47 What Are Your Career Aspirations?
Most interviewers ask candidates common questions about their career aspirations. They want to know how committed you will be to your job and how long you plan to stay with the company. They also want to see if the position you are applying for is the right fit for your ideal career. Understanding your career aspirations and being able to connect them to every position you apply for can improve your chances of getting a job.
Possible answer for “What are your career aspirations?”:
“My goal for many years was to become a manager. I achieved this last year. Now that I am looking forward to my career, I want to build and manage large teams and continue to develop as a leader. I have found that I enjoy mentoring and leading a team even more than I enjoyed working as an individual employee at the beginning of my career. So when I saw your job description mentioned the possibility of hiring and leading a team of five people, I knew I had to apply.”
Tips for answering the question “What are your career aspirations?”:
- Prepare a few goals and aspirations that you can talk about.
- Focus on your career. When answering this question, avoid mentioning goals that are not related to your career.
- Ensure your goals align with the job you’re about to be interviewed for.
- Show commitment by letting the interviewer know that you plan to be committed to your career for a significant period of time.
- Whatever your aspirations, you should describe some growth to show the interviewer your ambitions and potential.
What mistakes should not be made when answering the question “What are your career aspirations?”:
- Saying that you have no goals or you have not thought about it.
- Saying something that suggests that you will be bored, upset, or want to leave this job quickly.
