Past-Present-Future
Where you’ve been, are, and are going
- Past
- Present
- Future
This one links where you've been, what you do now and where you'd like to go next.
When to use it
Good for "Tell me about yourself" or questions about your career and why you want this job.
Steps
Past
Pick the part of your story that explains where you're heading. Skip the rest.
Present
What do you do now, and what are you good at?
Future
What would you like to do next, and how does this job fit?
Example answer
I started out in customer support, and that's where I learned to see the pattern behind people's problems (Past). Now I work in operations, making the handover between support and product smoother. The part I enjoy most is turning feedback into changes people actually notice (Present). Next, I'd like a role where I own more of that, and work closely with both teams. That's why this job caught my eye (Future).
Tips
- Leave out the parts of your past that don't lead anywhere.
- Be specific about now: what you do, what you're good at.
- Link the future to this job, but say it in your own words.
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