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How To Answer “Where do You See Yourself in Five Years?”

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In the past, we have talked about answering some common interview questions like “can you walk me through your CV?”, “can you tell me about yourself?”, and now we are back with another FAQ: “where do you see yourself in five years?”

It’s one really tricky question because it’s open ended and forces you to talk in the long term.

Who plans what they are going to do in the next five years, you wonder. I don’t even know what I am going to do in the next five months, you scream out in your head.

And what is the guarantee that you are going to stick to the supposed plan?

Hiring managers/employers/interviewers know this.

There are a couple of reasons why they ask this question:

  • To see what you come up with on the spot.
  • To gauge if you plan to stay in the company long term.
  • To gauge if you are a good investment.
  • To see what your definition of success is.
  • To gauge what growth you are looking for.
  • To gauge if the company can provide something that matches your expectations.

 

Hiring can be a time consuming process, and companies want to make sure that they choose someone who would be worth all the time spent in scanning resumes, creating shortlists of candidates, interviewing etc,. Everybody looks for the perfect candidate, don’t they?

 

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are ever required to answer the question: “where do you see yourself in five years?”

 

  • Don’t be Bluntly Honest:

Honesty is a good policy, but it might not be the best when it comes to this question. You don’t need to worry if you think your long term five year plan won’t really sit well with the interviewer. You don’t need to be that blunt.

Mind you, that doesn’t mean you lie. It merely means you practise some diplomacy.

Refrain from  saying things like  “I don’t see myself here in five years…”, or “I probably will go back to my hometown to look after my family…”

Even if you intend to do something like that, you don’t need to make it known. Because that is not what the question is about.

 

  • Balancing Act:

On the flip-side, you might be tempted to show how ambitious you are, and how seriously competitive you are. Which is a good response, but that needs some generality.

You don’t need to go into specifics here. It is not a good idea to be saying bluntly specific things like “I see myself in your job in the next five years…” or “I intend to become a VP by that time…”

 

But that doesn’t mean you don’t show your enthusiasm.

  • How to Talk About Your Goals without Being too Blunt and Direct:

The company wants to know how enthusiastic you are about working there long term, and what your goals are. Being too blunt and specific is a problem, but funnily enough, being a little, just a little, grand isn’t.

Instead of saying “I intend to replace you and become a VP…”, you can say something like,

“I wish to become an expert in the industry, and reach a position where I can lead and act as a mentor. I also would love to learn a bit more about management in the coming years…”

Such an answer talks about the fact that you want to reach a particular kind of post, you want to acquire a specific skill related to your industry, and you want to reach particular milestones. Without making it sound like an attack.

 

  • What to Do About the Question When You Are Switching Industries:

But what if you are switching industries? How do you handle the question then?

Again, since you don’t need to be too specific here, you can say something like,

” In the next five years, I would like to have expanded my knowledge about the industry and my skill-set. I think it is important to always put in efforts to gain skills, regardless of one’s post…”

Such an answer conveys that you will be spending time in learning and expanding your skill-set, even when you reach beyond your entry level position.

It is just about general and just about specific, isn’t it? And notice how there’s no lying involved. Just re-framing things in a way that conveys a growth-mindset.

 

One just needs to strike a balance between being general and being specific! Between being grand and being articulate.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” is a question that subtly looks at your definition of growth, goals, success, learning and development. 

How to Deal With A Group Interview

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Group interviews can be a shock or a surprise. Have you ever walked in for an interview only to find yourself being interviewed along with a bunch of other candidates, in a group? Have you ever found yourself wondering how you are supposed to stand out in such group interviews?

A group interview can include multiple candidates and multiple panelists. But it is the candidates who generally find themselves unprepared: we generally expect interviews to be one on one, where candidates will be called one by one.

A company might let you know in advance about the group interview, or they might not tell you, probably to see how you react to unexpected situations.

A group interview also saves time. Sometimes, a company would interview multiple candidates in a group, all for different positions.

Group interviews are especially common in retail, hospitality industries where working with a team on a shared task is part of the job and a daily activity.

Even if you aren’t interviewing for positions in the said industries, you can be interviewed in a group to gauge the following soft-skills:

  • Leadership abilities
  • Communication skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Listening skills
  • Team-work

So, what are some things you can keep in mind for the possibility of a group interview?

