How do I answer, "What are your life goals?"

You're dressed to impress and are halfway through a job interview.

One of the interviewers leans forward and asks:

"What are your life goals?"

You're stumped!!!

But don't worry! Aligning your goals with the company's mission will help you ace this question for your next interview.

This interview question allows managers to explore where you see yourself in the long term and how this job and company fit your goals.

They also don't want to hire someone who will leave the company anytime soon.

Which brings us to...

Companies want to hire someone who will be in the job for a long time. You don't want your answer to reflect that you want to leave the job soon.

Avoid these types of answers:

• "I plan to travel the world and find myself."

• "I want to work for a large corporation, but I need more experience so I'm looking to build that up somewhere else first."

• "I'm very entrepreneurial and want to start my own business in the next few years."

If you do have similar life goals that involve you leaving a job, keep these to yourself in an interview situation.

Think about:

• How do your life goals relate to this company's values?

• How do you want to make an impact at this company?

• How do you want to grow professionally in this company?

Possible answers

Scenario 1: Applying for an entry-level position

"One of my life goals is to gain valuable industry knowledge and experience. As this is an entry-level position, I hope to work for the company to gain new skills and develop an idea of how I can contribute to the organization."

Scenario 2: Applying for a management position

"One of my life goals is to serve as a role model for those I'm managing. I want to be a mentor to others and help them achieve their full potential."

Vanessa is at an interview for a retail position at a clothing store and has just been asked about her life goals. What is the most appropriate response?

A. "I want to continue working on my own fashion brand and hope to launch my online store soon. I hope this experience will be valuable in this position."

B. "I've always wanted to travel around Asia, and maybe learn more about the fashion industry there. I'm hoping to do that within the next two years."

C. "One of my life goals is to learn more about the fashion industry. I'm passionate about delivering excellent customer service, and I feel that with more industry knowledge I will make a huge contribution and inspire those that I work with."

Think about:

Practice giving your answer to friends or family until you feel confident about your response!