Starting a new job is often exciting because of the possibility of, in addition to covering your financial needs, showing your abilities, meeting people, developing yourself on a personal and professional level, and pursuing goals and successes that help you feel fulfilled.
However, before all that, you have to get that job, and to do that there is an important step that stands in the way: job interviews.
These may sometimes seem like an innocent process that only seeks to get to know the candidate through innocent questions in which there are no right or wrong answers, but the reality is that Each question and test and everything that happens during it is calculated and will be analyzed, and usually includes difficult questions and even with trick.
Knowing how to answer them correctly, among other aspects, will make the difference between getting the job or being left out.
One of the most common questions in job interviews is “what are your career goals?” or “what are your goals?”.
To answer it appropriately, so that it brings you one step closer to the goal of getting the job, you have to: take into account a number of factors:
- ReflectionFirst of all, the candidate must be aware that it is quite possible that they will be asked this question during the interview and, therefore, be prepared to answer it. To do this, before attending, each person must reflect and review with themselves what their objectives, goals and ambitions are.
- Think about your I professional, not personalThe company interviewing you is hiring a person, so they will also be interested in your personal aspect. However, in this question, the most important thing is your professional goals and ambitions, not your long-term goals in life. You should not mention any kind of personal goal that is not strictly related to the job itself.collects The Information.
- Your answer, always in relation to the company that interviews youContinuing with this point, when you prepare your answer keep in mind the specific company that is going to interview you and adapt it to each process, instead of preparing an overly generic answer that works for anyone. “Your answer should focus on your career goals in relation to the company you are applying to.”formulate as key advice Employmentjob search platform.
- Describe clear goals“A goal that is not clear or has no clear paths to achieve it conveys the feeling of being disoriented in your personal life but, fundamentally, in your professional life. On the contrary, having a clear goal and including the job in question as a step to achieve it will convey security and confidence,” he argues. Universia.
- Out with fantasies. It’s not necessarily about giving the most original answer, or even falling into unrealistic fantasies. On the contrary, what the interviewer is looking for is to check if your long-term plans can fit in with theirs: “You should say objectives that are achievable, realistic and in line with the company”, Page Personnel.
- From short to long termOne piece of advice that experts add is to start with short-term professional goals and then move on to more distant goals in the future. “It is clearer to set short-term goals and align them with the company, starting with the desire to work there.to then establish long-term objectives that could be developed within the same company,” they say from Employment.
- Explain how you plan to achieve these goals.. Clearly stating your objectives and linking them to the company interviewing you is key; knowing how to explain how you are going to achieve them is even better. To do this, concisely describe the steps you plan to take to achieve that goal, or the ones you have already taken to move forward on that path. This way, the goals will not sound so far away, unrealistic or fictitious.
- Practice the answerIf you rely on improvisation, there’s a good chance you’ll end up losing. Prepare your answer at home, writing it out in full or jotting down key points, and practice it out loud to hear how you sound and what you need to improve, as well as to gain confidence for when the time comes.
- What you should not sayIt is not recommended to mention personal objectives that have nothing to do with the company or the position, to associate professional goals with salary issues (say what achievements you are pursuing, not whether you want to earn a lot of money or earn more) or to fall into overly far-fetched, unclear or excessively detailed answers that can cause confusion.
A Example of an appropriate response to the question “what are your career goals?” in a job interview It could be something like this: “In the short term, I hope to be able to develop my skills… in a company like yours, which stands out for… In the longer term, I see myself (performing an activity related to the company/progressively taking on more responsibilities, such as…)”.
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Tags: Advice, Job, Job Interviews, Company, New Job