Yesterday I had the pleasure of conducting mock interviews of law students in preparation for the upcoming interview season. They were eager and well-prepared, looking out at the endless possibilities that lay ahead if them. I asked them where they saw themselves five years after graduation, and I answered their questions about my job, including what had led me to it, what I loved about it, and what, if anything, I might change.
When I was in their position ten years ago, I hated the “where do you see yourself in x years?” question. I had no real vision for my future. I guess I figured if I followed all the recommended steps — work hard, get good grades, network, get a good job at a big firm — everything would fall into place and I’d end up with the life I was supposed to have, whatever that was. I really didn’t know enough about the world or myself to know what I wanted my life to look like. I could recite answers to interview questions, but the visions I described were really other peoples’ ideas of what a good life and career looked like.
