7 Career Goals Interview Questions with Answers

Learning about a candidate’s career goals is an effective way to see if they are a match for the role and the organisation.

These interview questions on career goals will help you select the best candidates that will benefit your company long-term, and increase the likelihood of them accepting a job offer by showing them that the company is interested in their career growth.

1. What skills would you like to learn and master on the job? What this shows: The compatibility of the candidate’s career goals with the career path of the role and organisation.

The candidate’s answer reveals if you can offer them the career growth they are looking for, or if you can provide growth opportunities for them along the road for the benefit of the professional and the company.

2. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? What this shows: Whether the candidate has a clear idea of their career goals and how they can contribute to your company.

Although it’s not unusual for fresh graduates to be unsure of their career paths, candidates with experience are expected to have some concept of the direction they are headed to advance their careers. Candidates with aspiration show that they have the motivation to go beyond their current capacity and deliver at your organisation, while a lack of aspiration may be an indicator of stagnation in a candidate’s work performance.

3. Do you plan on pursuing further education? What this shows: Promotion opportunities for the candidate.

Showing candidates that there are higher opportunities to match their goals once achieved means a higher likelihood for the candidate to accept a job offer. Knowing the candidate’s plans will show you whether they have the potential to take on higher roles in the organisation.

4. What made you decide to apply for a new job? What this shows: The candidate’s motives in staying or leaving.

Knowing your candidate’s motives helps you assess whether they are a match for the incentives and benefits your company can provide and if they are likely to stay with you in the long term. Candidates with a history of moving jobs will need a position that challenges them and may not be likely to stay. Those that are leaving due to salary stagnation will likely expect salary growth at your company to stay.

5. Do you prefer gaining a broader, or specialised skill set? What this shows: Where the candidate can advance.

Apart from climbing the career ladder of their current position, a candidate may also be interested in becoming either a generalist or a specialist in their industry. Knowing what direction they would like their career to be headed helps hirers gain perspective on the positions and departments that are best suited to the candidate should they advance in the company.

6. What made you decide to take studies/roles in different fields? What this shows: The skills of candidates with mixed education and work histories.

Learning about a candidate’s unusual academic and career journey could reveal their adaptability to change, willingness to take risks, and ability to learn new things quickly. With their unique history, these candidates may bring something new to the table and provide fresh perspectives that may help with the role.

7. How do you think this job aligns with your professional goals? What this shows: Whether what your company has to offer matches what the jobseeker is looking for.

Understanding the candidate’s expectations allows companies to tailor the position and assignments in a way that will mutually benefit both the employee and the organisation. For a high-quality candidate, knowing what keeps them in a job and what motivates them to perform at their best will be crucial to maintain talent in the company. On the other hand, this question may also expose problematic work attitudes that will weed out the wrong candidates for the position.

These questions will help you create a foundation with your chosen candidate that satisfies their interests and that of the company. They eliminate candidates whose goals do not match that of the organisation and expose red flags early on.