 

Talk:

Talking to the other candidates before the interview when you wait for your group’s turn is a good idea.

They might be vouching for the same job (although not always), but that doesn’t mean you should see them as your enemies.

Talking to co-interviewees can help establish a certain level of comfort which is necessary to engage in group and team-building exercises, which could be part  of such interviews. And who knows, some of those might be your future co-workers.

The interviewer would see your communication and interpersonal skills in how you interact with your fellow interviewees, how much rapport you have been able to build in a matter of few minutes.

 

Proactive and Purposeful:

Being proactive is one major way to ace a group interview.

Take the initiative! Don’t wait for others to begin.

But that doesn’t mean you say something just for the sake of saying something. What we mean is speak with a purpose, and don’t wait for others to get the ball rolling. Get the discussion going and make sure to involve everyone in the discussion/activity.

 

Be Yourself:

But if you aren’t the kind of person to take the initiative generally, then you need to make sure you don’t put up an act.

Being yourself is important. The group interview persona might get you the job but would you be able to get the job done with your actual persona?

Many times, when someone who isn’t a natural leader tries to take on a leadership role, it can come across as uncalled for aggression.

Getting your voice heard and making your point is important, and this can be done in your own way.

Remember, they aren’t looking for the loudest voice in the room. They are looking for a sensible voice.

 

That brings to this very important point.

 

Listen:

Listen to your co-interviewees. Listen to the interviewer(s).

This is an important activity which many a candidate don’t practice enough in a bid to come across as confident and the leader of the group.

You may have to answer questions based on the responses of others.

Furthermore, listening to others can help you weigh in your own responses and create comprehensive answers. Isn’t it so much better than just going on talking, only to be told that you are repeating the things the others have said?

Listening to what goes on in the discussion can help you frame your thank you email in a more personal and affable manner, by referring to particular, relevant pieces of discussions.

Isn’t it so much better than sending a generic thank you email, which would not really help you stand out?

This brings us to the next point.

 

Thank You Email:

Just like a regular one on one interview, it is a good idea to follow up with a thank you email.

Thank the interviewer for their time, and let them know your interest in the job.

So, apart from the regular one on one interview tips like being presentable, being prepared, being confident, these are some tips which one can use to ace that group interview, and stand out, in a positive way!

 

The Pomodoro Technique: How to Use it To Optimise Productivity

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Are you the kind of person who needs a deadline to finish a task? We have all been there, when we waited for the night before the due date to start working on our homework, when we started studying the night before an exam, when we added a finishing touch to a slide just a few hours before the presentation. Do you like to work under that “pressure“, which is not really pressure per se but a thing that peps you up? The Pomodoro Technique might work for you!

 

What is the Pomodoro technique?

It is a time management technique devised by an Italian man named Francesco Cirillo, in the 1980s.

It works along the following lines:

  • Decide upon the task.
  • Set up a timer for 25 minutes.
  • Work on the task with as much focus as you can for those 25 minutes.
  • When the timer ends, take a break for 2-3 minutes, and also make a note about that chunk of task you did.
  • If the task remains unfinished, reset the timer to 25 minutes, and repeat the process for three more times before taking a longer break of 15-20 minutes.

Basically, you work with full concentration for approximately 25 minutes, take a 2-3 minutes break, and repeat. If the task is likely to go on, take a 15-20 minute break after 4 such rounds.

 

The name of the technique has a somewhat idiosyncratic, but interesting origin story. The word “pomodoro” is Italian for “tomato”. Cirillo worked using a tomato shaped timer, and hence the name. One set of 25 minutes is called one pomodoro.

A timer is thus an important requirement. Of course, you don’t need to work with a tomato shaped timer. Any timer would do. (Although, working with a tomato shaped timer does sound fun…)

 

Benefits:

  • As it is evident, the Pomodoro Technique is the way to go for people who love to work with deadlines, and those who would otherwise procrastinate until the last minute.
  • The constant ticking of the timer can boost you to actually finish the task. Haven’t we all worked almost miraculously fast when we have a flight to catch?
  • The division in chunks, and the 2-3 minute break can help us work mindfully. The small breather is just what one needs to not over-work.
  • Plus, there is the longer 15-20 break which can aid you to refresh your mind in between your “work” time. This can boost creativity, problem solving and strategising.
  • The Pomodoro Technique is great if you want to add a sense of rhythm to your to-do list or an overall bigger task
  • Due to the timer and the chunking, the technique can help one accomplish a seemingly humongous task, the kind of task when we aren’t sure where we should begin from.

