Long and Short Term Career Goals

Be employer-centered. The employer is looking for someone to come in and solve problems. Since planning is a key factor in this job, think of examples where your planning has affected the results.

Think about what you really want. Most successful business people will tell you that a key success factor is the ability to set and achieve goals.

If you are the type of person who prefers an organized way of life, you may find this question a piece of cake to answer. But if you're among the majority of people who let life happen as it comes along, you will probably not have a smooth answer without some forethought.

I plan to return to school to earn my MBA and have my own consulting business one day. While it pays to be honest, this answer could turn the interview in the wrong direction very quickly. The employer is looking for someone to stick around for the long run, not to stop over on the way to a new career.

Even if you are tempted so say so, but it is best not to blurt out, "I do not plan that far along, my goals are short-term only" or "I don't have any".

★ Your short and long term goals should be related.

★ Showing that you might commit to the company long term is a plus.

★ Don't suck up.

My short term goal is to learn everything I can about marketing. I want to find a position where I can contribute what I've learned through education and to gain real life experience. I believe the next couple of years will be very important to me and my immediate goal is to learn and become skilled in all aspects of marketing.

good answer implies, but does not assume that you will stick with the company you are interviewing with, since an interviewer is unlikely to believe that you believe you will be with the company forever. However, the fact that you are willing shows that are you might commit, and the company likes to see people whose short and long term goals have them potentially staying with the company.

My short term goals are to simply break into the field. As a college graduate, I need to start building a strong presence in the industry, working for a company I respect and doing a job that I enjoy. My long term goals are to earn new responsibilities within the company, ultimately reaching higher positions as they open and helping the company succeed in the long term.

Your short and long term goals need to be related. For example, you can't claim your short term goal is to work in technology, but your long term goal is to open your own restaurant. Also, your goals should relate to the job. It's a good idea to focus on intangible qualities of work for example, I would like to work somewhere that makes me happy, instead of more tangible goals, I would like to be CEO of your company.

It's hard to know exactly what someone's goals actually tell the interviewer. Goals are always changing. Most employers ask in order to see if you are going to commit to the company and judge whether or not you have ambition.

I have learned that long-term goals are best achieved when I break them into shorter goals. My short-term goal is to find a position that will put me in a forward-moving company with solid performance and future projections. As part of a team, I want to add value and continue to grow the company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. My plan is to move into a position of responsibility where I can lead a team.

As a program manager, it's important to understand all areas of the project. Although I have the technical abilities to be successful in my job, I want to learn different software applications that might help in work efficiency.

You can go a bit ambiguous and even out of the material world. For example, you can say that your long term career aspirations are to create a path that other people in the profession and line of work may follow. You may even speak about what are your career ambitions, like obtaining the highest post in a company in a while, etc.

Short term career objectives are quite simple, like getting a higher post in a few years or months, or learning a new skill so that you can become more productive for the company or even earning a certain amount per month by a particular time. These are the answers that you can provide when you are asked what your short term career aspirations are. In some cases, you can also speak about any dream company that you would like to work with as your short term career aspirations.

When you are asked about what are your long term career goals, consider it as a chance to speak about how you are stable in your professional and personal life, and how you would like to grow with the company that you are working for.

Therefore, you should preset clear purpose, determination and commitment to own career goals by demonstrating how you plan ahead.

I see myself developing my skills through your training and development programs. I hope the company policies support internal training and reimbursement of work related courses offered by university extensions etc.

Employers always want to hire people who take a serious thought on their career growth and professional development as it would benefit them as well - People with clear vision are most likely to become the company's talents or the next leaders.

My long-term goals are toward making a positive impact in the company though my expertise and ethics. I also look forward to develop myself in leadership areas through experience and training offered by the company.