Future Predictions and Reasons to get an MBA

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

What a great job interview question! It probes into whether someone has a plan for their life, and how this position (and company) fit into those plans. It explores where you fit into the big picture of the world. And it's my least favorite question to answer. "Why?", you may ask? From an MBA perspective, I previously touched on this. From a job/career perspective, I've always found it somewhat limiting because of the pace of the world we live in, and the technology arena where I work. Unless I'm being asked by someone who is truly a big-picture thinker, the "right" answer is always somewhat predictable (next job level, etc.). But that's actually the "wrong" answer. A much better answer is to tell people that I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future, and then show how I've been taking steps to take advantage of the opportunities I think may happen in the future. I'll get the future wrong, but at least I'll be in the right mindset and have the right skills and experience when those opportunities arise.

How badly will someone get those future predictions? My favorite marketing blogger, Seth Godin, does a nice job of explaining how planning for the future to be anything like it is today can be the most career limiting move you'll ever make.