Career Development and Internships (2024)

FAQs

How do you answer career development questions? ›

“I plan to add value in this position, develop my skills to help grow the company, and eventually move into roles of greater responsibility.” An answer along these lines tells them you're ambitious without any negative side effects, like being a threat to the interviewer's job.

“As a recent graduate I am now just embarking on my professional career. I have a very clear vision and in the next five years, I envision a path of continuous personal and professional growth. I am passionate about this sector and I see myself honing these skills to become an expert in my field.

To answer this question, think about what goals you expect to achieve during the internship. Using those goals, explain what skills you want to learn and how this opportunity will help you grow your career while helping the community or the industry.

Career development refers to the process an individual may undergo to evolve their occupational status. It is the process of making decisions for long term learning, to align personal needs of physical or psychological fulfillment with career advancement opportunities.

Sample Answer: “My greatest weakness is time management. I have always been very detail-oriented, so it sometimes takes me longer to finish a project than I initially think it will. This is why I started using time-tracking software at my last job.

Think of it like this: You need to develop your career in order to grow. The term career development refers to the tangible steps you take to enhance your workplace skill set and become better equipped to handle your current and future roles. Career development is achieved by building skills in the short term.

Career progression means moving ahead or progressing in your career. Some examples of career progression are getting promoted to higher roles, taking on new opportunities, switching to better jobs or companies, and achieving your career aspirations. It is synonymous with career development.

"I want to grow professionally by gaining new skills and experiences that will help me advance in my career. One of my long-term goals is to become a manager or leader in my field, and I believe that gaining a diverse range of skills and experiences will be critical to achieving this goal.

I would like to continue developing my skills and knowledge in order to be able to take on more responsibility within the company. I'm also looking forward to taking on more leadership roles and mentoring other members of the team by utilizing the leadership and mentorship certifications I've completed.”

How do I expect my career to develop? ›

Example: "My career aspirations are centered around constant growth and skill enhancement. I am committed to staying updated with the latest trends and technologies in the industry. In the coming year, I plan to pursue specialized certifications and attend industry conferences to learn from experts.

Networking is one of the primary benefits of internships. People you meet during an internship can later become mentors, sources of job opportunities and references. They may help you develop skills and offer moral support in your early career. Building a strong network of contacts is reason enough to do an internship.

You can say that you wanted a new opportunity. That you felt that you had taken your current or past position as far as you could within the company, you had achieved X, Y and Z, and now feel that it's time for you to learn a different aspect of the business, or to work for a bigger (or smaller) company.

Example: “I expect to learn how to identify business problems, how to choose strategies to address these issues and how to plan and execute the tactics needed to achieve these goals. By learning this, I can gain real-world experience of what it takes to drive business operations forward.

Craft your answer honestly but carefully. Discuss your current stage of career development—what you've learned in relation to where you're headed. Have some fairly specific goals in mind to discuss in terms of your development, other than financial goals.

Identify an area for continued growth that is relevant to your career goals and interests. This could be a skill, knowledge area, or personal attribute that you want to improve or develop further. Explain how this area for growth is important to you and how it will help you achieve your career goals.