How to Figure Out the Next Step in Your Career [Quiz]

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

Of all the job interview questions out there, this has always been one of the most difficult.

These days, however, the next steps in your career aren’t always linear. The age-old corporate ladder model of putting in a few years as an associate contributor, becoming a manager of a small team, and climbing your way to the senior management or director level is not right for everyone.

To help you plan confidently for your next five years, HubSpot has launched a brand new career assessment called The Next Five. Tell us your interests, strengths, and working style, and we’ll help you identify a next step that’s right for your long-term professional goals.

Here are a few steps to this career quiz and some initial questions to ask yourself when deciding where to go in your career:

5 Basic Steps of This Career Quiz

1. Your Work Environment

What do you do for a living? How much experience do you have, and how many coworkers do you work with? This is important context around the challenges you might be expriencing.

2. Your Work Challenges

In short, how’s it been going there? You won’t know where to go in your career unless it’s clear what your current challenges are and how you go about solving them.

3. Your Happiness Level

Are you happy where you are? With what you’re doing? It’s important to occasionally check how you feel — you might be getting in your own way when trying to regain your comfort with the job.

4. Your Skills

Do you want to be a manager, but struggle to hone your mentorship skills? How are you at public speaking? Perhaps too much supervision is a challenge you face. These are just some of the critical metrics for what you’d excel in when making a professional move.

5. Your Goals

What are you currently working toward, and what will indicate that you’ve reached them?

The Next Five is not your average test. With your result, we’ll include a detailed plan that encourages you to rethink the idea of a career path. Each tip is paired with customized articles, ebooks, videos, and more that will help you score visibility for your work and bring value to your company.

Career development is complicated, and a lack of open dialogue around the personalization of career planning can make it worse. If you’re unsure how to bridge the leadership gap between your current role and becoming a manager, the quiz below is the perfect exercise.

No five-year plan? No problem. With The Next Five career growth assessment, discovering your next step has never been easier.