Job interviews often include questions about your future career goals, which can be challenging for neurodivergent people who are just starting their careers or still working out what they want. The good news is that you can prepare for it, and you don’t need a ten-year plan. Below we explain why employers ask, how to get ready, and how to give a good answer even if you’re still working out what you want.
Why employers ask this question
Employers ask about your future career goals to understand your motivation, ambition and how well you fit with the company’s values and growth opportunities. They want to assess your potential to grow within the organisation and whether your goals align with the role and industry. Mostly, they want to see that you’re keen to learn and that you’d stick around.
It’s a close cousin of other common questions, such as what does success look like to you and what do you hope to achieve in your first 30, 60 and 90 days, so preparing for one will help you with the others.
Steps to prepare for the interview question
Step 1: Reflect on your interests and strengths
Start by reflecting on the activities, tasks or subjects that genuinely interest you and that you feel confident in. Consider the skills you have developed through education, hobbies or previous experiences. Identifying your interests and strengths can give you clues about potential career paths, and it will also help you answer what are your strengths and weaknesses.
Step 2: Research different roles and industries
Explore different roles and industries that match your interests and strengths. Research the responsibilities, requirements and growth opportunities in these fields. The National Careers Service job profiles are a useful place to start, and can help you understand what career options are open to you.
Step 3: Consider your personal growth goals
Think about your personal goals and what you hope to achieve in your career. Focus on areas such as professional development, building new skills and opportunities for growth. Consider what you would like to learn and improve on in your next job. If you have ADHD, our guide to setting career goals that work for you has practical ideas.
Step 4: Seek guidance from mentors or professionals
Reach out to mentors, careers advisers or professionals in your chosen field for guidance and insights. Hearing how other people got where they are can help you plan your own next steps. If you’re a recent graduate, our guide to standing out with no experience may also help.
Remember that you can ask for reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, such as receiving interview questions in advance, which can make preparing for questions like this much easier.
Example answer
“At this stage of my career, my main goal is to gain hands-on experience and develop a strong foundation in [industry/field]. I want to join a team where I can use my [relevant skills] and keep improving them. In particular, I’d like to learn more about [specific skills or areas of interest], because I think that would make me much more useful in this role.
I don’t have a fixed long-term goal yet, and I’m open to trying different things to find out where I’m strongest. I work best somewhere supportive, where people are encouraged to keep learning.
Longer term, I’d like to be in a role I find really satisfying, where I’m still learning and can see the difference my work makes to the team.”
More interview question guides
Keep preparing with our guides on how to answer tell me about yourself and how do you handle conflict in the workplace.
How Enna can help
If you’re looking for your next role, the Enna jobs board has roles with employers who value neurodivergent talent. You can also sign up for job alerts and hear about new ones first. And if you want help getting to the interview stage in the first place, our CV support can help.
Employers can work with us to reach neurodivergent talent and make interviews fairer for every candidate. A good first step is our Neurodiversity 101 training.
