Do you have an upcoming job interview? Check out my example answers to the interview question: “What motivates you?” Other questions with similar answers include “What are you passionate about?” OR “What makes you tick?”
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Example Answer
For job seekers WITH NO EXPERIENCE
“As an aspiring [Job Title], I’ve always been interested in [consumer behavior]. Recently, I read Robert B. Cialdini’s book: “The Psychology of Persuasion”, to learn more about effective sales strategies to improve conversion. The ability to influence consumers into saying ‘yes’ to something to which ideally they would have said ‘no’ is my greatest motivator to apply for this sales position.”
Example Answer
For job seekers WITH EXPERIENCE
“As a [Job title], I’ve always been triggered by [Subject]. Give me a spreadsheet and some questions and I’m eager to find out what’s driving the numbers. One of the things I loved about my previous job was preparing monthly reports, deriving data, and then collaborating with team members to determine [Company XYZ]’s situation and set goals for the following months. The gratification of solving issues related to [Subject] is my greatest motivator.”
TIPS
√ Do mention some of your skills or traits that are relevant to the job title and explain why it motivates you to practice these
X Don’t ramble or confuse the interviewer by sharing too much information
