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Remember that we have a growing list of investigating the finance and banking industry’s most popular interview questions. Go here for more answers:
What are you looking for in a new position?
Common interview questions: What even the best candidates forget!
How to answer behavioural interview questions
How to respond at an interview when you don’t know the answer
Why interviewers ask “What are your goals?”
Interviewers want to hear about your goals because knowing a candidate’s ambitions is a clear route to understanding their motivations, priorities, and potential fit with a company’s mission.
When asking this question, recruiters might want to know whether you’re thinking long-term about your career and whether this long-term development includes contributing to your prospective team at their company.
Your answer may also help them to gauge how realistic or optimistic you are as a person! Neither is necessarily ‘better’; it will ultimately depend on the company’s interests and the job’s needs. Do they need someone who will be honest and upfront about possible setbacks, or do they need someone to rally the team when morale is low?
Another reason recruiters ask this question is because it helps them understand how likely it is that you will stay on with the company. Are there more senior positions within the firm that align with your goals? Or are your goals nothing to do with the business for which you’re applying?
Here is how we recommend structuring your response:
Align your goals with the company’s objectives
Your budding interest as a dog portrait photographer might be wonderful and provide a nice insight into your personal interests, but this is not what they want to know with this particular question! Research the company before you go to the interview, and find out where there may be overlaps between your personal goals and the company’s objectives.
Always be genuine. If the company values innovation and you want to head departments that create out-of-the-box solutions, this is a genuine overlap. But don’t force your interests if you don’t believe in them; recruiters always know!
Be as specific as you can
A good response to this question will be specific about your expectations. Hypotheticals are fine; the idea here is to give your interviewers something tangible to take away. Paint the scene of where you might be in five years from now. Start with the big picture by explaining where your passions lie, and then narrow your focus to how you expect that to look. You will impress interviewers if you tell them about roles you’re interested in and what change you hope to make there.
If you’re struggling, start with the phrase, “I see myself…”
What not to do when answering the question “What are your goals?”
Your interviewer wants to see that you’ve included others in your plan. It shouldn’t only be about you making as much money as you can, and answering that you “don’t know” only ranks slightly higher as a response!
We can’t emphasise the importance of specificity enough: Many candidates like to be noncommittal because they think it will cover their bases. But answering “I want to succeed and grow in the role” does nothing to distinguish you from other candidates.
Be realistic when answering “What are your goals?”
While recruiters like to see ambitious candidates, they also want their goals to be grounded in reality. Avoid phrases like “the best in the world” and show humility.
To answer this question…
for an entry-level role
Set your sights on skill-building and gaining experience.
for a mid-level role
Highlight how you seek more responsibility and leadership.
for a senior role
Focus on goals that drive results and giving back to the business community (e.g. mentoring and volunteering).
Include your professional development expectations in your answer
Lifelong learning is the backbone of all future-facing companies, and interviewers want candidates to express a willingness to continue exploring and learning in their roles.
Again, be specific: Where do you want to grow? Maybe they have already asked you for your strengths and weaknesses. Try to find out if the hiring company already runs programmes on developing these skills or if you have found conferences and communities that will help you improve. This shows that you aren’t just daydreaming about your goals but taking steps to ensure you achieve them.
Practice!
As with any interview question, make sure you practice your answer. Whether or not you write it down beforehand, always practice your responses out loud. If a friend or family member is present to give feedback, then so much the better. And don’t feel embarrassed if it takes time to get right: Interviewing is tough, and it takes practice.
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How do you feel about being interviewed? Are you excited to get in the room, or does it only make you nervous? If you feel that you aren’t selling yourself in the interview room and are looking for London-based jobs, please get in touch! We recruit London’s brightest candidates for the capital’s biggest firms in finance and banking, and we are always looking for new additions to our list.