Background:

When interviewing for a job, there are many cliché questions that a candidate should be prepared for, such as “what’s your greatest weakness” or “tell me about a time when you resolved a disagreement with a coworker.”

The Issue:

Although it’s easy to think of reasonable answers to these questions, the successful job candidate must go above and beyond, answering an interview question in the fashion of a true visionary, not just a regular 9-to-5 employee.

Proposal:

Let’s start with a case study where a manager interviews a candidate for a junior role.

Interviewer: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

• Inexperienced candidate: “I guess doing this job still?”
• Smug candidate: “Why, I’ll have your job, of course!”
• Question-dodging candidate: “I’ll expand my knowledge of The Company’s products, and will find an appropriate role where I can share my expertise.”
• Candidate who takes a longer view: “Five years? I’m really in this job for the long haul. I could easily see myself as Regional Widget Manager in 10 years.“ 
• Candidate who takes an even longer view: “Five years! That’s just a blink of an eye: I’ll work tirelessly to turn Value Products Co. into the top supplier. I’d love to still be working here until I retire.”

Superficially, these answers seem fine and good, but they all lack perspective—the earth is billions of years old, and yet we’re discussing the narrow timeframe of 5-10 years in the future?

Let’s try again.

Interviewer: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

• Philosophical candidate: “I don’t concern myself with such trivial timespans. But let’s consider five billion years from now. Beneath a dying red sun, a parched wasteland stretches as far as the eye can see. A few structures still protrude from the shifting sands of this ruined world, a bleak reminder of our extinct civilization. One of those structures is the Value Corporation Headquarters tower. This is the future that awaits us if you hire me.”

After that, the candidate can draw this long-term vision on the whiteboard (Figure 1), and then shake hands and accept the position.

Conclusion:

Remember to negotiate! Salaries can frequently be negotiated up by 10%+ during the hiring process!

PROS: This is highly useful advice for job-seekers.

CONS: It’s almost unfair to use this advice, since it puts other candidates at an insurmountable disadvantage.

Originally published 2024-05-27.