This is one of the most joked about HR questions – obviously you don’t know where you’ll be. The interviewer also would not have known 5 years back that this is where he would be. But, the reason why companies ask this is to see whether your long term goals match with theirs. Your answer should reflect where you would be if you joined that company and stayed there for 5 years. This is the practical and simple way of answering this question. Do not say things like “I want to start a business and feature on Shark Tank”
Example 1: If you are giving an Infosys interview for the an FP&A role, say this “I see myself in a senior finance role at a reputable company like Infosys where I would have independent responsibility over a P/L and Balance Sheet. I would be a key stakeholder and lead the Finance function in enhancing the profitability of whichever project or projects I am a part of. I would also be leading a team where I would have the responsibility of grooming and mentoring my colleagues in achieving their goals. I also want to enhance my knowledge and skills – I know Infosys provides excellent opportunities for availing courses. I would utilise these to become better at my role both in terms of technical ability and knowledge, as well as in terms of soft skills like managing people better.”
Example 2: If you are interviewing for an Audit role at SR Batliboi (EY India), say this “I see myself as the Manager or Senior Manager at a Big 4 Audit Firm, preferably an EY affiliate. I want to see myself be responsible for managing audits of large listed Indian companies like ITC Limited [change the company name based on which Big 4 firm you are interviewing at. ITC is audited by EY, so you can mention that in an EY interview]. I want to gain expertise in auditing and Financial Reporting, and build networks which will allow me to eventually bring in clients. This will help me achieve my dream of becoming a Partner. It has always been my dream, since I started CA, to become a Partner at a Firm like EY so I will be working towards that”
