Where do you see yourself in [number] years?

I recently had a job interview with a company that I applied to. The position was as the R&D Manager for their Materials Science/Chemistry portfolio. Well, to be honest, that's what the advert said but in reality, even they weren't entirely sure of the role, but I guess they were just using that as a base title to flush out applicants.

During the process, things seemed to go well enough, but then, as I expected, they asked the question I hate the most.

"Where do you see yourself in [number, this time 5] years time?"

Really? I think it is one of those age-old questions that interviews feel like they really have to use, since to me, its pretty cliché. Realistically, the only purpose that I feel this question has, is to determine the ambition/motivation levels, but at the same time, I think there are better questions to ask that determine this.

Why do I say this? Almost all interviewees know that this is a question likely to come up, so of course they'll have some gun-ho answer prepared to impress the interviewer of their desired answer, giving them a better chance at the job.

How do I approach this? I answer honestly of course.

5 years ago, I had no idea I would be where I am now. 5 years before that, oh boy, I definitely had no idea how I'd end up where I did. Ask me now, in 5 years where am I going to be, I honestly couldn't tell you. 10 years ago, I was 20, and was in a nice long term stable relationship, finishing my studies. I thought perhaps in 5 years, I could have been married and working. Nope. Bam, relationship changed, now doing a Ph.D. in a totally unrelated field. Nifty. 25, ask me 5 years, well, I really have no idea, and a lot has happened in 5 years since, interstate work, overseas trips, disintegration of old friends. Life is really like that.

I don't know where I'm going to be in 5 years. I have hopes and aspirations, but they certainly aren't career driven. So I told them that. Family matters to me, so, I would rather work a job I enjoyed, that provided for me, and my hopeful future family, but gave me time to be with my family. There is no point in being so high up the ladder that I earn so much money but I can't have the time to either spend it at all, or spend time with my family. No sir, not me.

So, for those out there who chase a high end high powered work career. Bravo, hats off to you, I hope you get the most from your dreams. I'm happy to move along at my pace, living my life the way I would like to. Each to their own. I'd definitely prefer to not have a broken home thanks to long work hours, and the job being more important than my family, so long as we're not bankrupt.

So, the next time another interviewer asks me that question, they'll get that honest answer.

What will they get from you? Will you be honest? Will you land the job, with a false impression that they are after?