Explaining Your Future

So far in this lesson we’ve talked about phrases we can use to express different levels of certainty about the future.

We’ve talked about how we can ask questions about the future.

EXPRESS hypotheticals.

Talk about our intentions and how we can explain different possibilities alternatives for the future whether or not something happens.

Now we need to actually put it together in a real life situation in a job interview.

So let’s imagine you’re applying for a job in a big company and the job is related to finance finances.

Money related stuff and you’re at the job interview you’re sitting there.

The other person maybe from H.R.

is sitting across from you.

They ask you a really common question.

The question is So where do you see yourself in five years.

And how will you get there.

What that means is what do you imagine you’ll be like in five years.

What do you imagine you’ll be doing in terms of your career and maybe also your life.

And how will you get there.

That means what actions do you need to take in order to achieve that idea that you have about yourself in five years.

You need to be able to clearly express your ideas about the future in this sort of answer.

So let’s practice an example.

I think it’s really likely that I’ll be working in a management capacity management capacity.

Here just means some role.

Related to management or managing people.

A management role you could also say that some management capacity at some firm related to my field of finance.

Be careful not to use major majors only when you’re in school.

Once you leave school you have a field.

What’s your field architecture finance accounting.

Maybe you’re doing something in arts.

Maybe you’re a designer.

Maybe your field is manufacturing.

If I’m hired here I will work toward that goal.

So we have a very clear expression of the future.

I will work toward that goal very certain very confident.

And I think it would be a win win a win win means you get a benefit and I get a benefit.

I think it would be a win win because my attention to detail and knack for picking up new skills makes me I think an asset.

So a knack for something means you have a natural skill for that a natural ability to do that.

A knack for maybe understanding how people feel.

Learning languages.

This person is saying I will do this.

This is my next action.

I’m very certain about it.

And then an expression about the future.

That’s a little less certain but still pretty clear and expressing a desire.

I think it would be a win win.

It would be a win win.

I’m hoping I’m hoping I’m hoping.

I hope it’s the same thing that I can move to an upper management position although I obviously have a lot to learn using hope here means that you really don’t know but that’s your desire.

Remember it’s completely uncertain what will happen but you can say you hope to express a desire.

If I do that means if I get a high level position an upper management position if I do means we’re talking about possibilities alternatives.

If I do I may work on getting an MBA.

If we want to be more certain here we could say if I do I will work on getting an MBA.

An MBA is an advanced degree related to business and often people will get an MBA as they continue their career so they don’t just quit their job and work on the MBA.

They may do them at the same time so that they can constantly increase their skill level and their knowledge regardless regardless means if it happens or not if it happens or not.

That means if I get my MBA or not regardless I’m going to constantly work to expand my knowledge of the field and continue working on my English skills span means gets bigger.

Expand my knowledge of the field finances the field and continue working on my English skills as I realize my accent can sometimes be an issue for people.

So if English is your second language and you speak English often at work but maybe you have a heavy accent Your pronunciation is not so clear.

You can say that you’re aware of that and then use that to express a desire to improve to acknowledge that yes.

I realize this is something that’s not perfect but I am working on it.

So if you say as I realize my accent can sometimes be an issue for people that doesn’t mean that people don’t like me because of my accent It means that maybe some time my accent can be a little bit heavy or thick THC okay and that might make it a little difficult for people to understand.

Sometimes if you have a thick or heavy accent.

I’m hoping this role will be the next big step in my career.

Again just expressing a desire and it’s good to say I hope I hope if sometimes you don’t have a lot of control over the situation.

They will decide if you get the job or not.

All you can do is talk about what you will do if good things happen.

If you get the job and you can express your desire that this you feel is a good fit.

This company is really where you want to be.

OK so hopefully you can see how these phrases come together in a natural way in a real situation.

As usual we need to practice what we learn.

So here is your assignment with all of the words and phrases and different sentence structures that we practiced in this lesson.

Put it together.

Talk about what your future goals are.

Explain them in detail and then explain the things you can do in the near term to reach those goals.

This is a good one because you have to talk about the near future which may be more certain more clear.

I’m going to I will.

And talk about things that are farther in the future that you have less control over.

I’d like to.

I hope and be sure to use some of the other expressions as well.

For example the alternatives using if to express what you might do if this happens or this happens.

OK try your best you can record yourself when you listen back to the recording.

Try to catch small mistakes write them down and then try it again.

In fact once you become more aware of your English speaking you can begin to pick out things that you can improve.

Notice things that you can improve and over time get better.

Even if you’re not actually speaking with another person it is a good way to practice by yourself.

All right.

Good luck.