What do you do if interviewers ask about your long-term career goals?

I think it is helpful to be self-aware of what you enjoy doing and sometimes you do not know until you try it. I believe if you are contributing and adding value to the company as well as taking time to grow your skill set then this will lead you on your career path. Being realistic but authentic and true to yourself is important. Communication is a key part of this process.

Do not ignore the question, you must talk about your long term goals but the focus should be: ✅ a larger picture ✅ the impact you would want to create ✅ the problem you would love to solve ✅ it might include the lifestyle you wish to have for you and your family Bottom line is, a long term goal must not be limited to ❌ making money ❌ securing a designation / position ❌ working in a dream company, ❌ working in a dream profile.

Be Honest and Authentic: Share your genuine aspirations. Interviewers appreciate sincerity and want to understand what drives you. Show Alignment: Connect your long-term goals with the company's mission, vision, and values. This demonstrates that you're invested in the company's success. Be Specific, but Flexible: Outline clear goals, but also express openness to opportunities for growth and evolution. Focus on Growth & Contribution: Highlight how your goals involve personal and professional development, as well as making meaningful contributions to the company and its objectives. Highlight Skills & Experience: Discuss how your skills and experiences align with your long-term goals, and how you plan to further develop and leverage them.

When interviewers inquire about your future career aspirations, they aim to gauge how well your goals align with the company's vision and advancement prospects. Carefully consider your response, reflect on the skills you wish to enhance, the roles that appeal to you, and how you envision progressing in your career. Take time to research the company's values and growth opportunities. Be sincere about your aspirations while showcasing adaptability, recognizing that companies evolve. Emphasize competencies and experiences over specific job titles. Link your long-term goals to how this current role can help develop skills and serve as a stepping stone for personal career growth and the company's overall aims. Be AUTHENTIC!

This is a question you need to be prepared to answer. Above all, you should try to be realistic. Your goal should be within your ability to achieve within the time frame you suggest. Be prepared also to mention any training you are prepared to undertake to help you achieve your long-term career goal.

Share that you have multiple potential paths but you’d like to always be doing the work where you contribute the most along the way.

If you study the career growth of pros you’d like to emulate and actually speak with them, you’ll be able to share in interviews that you understand the steps and the actual journey that others have taken to get there. It will allow this hiring manager to see themselves as a realistic step along the journey. They’ll also understand that you are not looking for an easy up or out if it came along.

Whether or not it's fair-- or even true-- there is a perception among more experienced/older people in the business/legal worlds that younger and midlevel colleagues are not in it for the long-term. When employers are desperate, i.e. during 2021, law firms were paying huge bonuses and other incentives to attract laterals, and to retain their current team. Once things slowed down, lay-offs ensued, and 3-4 day a week in- office mandates, started becoming the "new-normal." How you feel about your job today, may not be how you feel next month, next year, or even in five-years. Keep your options open by practicing gratitude and an eagerness to learn. To paraphrase Flannery O'Connor: the job you save may be your own.