Think about your ambitions before your interview, so that you're prepared to answer questions about your career aspirations.

Every job interview is unique, so it's almost impossible to predict all of the various questions you are likely to encounter from different interviewers. Fortunately, however, there are some questions that are so common that you can generally assume they may be asked during your interview. For example, many interviewers will ask some variation of the question, “What are your career aspirations?” If that's something you haven't thought about in any great detail, you might struggle to find a coherent answer.

In this post, we'll explore the idea of career aspirations and explain why employers ask this seemingly simple question. We'll also look at some tips that can help you to define your own ambitions and provide several career aspirations examples that you can use to create your own answer.

What are career aspirations?

So, what are career aspirations, anyway? To fully understand them, it helps to consider the differences between career goals and aspirations. Career goals are well-defined and measurable objectives that you plan to achieve in a targeted period of time. Your own career goals may include things like learning a specific skill or completing a course of study. When describing your career aspirations, however, you need to focus on your long-term dreams.

Your aspirations represent a vision of where you want your career to go in the future and help to define your desired career path. Meanwhile, career goals include all of the short-term objectives you need to meet to successfully make that vision a reality. Every goal you reach can bring you one step closer to achieving your aspirations.

What do employers want to know when they ask this question?

You might be wondering why employers would ask this question. After all, why should your broader career ambitions matter to any company? There are many reasons why hiring managers might ask you about your career aspirations:

To assess your mindset

When employers interview you, they typically want to know more than whether you have the right qualifications for the position. After all, rival job seekers will likely meet those requirements too, so what separates you from them and makes you the best candidate for the job? For many employers, things like mindset can often be the deciding factor when it comes to choosing from equally qualified job seekers.

When you can demonstrate that you have clear career aspirations and a plan to make those dreams come true, that tells employers a great deal about your mindset. It shows them that you're both ambitious and passionate about your career choice. Well-defined aspirations and clear goals can help to confirm that you have the type of mindset that will add real value to the company and its bottom line.

As a way to determine whether your vision aligns with the company's

Employers also want to build teams made up of employees who share the company's vision. Asking about your future career aspirations can be a great way for hiring managers to see whether your goals and dreams align with the firm's. By hiring employees with similar objectives and dreams, companies can create teams that have greater cohesion and effectiveness.

For example, if you apply for a job with an advertising company and express aspirations of eventually being in a leadership role in that industry, chances are that those ambitions will be seen as a positive attribute. On the other hand, if your aspiration is to build your career as a Software Developer, that same advertising manager can reasonably assume that you're on a dramatically different path to what the company needs.

To gain insight into how long you plan to stay in the job

No company wants to invest time and money in a new hire who plans to leave after just a few months. While they might not expect every employee to remain in their jobs for decades, employers would still prefer to hire people who plan to stay for a reasonable amount of time. By asking this question, those employers can get a better sense of whether you plan to grow your career at their firm or move on to a new opportunity after a few short months.

Defining your own career aspirations

Of course, you'll need to identify your career aspirations before you'll be comfortable talking about them in a job interview. If you haven't yet taken the time to define your ambitions in that way, there's no time like the present. Here are some tips that can help you to manage that process and figure out exactly where you want your career to go in the future.

1.      Identify your passion

Your aspirations should always reflect your passion. What types of activities motivate and excite you? Are there certain tasks and activities that you enjoy so much that they seem almost effortless? What types of activities do you try to avoid? Do you have certain values that you need to see reinforced in your work? What's your driving mission in life? Are there specific tasks that seem to boost your energy, or duties that leave you feeling drained?

Asking yourself these and similar questions can be a great way to figure out your own passion in life. That can be a crucial first step in determining what your career aspirations should be, since it provides the basic foundation you'll need to ensure that you're choosing a career path that suits your personality, vision, and values.

2.      Consider your values

Speaking of values, make sure that you take stock of yours as you complete this self-analysis. What do you want from your career? How much does a high salary mean to you? Is it more important than a sustainable life-work balance? Are you interested in directly impacting people's lives? Do you just want to continue to learn new things and expand your horizons? Does prestige matter to you?

