The answer, in short, is that I don’t know. That’s okay! Who knows what will happen five years from now? If you had asked me five years ago what I wanted to be doing, my answer would be nowhere close to where I am today. I was thinking completely different things, doing something else while surrounded by other people.
Interviewers ask this question, and it’s one of their favorite questions. People practice answering this question, trying to figure out what the company representative wants to hear. I didn’t know the correct answer then, and I don’t know the right answer now. The difference is that I don’t care anymore. Here’s why.
I only know what I want at this moment, sir. I need a job that offers a decent salary (fuck those people who say it’s not essential), a good work environment, and prospects for professional growth. Besides this, I hadn’t thought of much else because I am trying to fulfill my previous five-year plan that I thought of when the college admin asked an 18-year-old.
I am a somewhat spontaneous person who doesn’t have my entire life mapped out. Five years ago, I wanted to work in big tech after finishing my engineering degree. When someone said they wanted to do an MBA later, I used to poke fun at them, thinking I would never do that. But five years have passed, and my life trajectory has changed drastically. I have spent my entire career in marketing and as a writer. Now, I am pursuing an MBA in France because that’s what I decided was the best course of action for me going forward.
No one knows what the world will look like in five years. Some things exist today that did not exist five years ago. Today, you can become a YouTuber and earn a living. You can bet that there are things that will exist five years from now that no one has heard of today. So it is okay not to know.
Here’s what I do know. I like to help people, and I want to tell stories. No matter what happens, I will be out there telling stories and helping people solve their problems because that makes me happy. I don’t know what form it will take, but I will continue doing what I enjoy at that time.
A better question would be, “What’s your vision for your life?” This big-picture question can help us make good decisions when we are in the thick of things. Clarifying the big picture can help us adjust and adapt to the present scenario.
All that said, here are a few things I will be focusing on no matter the time: spending time with my family and keeping on top of my health and you better believe I will be enjoying every second of my time. This vision is simple because that’s how I think about my life. I make decisions based on the situation I am currently facing. When I think about the past, I take solace in knowing that I made the best possible decision at the time.
Now when someone asks me where I will be in five years, I say I don’t know. Will I stay with the same company, maybe? Maybe not? These days I often get asked if I will be in France or if I plan to move back to India. I don’t plan my life that much so ask me in five years, and then I may be able to give you an answer. For the record, I don’t know where I will end up after the program, nor am I thinking about that right now.