"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

I hate that question. I feel like employers who ask that question haven't really made much of an effort to find great people. It's a "textbook" question. What kind of answer do you expect? Do you want the "textbook" answer?

Both the question and the answer are meaningless. What exactly are you trying to learn about the candidate from their response to that question? I would prefer a potential employer to cut to the chase and ask the real questions.

I also feel like employers who ask that question haven't done much thinking about the last five years. Five years ago, I made a $40,000 profit on the sale of my starter home. Today, I would have difficulty selling my current home if I took a $40,000 loss.

We've watched the auto industries hit record highs and record lows over the past 5-10 years. Compare mortgages now to five years ago. Think back to the dot-com bombs. Look at how often all kinds of companies are being sold. From banks to cable companies to cell phone companies, no industry is immune.

Where do I see myself in five years? How the hell does anyone know? I think my husband put it best when we discussed the ignorance behind asking this question. He said, "How can I tell you where I see myself in five years, if we don't even know if this company will still be here in five years?"