Interview Yourself To Help Define Your Goals

We know the job-hunting process often involves vague questions about your future goals, and it can be a struggle to give good answers. Consider interviewing your potential future self to help you prepare detailed answers rather than broad ideas.

Photo by Studio Roosegaarde

Personal development blog Level Up recommends delving into more specific questions to turn vague goals, such as becoming a writer or starting a company, into concrete courses of action.

I started with simple questions like, “What is the name of the company” “What is the title of your first novel?” to more specific questions like, “What projects are you working on?” “Who inspired your products / your style?” “How many people are in the company?” “What does your office look like?”.

Then I wrote down all the questions in as much detail as I could imagine, pretending that I were in those particular positions — as an established writer, a CEO of a software company, a core member at a game studio. The more questions I answered, the more words I put down, the more I felt like I was that person.

I experienced what it was like to be that future me. I learned quickly if I will be happy being that particular person.

That’s when I decided I am going to start a creative studio, with a small team, flexible location, and focus on independence, creativity, and people.

If you struggle with questions about future goals, consider using this technique to help pin down exactly what your dream job would entail on a day-by-day basis.

How a Simple Technique Helped Me Figure Out What I Want to Do with My Life [Level Up With Brandon Wu]