 

Not that there aren’t any problems…

  • For people who like to work at their own pace, this method can put unnecessary pressure. It can actually divert the attention from the task to the ticking timer. The pro becomes the con.
  • The method is pretty good for administrative and managerial tasks, and tasks involving paperwork. It might not work too well where there is a need for undivided attention, like research, analyses, mathematical tasks, etc.
  • The 25 minutes should ideally be uninterrupted. But in a much more realistic sense, can we expect that? Phones, emails, faxes are common “interruptions” in an office. Imagine you have just got into the “zone” and as you are beginning to catch your rhythm, you get an important client’s phone call.

The method thus isn’t too ideal for multi-tasking.

 

As many critics of the method  point out, does one really need a timer to pay attention to a task one is trained to do? Of course, the answer could be that it depends from person to person. The debate goes on.

But, the Pomodoro Technique can come in handy when you are looking for the pace to pick up. So, are you ready to compete…with the timer?

Tips for Constructing an ATS-friendly Resume

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Technology has made our lives easier and simpler. But it still isn’t at a stage to perceive complexities which a human eye effortlessly sees. One aspect where this ease minus complexity is evident is the Applicants Tracking System, or abbreviated as ATS. Why should you construct an ATS-friendly resume?

The Applicant Tracking System, as the name suggests, is a computerised automated system that tracks or goes through the details of the numerous resumes a company receives. The system then picks the ones which are deemed to be suitable for further scrutiny by the hiring manager/employers. The ATS has its own technical criteria, and forwards only those resumes which are found to be a match.

Thus between your application and the hiring manager, is the ATS.

  • On the bright side, the ATS can be helpful in tracking really good resumes. But a less pleasant thing is that some really good candidates with not so ATS-friendly resumes unfairly may miss the boat.
  • It saves times and labour, but leaves no space for human judgment.

Fortunately, crafting an ATS-friendly resume isn’t that different from crafting a concise, crisp ‘normal’ human targeted resume.

 

Keywords:

Keywords are important, even in a ‘normal’ resume.

But they gain a special importance when it comes to ATS.

The ATS scans specifically for keywords and certain phrases. Hence it is really important to insert some of these key words and phrases found on the job description. It makes your resume extremely ‘readable’ for the ATS.

But don’t go overboard and stuff your resume with all the keywords possible. The ATS will be able to detect the overuse!

 

Spell-Check:

We really mean it. Spell-check like you are writing something which will never be erased, like it’s going to be carved on stone for generations to see.

Since the ATS looks for keywords and phrases, it is necessary to make sure those keywords and phrases have the perfect spelling.

ATS can look through minor typos like computr-computer.

But it might not be able to look through major typos. A typo like weak-week would be perceptible to a human being- one would know it’s just a spelling mistake when you say “I spent four weaks in…”

The ATS may not be able to place the typo in such a context.

 

Keep it Really, Really Simple:

ATS can’t detect creativity. Hence it is necessary to keep everything as simple and straightforward as possible.

Pre-ATS, it was necessary to use neat and legible formatting. This becomes all the more important with the ATS.

It is a good idea to use standard fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and avoid the  temptation to display some creativity.

ATS demands everything standardised. Hence the layout should also be regular and nothing fancy. The sections should also be named simply, clearly telling what they would contain: skills, education, qualifications, professional experience, etc,.

Don’t use graphics, most ATS softwares are not that image-friendly.

 

Converting the Not So ATS-friendly to ATS-friendly:

A lot of us like to begin with a “Career Objective” section. Unfortunately, that is not very ATS friendly introduction.

As an alternative, it is a good idea to begin with a summary that tells about your qualifications, major achievements, skills, etc. No longer than around five-six sentences or bullet-points.

This is a fantastic way to insert keywords for the ATS. Plus, when the resume goes further to the human assessor, it would give a quick glance of your qualifications right at the beginning.