3.      Consider your preferred style of work

Another critical step in this process involves self-awareness about the way you like to work. Different careers offer vastly different work experiences, so it's helpful to understand your preferences before you commit to any one path. For example, do you prefer to work on an individual basis, or as part of a team? Are there certain types of people you prefer to be around? Are you comfortable doing the same thing every day, or would you prefer a career that provided new challenges on a regular basis?

 4.      Identify a job role that aligns with those preferences

Once you've identified your passion, aligned it with your values, and considered how you want to work, it's time to think about the types of jobs that can meet those needs. That's where your job search efforts come into play, as you research companies and open positions that align with your career aspirations. As you consider your options, think about things like work environment, job duties, and the overall company culture – and use that insight to help you to identify job opportunities that fit your aspirations.

Career aspirations: examples

If you're still struggling to define your career aspirations, it may be helpful to consider some examples of long-term ambitions. Use these ideas as brainstorming prompts to help you:

  • Manage other people

  • Obtain an executive position 

  • Start your own company

  • Gain a reputation as an expert in your industry

  • Receive recognition for contributions in your field

  • Break new ground in your industry

  • Help others to develop their skills

  • Find the perfect balance between work and life

Tips: how to answer questions about your professional aspirations

As you create your own answer to this question about aspirations, follow this simple step-by-step process to craft your message. This can help to simplify your efforts to create a compelling answer that will make a great impression on any employer.

  • Take time to research the company and learn about its mission, values, and vision. You can conduct this research using the firm's website, press releases, and social media accounts, or by talking to its employees.

  • Determine how to communicate your own vision and values in a way that shows how they fit the company culture. This not only helps the interviewer to see that you'd be a good fit for the job, but also shows that you've taken time to really think about the role.

  • Use words that show you're already planning to pursue your aspirations with this company. Emphasize how your collaboration with the company is part of your career journey and aspirations.

  • Include some of the goals you're planning to pursue to reach your aspirations. Whenever possible, try to ensure that your plan to achieve those objectives includes the company.

Make sure that you have an answer prepared before you step into that interview room. This is a complex and serious subject, so don't ever walk in without a plan and assume that you can come up with a great answer on the spot. Chances are that you'll fall short if you fail to properly prepare.

Sample answers to the question, “what are your career aspirations?”

Finally, we would be remiss if we failed to provide at least a few sample answers to this important question. Like our other examples above, you should use these as templates to help you craft your own personalized career aspirations statement.

For aspiring managers

“My ambition is to grow as a leader and work with you to learn more about the company, eventually taking on a role in management. My goal is to demonstrate my capabilities in ways that provide real value to the firm over time and develop the skills you need to see to entrust me with additional responsibility. Ultimately, my aspirations are to make a real difference in this company and in the lives of our customers.”

For aspiring executives

“My aspirations include taking on a leadership role at an executive level in this organization, eventually helping the company to take its rightful place as the number one firm in this industry. To achieve that, I intend to work tirelessly with the entire team to develop the talents and skills needed to help us to make this company's vision a reality. At the end of my career, I want to be able to look back and take pride in the fact that we helped this company to reach its full potential.”

For career changers

“My career aspirations are the reason why I made the choice to pursue this job in this industry. With this company, I'm confident that my skills and talents can be employed in a way that provides the maximum benefit to my team and our clients. Together, I know that I can develop and grow even more as a person and employee, developing new proficiencies that can contribute to the company's growth and success in the years to come. Over time, my aspiration is to eventually be entrusted with a managerial or leadership role within the firm.”

For values-driven employees

“As someone whose values are aligned with this company's, I am confident that my career aspirations are a good fit for this role. Like this firm, I'm committed to helping others and delivering real solutions to their biggest problems. Together, I know that we can ensure that this organization continues to meet those needs in a way that enshrines our leadership position in this industry.”

Always be prepared to answer questions about your future aspirations!

When employers ask you about your career aspirations, they're really asking you to define your values, vision, and professional mission. By preparing a compelling answer before your interview, you can better ensure that you provide a response that helps to showcase you as the best candidate for the position.

Make sure that you know how to properly answer this and other interview questions by talking to one of our top career experts today!

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