The interviewer questions you, “What are your goals?” Your future objectives should be aligned with the career trajectory you want to achieve.
TRAP: Not having any…or having only vague generalized goals is not an appropriate answer. To leave a positive impression, think of highly specific goals.
ACCEPTABLE ANSWER: Many executives in a position to hire you are strong believers in goal-setting (it’s one of the reasons they’ve achieved so much). They like to hire candidates with a similar mindset.
If you’re vague about your career and personal goals, it could be a big turnoff to many people you will encounter in your job search.
Must Read: What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge-Interview Question
Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life: career, personal development and learning, family, physical (health), community service, and (if your interviewer is clearly a religious person) you could briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals. This shows you are a well-rounded individual with your values in the right order.
If talking about spiritual goals, ensure you don’t raise debatable or sensitive topics/issues.
Read More: 5 Effective Steps for Setting ‘Why’ Goals
Be prepared to describe each goal in terms of specific milestones you wish to accomplish along the way, the time you’re allotting for accomplishment, why the goal is important to you, and the specific steps you’re taking to bring it about. But do this concisely as you never want to talk more than two minutes straight before letting your interviewer back into the conversation.
Do you have any tips on answering what are your goals interview questions? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
