance you have.
Even if you get your inspiration elsewhere, make the answer your own!
Remember…employers are less interested in the exact answer than in how you present yourself. The bottom line for them is whether you’re the person for the job and whether or not you seem like someone they’d actually like to work with.
Scripted robots need not apply!
Ideas for Handling Job Interview Questions and Answers
What’s Your Greatest Strength?
What’s Your Greatest Weakness?
Where Do You See Yourself Five Years from Now?
Handling Some Tough Interview Questions
Explaining Why You Left the Last Job So Soon
How Do I Interview After Being Fired?
How Do I Explain Dropping Out of Law School?
Job Interview Tips
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
Job Interviews: Practical Tips to Help You Ace That Job Interview
The Single Most Important Thing in Any Job Interview
Nice one R.A.! One thing everyone needs to remember is this: If they call you in for an interview, they already know you have the qualifications for the job. The employer’s purpose for the interview is to see how well you will “fit” with the company. If they want authenticity in their employees, it pays to “be yourself” in the interview.
Thanks Rick! Good advice – as always!
Thanks for stopping by. Just paid you a little visit too.
Happy holidays!
~ Ronnie Ann
Lori’s answer was not scripted — but it should have been.
The 1st answer was OK but bland. All she did here was add some depth, explaining why she was looking forward to promotion in the company.
Lori’s example provides a good argument against a response that is bland because it is so general — but it does not provide a good argument against scripting.
And I’m sure she would have scripted it if she would have thought of it before.
Nice to see you Recruiting Animal. Thanks for the comment. You make a good point. It’s just that in my experience, sometimes when you answer it’s more about how you present yourself than the actual words. My guess is she relaxed and was real.
My main point in this article is simply to remind people not to mouth words they copied from some website – even mine – or memorized like lines in a play. Not only does the answer add nothing, but so often it makes the person come off as stiff. And maybe trying to sneak by with an easy but bogus answer. These things show. Just my take.
Please, dear, don’t denigrate yourself. That’s not the @animal way. Just your take means you think it’s right. And that’s fine with me. Only I don’t agree.
When you are talking about a script you mean something copied from someone else that doesn’t express ideas that are appropriate for you.
If, however, you write a personal script that contains a really good answer to a standard question and really memorize it you won’t be looking at the ceiling reciting it like some lame-brain.
It will become the foundation of a lively conversation. Because all of the basic thinking has been done beforehand you don’t have to mentally work that up on the spot.
Instead, are free to process and respond to new information.
When I start working on a search I write a script describing the job. If I really know that basic info I’m free
to focus my attention on whatever questions people ask me that pertains to info that is not in the script.
Uh oh…I feel words coming out of me again.
Just so you know, Recruiting Animal, I add comments to expand on my take for readers and also to spur some healthy discussion once in awhile. I certainly agree it’s good to have some general responses worked out ahead of time. In fact, I recommend that and like your idea of writing out your personal scripts as the foundation to pull your answers from. Even better to try them out in practice sessions.
But memorized…mais non! And believe me…people come in with memorized (scripted) answers – even if they created them. For so many, it just kills their chances for that lively conversation you suggest because their brains get locked into a memorized box. They shut off their listening too, and miss the moment to riff on something said prior to that, losing all spontaneity. I’ve seen it. And I can’t count the number of folks we hired with ok answers who just felt real, even if they rambled a bit. So I guess that was what I was getting at. (Hope this explains it better for readers.)
But I know that my take just isn’t true for everyone. The one thing I know for sure is that there is no one piece of advice that fits all. There can’t be. Each hirer has their own buttons and triggers and filters and POVs. So RA (we have the same initials) if your advice feels right to a reader, great. Clearly it’s not my advice, but that’s what makes this blogosphere so damn engaging and frustrating for folks looking for THE answer. Just remember RA’s advice about lively conversation, please.
For those who don’t know me…I am careful on this blog to say I don’t know all the answers and do NOT consider myself an expert. So Recruiting Animal, this is not BS…your take is not only welcome, it adds a point of view I can’t possibly add myself, and I like that.
I just have my strong opinion on this one based on my experiences. I have heard the comments after I’ve helped in rounds of interviews and offer advice on my blog based on that. (Some of the comments can be so cruel as I’m sure you know. And stiff is a big one…as is canned answers.) But does that mean I know for sure how to nail every interview? Nope. Just offering what I think works best for the average person. And gosh darn it…so are you.
I happen to like your take; and it isn’t scripted – it’s great preparation. Especially for those who also know how to then break free and just be themselves. Points well taken since my short post did NOT cover the topic to this level.
Peace out and in. ~ Ronnie Ann
You’re associating memorization with recitation.
Memorization gives you words to say but it also allows you to improvise on them because the material is so well known.
It doesn’t have to foster the canned response no one likes.
Got it. Sad to say, too often the two go hand in hand – sometimes with the person just barely making it look fresh! Of course, I still prefer practicing general concepts and riffing from there, but whatever works for a job seeker.
I was trained in acting and improv many moons ago. This discussion makes me think every job seeker should get themselves to a class fast!