Ask HN: How do you answer “where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Maybe don't try to look ambitious, just be honest about what your 5 year plans are? Homeowner, family, dog? Or perhaps travel the world? They may not be looking for "ambition" but work life balance fit, for example, and a family might preclude that. Or if you want to travel, they might have remote options in mind. Coming off as one dimensional might not help their decision making process.

That is a perfectly reasonable and honest answer.

It also is NOT what most of the companies want to hear. Giving that answer will close the door on a lot of job opportunities.

It is up to you to decide if you want to filter out those companies or not.

What does FIRE status mean?

i couldnt answer it honestly in an interview because the truth is, in 5 years i hope im as far away from software development as possible

I always struggle with the question.

I have no firm direction in which I want to go. In fact I don't even see anything exciting in this industry on the horizon.

Some general advice on the topic:

https://www.askamanager.org/2013/04/how-to-answer-where-do-y...

Creating a rival firm with all the IP I've glossed, how about you? "Sitting on the other side of the desk with our roles reversed" is also an entertaining answer.

What's the point of this question? I think it is: do you have an image of yourself or an archetypal vision you are striving to achieve? It is a question that is mainly asking you about commitment, the only controllable factor in business, so any answer that highlights this (such as the OP) are great.

Predicting the future is really hard, and a lot can happen in 5 years. I would reframe the question to a more reasonable time-domain and talk about my personal and/or professional growth goals. If you don’t have any then this is worth spending some time thinking about. In my experience, if you don’t prioritize your time then someone else will, and they’ll likely have different goals than you.

Well, first I always answer with the truth. Whatever that is. And your answer (which seems like the truth for you) is totally acceptable.

By answering with the truth, you ensure that both you and the recruiter (or maybe an executive of a candidate company) are on the same page and you can safely proceed with spending both of your next 5y time together.

Now, whether you are confident enough about your answer or you think that you don't know, that's acceptable too. Knowing means that you found your purpose and you are actively going towards it.

For me, that was the case from a very early age (literally, I was 12 when I wrote my first app and decided that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life) up until my 30th birthday. The answer was this exact phrase: "I want to become a great software engineer that can work for a great company and build great things together. Part of that is the money because I know it's a higly-paid job. The other part is that I'm very passionate about it."

After my 30th birthday though, things changed. It's been two years now and while I succeeded in my 5y goal, now I don't really know where I'm heading to. I don't know where I want to be in 5y. I don't stress it though.

It all comes down to purpose I think. And short-term goals that serve that purpose.

Choose a job title on the "technical ladder" at the far end of realistic, and say that you are aiming for that. "I want to be a Principal Engineer."

Given your preferences and job history, don't say that you want to be a manager, because interviewers will worry that you don't want to do hands-on work. (Of course, other candidates with a clear management path can talk about that.)

Showing respect to the technical ladder will get you bonus points, because executives really want employees to see it as a serious and equivalent alternative to the managerial ladder.

Since they've looked at my CV and see I generally leave companies after 3-4 years I am always surprised when I get this question.

Especially if they combine that with an earlier expression of my moving on from companies a lot.

The dishonest way to answer is to figure out what they have a shortage of and pretend you fit into that slot.

I read Range by David Epstein a few months ago. He makes the case that you shouldn't try to have a "5 year plan." You should just be prepared to adapt to whatever opportunities/challenges come your way, or allow yourself to pursue things you discover you like.

My traditional answer has been one that looks backwards before forwards. I'd entered college assuming I'd be a doctor, then focused my vision on being a researcher enough to see what I knew I didn't want to be (That has a bit of a jingle to it, quite enjoyable). Eventually I found a new wind (Still in college, thankfully), focusing on computer science, which led me to my first role that was a combination of biochemistry and computer science. Always trying to find a vision, but never being able to project a flashlight that far into the future. Or maybe never willing, graduate school most certainly would have set me on a track for 5 years (And likely many more).

In crux, my answer is that I couldn't have answered that question in a meaningful way 5 years ago, so I've learned to express that I don't expect myself to have an answer based on my experience.

I have, however, learned some characteristics of where I hope to be -- the problems must be interesting and the people thoughtful. New ideas excite me, so I'd expect there would be some component of that as well. I'm only 26, so I suppose I'm living in a brackish estuary of naiveness and perspective. I wrote an essay when trying to get into one of those fancy "Top ranked" colleges at 18 -- the prompt asked, in short, "What is between living and dreaming?" -- I said "pursuit", and I would still say so.

Taking this company to global domination and making you rich enough not to have to ask this question ever again.

"In five years I would like to drop my kids off at school, play 18, then pick them up."

I always answer this kind of dumb question just as you suggest. Nobody asks orthodontists where they want to be in ten years. It's stupid to have growth expectations for senior programmers. Companies should know that they are hiring veteran engineers for what the company will learn, not for what the candidate will learn.

>"where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Don't say "doing your wife", don't say "doing your wife"

"Doing your... son?"

Sorry for the cheap laugh. I really needed it right now. Maybe some other people do as well.

I say: I don’t have that kind of powers and move on

I always used to say "On that side of the desk" and point to the interviewer.

In the mirror.

"In the middle of a six month sabbatical after years of hard work at <your company> paid off in a big way."

works for: - startups (i seek to play a big role in making you guys a smash hit) - enterprises (i made everything so much better to the point that it's safe for me to take an extended vacation) - yourself! (i have accomplished something big and meaningful and hopefully profitable and i feel that i will have earned a break in 5 years)

In this company, but in a position that pays 3x more the position I'm applying to right now. Does this position exist?

"Hum, not right now. We are a flat organization and we want to stay like this for the coming years."

Got it. Thank you.

Right now?

"Not being a COVID-19 statistic!"

Also trying to figure out if getting out of the US is a good idea.