 

A few other key points…

  • Use the acronym as well as the full form of words, so the ATS would catch the words, no matter whether it is programmed to scan the latter or the former.
  • Use a text document, like Word. Generally, image files are not ATS-friendly. Try to not even use PDF because certain systems will see PDF files as a whole image.
  • Do not put important information on headers and footers.

If you think the ATS-friendly resume would make you come across as too mechanised or robotic in the eyes of human assessor, it is a good idea to find out if the company you are applying at is likely to use ATS or not, and if yes, you can undertake a research about the various ATS softwares used, to tailor things to perfection.

Human or no human, everyone likes a neat, crisp, informative resume, right?

Tips to Keep in Mind for Online Applications

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Sending in job applications has never been easier. Gone are the days when one had to wait for days for the envelope to reach the destination by post. Unforeseen delays could well make you miss the application deadline. Now, it’s a matter of a few clicks. It’s the era of online applications and soft-copies. When to send, whom to send is all under the applicant’s control. But that doesn’t mean it’s not prone to errors. Online applications, much like offline ones, can get ignored.

You send out an online job application. You wait eagerly for a call or an email, but there’s no response. Does this situation sound familiar? Have you been in one, or do you know someone who has told you a similar story?

There are a couple of scenarios you can find yourself in when it comes to online applications. Perhaps you weren’t an exact match and you took a chance. Perhaps they found a better application and the call went there. In both cases, it wasn’t really your fault. It was just your luck.

In a third scenario, it was perhaps a silly mistake you made in the application process.

What are some mistakes you should never make while sending out an online application? Read on to find out.

 

  • Bad Online Habits:

One obvious but major reason why an online application may have been ignored is poor email etiquettes.

The name of the email address from which the application has been sent, to whom has the email been sent, what has been written in the subject line, the greeting, and the way the email itself has been written plays a role here.

The email address should sound professional. It is a bad idea to send out an application from an address like “cooldude123@xyz.com”. Believe it or not, there are people who still use their email id’s created during their teens.

The subject line should clearly indicate the purpose of your email. Is there something specific they have asked to write in the subject line? Check the ad for such specifications.

Who is supposed to be the recipient? Is there a particular person who is going to be addressed here? Do you know the exact spelling and the pronoun? If not, it is a good idea to keep the greeting neutral or general.

 

  • Using SMS Jargon:

One major blunder while drafting online applications is using online web jargon, or the SMS jargon. Avoid using abbreviations, or shortened spellings. For example, “you” should not be written as “u”, “time” should not be written as “tym”. Whether you are using a phone to send in the email or a computer, make sure ‘u do nt spl lyk dis’.

 

  • Not Following the Steps:

Are you sending the application to the exact email mentioned? Are you supposed to attach any other document except the resume, like a cover letter, some kind of a form, or a proof?

Make sure you follow the exact procedure as described in the ad/job posting.

Not following procedures and instructions might suggest you aren’t taking the application process seriously, or that you aren’t really being careful about the smaller details. Moreover, your application might not even get noticed if you end up sending it to the wrong email address.

 

  • Sending Multiple Applications for Different Positions at the Same Company:

Who wouldn’t want to utilise the convenience of email and effortlessly send multiple applications? But remember, sending in your online application to multiple people in the company can land you in not-so-good books of the company management.

It is not wrong to apply for more than one position if you want to take chances. But sending in applications for too many positions at the same company, in one go can make you come across as indecisive and as someone who isn’t taking any field seriously.

Unless it is specified that multiple applications from the same applicant for multiple positions are welcomed, and unless they are relevant to the field, it is a bad idea to send multiple online applications for multiple positions at the same company.

 

  • Not Customising the CV and Cover letter:

Even in an offline application, it is a bad idea to send a generic, copy-pasted resume and cover letter.

But when it comes to online applications and email communication, the fact that one has sent a generic application can become clear if one isn’t careful. Especially if one makes a blunder like CC-ing the application to multiple companies; a full list of every company one has applied to, on full display!

There are the usual basics to be followed here as well: nicely typed out resumes, with readable fonts, no grammatical errors and concise details. Online applications, while a very easy way out, can also get daunting. Email writing isn’t something many people are comfortable with. Amidst the younger generation that specialises in texting, and the older generation habituated to offline applications, the email-centric online application for a job is a tricky process, and one that is prone to silly mistakes.