If you are a working adult, at some point in your life you would need to answer this question, be it during an interview or during a performance review. I absolutely hated this question, and have always thought about giving sarcastic remarks like:
“Wait, let me consult my crystal ball”
or
“Geez, I haven’t even thought about what I want to have for lunch and you’re asking me about 5 years later? Get a grip!”
Those are of course the “wrong” answers and would result in you getting booted out of the company faster than you can say “goodbye”. The “correct” answer would be somewhere along the line of:
“I see myself contributing greatly to the company both as an individual and as a team member. My goal is to be in a managerial position within 5 years.”
I’ve always find this question meaningless, because i couldn’t care less about my future in any of the companies that I worked for. However, now I’m starting to take this question seriously. Thinking about the future forces you to put things into perspective. Can you see yourself still working at a job for more or less the same pay, while your buying power shrinks due to rapid rising cost of living? Would you regret not forcing yourself to try, forever wondering about the possibilities of “what if”?
So I took the first step and handed my resignation early of this month. I’ve been working on something since February and it’s starting to bear fruit. This is not the first time I quit a job, but this is definitely the very first time I quit a job and have a sense of relief and purpose.
The management didn’t stop me even though I was performing relatively well. After all, nobody is irreplaceable in a company. A few days later I got the exit interview survey.
It was pretty standard stuff. I didn’t say much as I’ve already voiced out many issues and suggestions while I was working there and most of them fell on deaf ears.
So here’s to a new start. In 5 years’ time I see myself having enough cash-flow to semi-retire. It’s a very long shot but I’m going to work on it.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
“Wait, let me consult my crystal ball”
or
“Geez, I haven’t even thought about what I want to have for lunch and you’re asking me about 5 years later? Get a grip!”
Those are of course the “wrong” answers and would result in you getting booted out of the company faster than you can say “goodbye”. The “correct” answer would be somewhere along the line of:
“I see myself contributing greatly to the company both as an individual and as a team member. My goal is to be in a managerial position within 5 years.”
I’ve always find this question meaningless, because i couldn’t care less about my future in any of the companies that I worked for. However, now I’m starting to take this question seriously. Thinking about the future forces you to put things into perspective. Can you see yourself still working at a job for more or less the same pay, while your buying power shrinks due to rapid rising cost of living? Would you regret not forcing yourself to try, forever wondering about the possibilities of “what if”?
So I took the first step and handed my resignation early of this month. I’ve been working on something since February and it’s starting to bear fruit. This is not the first time I quit a job, but this is definitely the very first time I quit a job and have a sense of relief and purpose.
The management didn’t stop me even though I was performing relatively well. After all, nobody is irreplaceable in a company. A few days later I got the exit interview survey.
It was pretty standard stuff. I didn’t say much as I’ve already voiced out many issues and suggestions while I was working there and most of them fell on deaf ears.
So here’s to a new start. In 5 years’ time I see myself having enough cash-flow to semi-retire. It’s a very long shot but I’m going to work on it.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
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