How to answer: where do you see yourself in 2 years?

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“Where do you see yourself in 2 years?” can be a particularly tricky interview question for marketers in their career. The marketing landscape evolves extremely quickly thanks to shifts in technology, consumer behavior, economic conditions and competition. So how can you provide a thoughtful answer when the marketing role that will exist in two years may look very different than marketing jobs you are after today?

Below are some strategies to help marketing professionals demonstrate their career ambitions despite the inherent unpredictability of the field while also answering the question of “where do you see yourself in 2 years?”

Acknowledge Marketing’s Rapid Evolution

Don’t be afraid to call out the reality that marketing is an industry in a constant state of flux. No reasonable interviewer will expect you to predict your exact job and responsibilities two years down the line in such a fast-changing field.

You can acknowledge marketing’s rapid evolution upfront by saying:

“Considering how quickly marketing trends and technologies come and go, it’s impossible to know exactly what my role will look like two years from now. But here are the key skills and experiences I hope to gain to stay adaptable and drive results, regardless of what the marketing landscape looks like.”

This shows self-awareness about the turbulent nature of the industry. The interviewer will respect your honesty about the inherent uncertainty marketers face.

Read next: What are the top skills for marketers?

Highlight Marketing Skills You Want to Develop

While specific marketing roles may change, core marketing skills remain relevant across the board. Share 1-2 marketing capabilities you want to strengthen, no matter how the industry evolves. For example:

“While future marketing roles are hard to predict, I know storytelling skills will always be crucial. Over the next two years, I plan to take courses on content strategy and copywriting to become even more persuasive and compelling in my marketing writing. I’ll also build my data analysis abilities using tools like Google Analytics, so I can constantly optimize content for the right audiences.”

This showcases your commitment to developing evergreen marketing skills that will serve you well regardless of shifts in media platforms, technologies and strategies.

Discuss Emerging Trends That Excite You

While you can’t forecast your exact position, you can talk about major marketing trends you’re eager to leverage. This shows your passion for the profession.

For instance:

“I’m particularly fascinated by how artificial intelligence is transforming marketing personalization. In two years, I want to help brands use AI and big data to deliver hyper-targeted ad campaigns and truly tailored customer experiences. I plan to immerse myself in how marketing analytics and automation tools are evolving so I can apply those new capabilities immediately when they arise.”

This demonstrates your interest in staying on top of emerging technologies even if you don’t know how they’ll alter day-to-day marketing jobs yet. It shows enthusiasm for marketing’s ongoing evolution.

Ask About Development Opportunities

Inquire about how the company invests in marketing team development so employees can adapt to an ever-changing landscape. Asking about growth opportunities shows your eagerness to continually expand your skills.

For example:

“With marketing constantly changing, how does this company upskill marketers over time? Are there opportunities to learn emerging platforms and technologies through training programs? I’m committed to staying agile as the industry evolves, and would love to know how I can develop new capabilities here that will set me up for success in two years.”

This focuses the conversation on how the organization equips marketers to keep pace with an unpredictable field. It’s better than trying to predict your exact role.

Emphasize Cross-Channel Marketing Skills

No matter what new platforms arise, experience executing coordinated campaigns across multiple channels will always be valuable. Highlight how you’ve delivered integrated digital, social, email, TV and experiential marketing campaigns. This showcases your versatility.

For example:

“While specific social media platforms come and go, my experience orchestrating synchronized multi-channel marketing campaigns will serve me well no matter what the media mix looks like in two years. My background unifying messaging across websites, mobile apps, email, events, paid ads and beyond equips me to adapt as technology evolves.”

This demonstrates how your foundational cross-channel skills will enable you to pivot across new platforms and technologies that arise in the ever-changing world of marketing.

In summary, the unpredictable nature of marketing makes “where do you see yourself in two years?” a particularly tricky question. Be transparent about the constantly evolving landscape. Emphasize versatile skills like storytelling, data analysis and multi-channel execution that will serve you well through ongoing changes. Share your excitement about emerging trends and ask how you can develop future-proof skills. With this approach, you can show resilience and continuous learning that will impress any interviewer.

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