This question tests several aligned needs which must be asked during interview between recruiters, hiring manager's, & interviewees. The first being -- where are you headed? The second being -- why? The third being -- for what reason? These sound like basic questions during interview, but they're critical not only to your 'positioned and targeted success'. Therefore, these questions directly tell recruiters and hiring managers what you've been planning without any baloney (such as offering a trumped-resume that won't speak volumes through direct business). Furthermore, these questions tell hiring manager's specifically how you're positioning yourself for 'targeted (no rejection) success'. By that kind of success, I mean to say that you're creating a pathway years before you emerge. Case in point, if I want to be a fire-powered sales rep working for a top company, I'm going to work my tail feathers off to get there using a real positioning strategy: 1) Transfer entrepreneurial skills directly over to a prime target audience years in advance. How? Simple. Work alongside the target audience daily by giving this audience what they need most (a no frill's approach to maintaining an efficient but organized O.R.). 2) Address gaps in skill-set. Here's how. If I'm going to be a top rep in cardiovascular surgery, I'm going to work in surgery first fulfilling any basic roles for at least 3 years. Let's call this role surgical technician. There's a 2-yr associate's degree that's required. I can work during the day and study online at night. The tuition money is available through the U.S. Gov't. The pay increase must follow so that you can repay all plans. Then, fill in the sales skill-set for at least 2 years by working in a call center (by closing business using an advanced rebuttal system). 3) Approach the top company your want. By-pass H.R. and head straight to hiring managers because they're the only ones who can say 'yes' or 'no' on hire. I don't care where you attend school for training. As long as you're detailed-oriented and conceptually strong/ethical, you can't lose. What matters is that you design your success in phases, and by using this strategy, you'll become a top 1% candidate -- the kind recruiters and hiring managers wish they met more often. Therefore, even if you start out working a $44K/year job, that's not a problem because that success will carry over to the call center environment at $63K/year. Then..., once those required gaps are met, you become a dream candidate for any recruiter or hiring manager because you're guaranteeing all involved parties success beforehand. Your performance isn't an issue because you've got the hard-core, proven skill-set (and network) they want. Therefore, asking for a job with a top company is no problem because you've done the work. During interview, you're testing corporate alignment (culture with fit)..., and you're checking corporate strategy/& growth aligned to your definite contributions (so that you can indirectly look at your favorite company's solvency. This information shows you that they can ride out market fluctuations (up's and down's)..., and their growth during these next 20 and 30 years will reveal that you can retire very well ... or promote further from within). Does this help? Find what absolutely motivates you, then head to O Net Online Dot Org. http://onetonline.org. There, you 'll see all of the resources you need in order to make informed, planned, & reimbursed decisions sculpting tremendous success. As an added bonus, if you'd like to know how to translate a $63K/yr job into a $143K job ... or build your pathway in directions called a $200K/yr job..., or $500K/yr job, then you include 1099 consulting. You can sculpt any pathway you wish by emphasizing your passion! Love, Barbara Brinkmeyer, MBA