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Let me explain. I am 53 and 2 years ago my mother had a bad stroke. I quit a good full time job, put my belongings in storage and drove back to take care of my mother. She is in a nursing home sitting in a wheelchair and speaks unintelligibly do to her stroke. I became her legal guardian and take care of everything! From her home, finances, clothes, dentist, hair salon, shopping, staying on top of the aides and nurses, etc.! Anyone who has been this situation, knows exactly what I'm talking about.
It's emotional exhausting and stressful!
My one goal I do have, is to find a job in Florida and move back and take mother with me. At this point in my life, I do not nor need added responsibilities in my life. I have no desire to work into a leadership position and take on more work. My plate is full enough!
So what do I say when asked "what are my goals for the next 5 years"? How do I answer that with out coming across as a person with no motivation? I don't want to tell them about my personal responsibilities and problems, they don't want to hear it. At this point, my career goal is to be a simple humble hard working grunt worker. Perhaps after mother passes, I might want to excel myself, but I won't know that until that time comes. Is there anything wrong with not having career aspirations and just do your job and go home?
Hopefully some HR people can help me with this. Thanks
Reality: Most of us go to work because we need the money. Hopefully, the work is tolerable, the other employees are not plotting sociopaths, and management is not full of tin-plated dictators with delusions of godhood. If you're lucky, the experience doesn't completely drain your soul each day and leave you wishing to run off into the woods just to escape the stupidity and petty BS that pervades the world these days.
What employers want to hear: That you have great plans for the future - that you crave more work and responsibility, despite the usual lack of tangible rewards associated with it. You live to work, thrive on stress, and relish abuse! You want to "lead" where "lead" really means "be given more responsibility without the power to meet your objectives." Your only focus is the well-being of the company, and, by golly, if your boss needs a blood transfusion or a spare liver, you're there to provide it with a smile!
Okay, I'm kidding - but only a bit.
You can't tell that you have no career goals, but lying to them about how to you "want" to be some big-wig leaders who lives on coffee, booze, and stress isn't a good thing either because when the opportunity comes for you to take on this role, you'll either have to do so or they'll think of you as a liar.
So, as another person who just wants to do a good job, produce something of value, and go home each day, I'd recommend giving them broader goals: perhaps you want to enhance your skills in your industry, or develop new, cutting edge products. Maybe your goal is learn some other aspect of your career field, help other people, move from a big company to a small one (or the other way around), and so on.
Basically, tell them something truthful, but not something that says, "Abuse me! I like abuse!"
Good luck, and while I cannot imagine the stress of being a caretaker, I do appreciate your feelings on what a job really is.
I work in the medical field and as "we" all know, we are all grunt workers! That run around with 'abuse me' taped to our backs. Squeezing the life blood out of us as we care for others with very little appreciation. Prior to my mothers stroke, I had goals of leadership dancing thru my head. But at his point, I just can't do it. So basically, I'll have to feed their ear with what they want to hear. Same old stuff, "to enhance my skills..." blah blah blah. Thanks for your input.
Interviews are stupid. They're such BS. The guy who comes in and kisses the biggest arse will get the job usually.
Personally, if I were a boss, I wouldn't want some whipper snapper go-getter who is going to kiss arse, gun for my job, and throw me under the bus at the first opportunity. I want a quiet little grunt with a good work ethic who does his work and whose real passion is competitive frisbee or making antique furniture on the weekend or something.
There's usually no other way to screen people out though. GPA if you are younger.
On a few interviews I have been more honest. Something along the lines of "I'm not that ambitious, I don't want to do project management, but I'm a real hard worker." Sufficient to say, I never got those jobs.
I should think that Rad-tech-gal is in the medical field.
You have to answer that question as if you didn't have your mother to worry about. Employers aren't going to take you at your word and make you the Lead Clinician off the bat. But they do want someone who sees a future there. That's the point.
Easy to explain and for an employer to understand.
You are looking for a job that you don't have to take home with you at night. While your experience will allow you to be a highly productive contributor, you're satisfied with where your career has taken you and not looking for room for further growth. Of course you'll want to keep abreast of relevant new technologies, but you have no desire to climb the corporate ladder any further.
On a few interviews I have been more honest. Something along the lines of "I'm not that ambitious, I don't want to do project management, but I'm a real hard worker." Sufficient to say, I never got those jobs.
If I were being COMPLETELY honest in interviews, I would say "I really don't want this job at all. In fact, it will no doubt become yet another 8-5, mind-numbingly boring drudgery that I will grow to hate. Over time I will start hating my co-workers, I will hate you, and the clock in the lower right hand corner of my computer screen will become my best friend because each day it will let me know when I can leave this hellhole. I'll come to work for one reason and one reason only- a paycheck, and as soon as that clock hits 5, this place and everyone in it will be the last things on my mind. When the day comes that I no longer need a paycheck from you, or I find something that offers a better paycheck, this job is history. "
If I were being COMPLETELY honest in interviews, I would say "I really don't want this job at all. In fact, it will no doubt become yet another 8-5, mind-numbingly boring drudgery that I will grow to hate. Over time I will start hating my co-workers, I will hate you, and the clock in the lower right hand corner of my computer screen will become my best friend because each day it will let me know when I can leave this hellhole. I'll come to work for one reason and one reason only- a paycheck, and as soon as that clock hits 5, this place and everyone in it will be the last things on my mind. When the day comes that I no longer need a paycheck from you, or I find something that offers a better paycheck, this job is history. "
Lol.
That is somewhat closer to my truth too, but not that bad. I never hated my jobs that much. But I disliked it enough for a career change.
My truth is closer to, "I have something I love to do and am passionate about, and it sure as h@ll ain't what I'm going to be doing for you..."
Easy to explain and for an employer to understand.
You are looking for a job that you don't have to take home with you at night. While your experience will allow you to be a highly productive contributor, you're satisfied with where your career has taken you and not looking for room for further growth. Of course you'll want to keep abreast of relevant new technologies, but you have no desire to climb the corporate ladder any further.
While I like that your answer, I have said something to that effect and all I got was a bland look and a "ohh.."
Who are they kidding?! Why do they ask you what your goals and ambitions are? In the hospitals, there's not a lot of room for growth. You can move laterally but not upward. There's only one chief and many little Indians.
If I were COMPLETELY honest during an interview and they asked me that question, I would say to the supervisor, ..." to have your job"!!
While I like that your answer, I have said something to that effect and all I got was a bland look and a "ohh.."
Who are they kidding?! Why do they ask you what your goals and ambitions are? In the hospitals, there's not a lot of room for growth. You can move laterally but not upward. There's only one chief and many little Indians.
If I were COMPLETELY honest during an interview and they asked me that question, I would say to the supervisor, ..." to have your job"!!
In that case I would say that I want to stay up-to-date on the most current technologies for the job in order to provide the highest level of patient care on an ongoing basis. Vague but truthful and hard to impeach.
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