NigCareers

How To Answer The Interview Question: What Gets You Out Of Bed In The Morning?

A number of questions are asked during interviews; most of these questions are meant to test your professionalism. Most employers want to see and find out if you will be a perfect fit for the team. One of such is the question- What gets you up in the morning? This question is commonly asked by recruitment managers and interviewers and is meant to get an idea of your motivation, as well as what gets you going. Also, the interviewer is trying to decipher the things in life that are valuable to you, as well as your personality in general.

Most applicants focus on their qualifications, expertise, and experience when preparing for interviews; while that is essential, most interviewers, however, throw job seekers in the loop by asking questions like the one being discussed.  When answering this question, it is vital to tie and relate your motivation to some core aspects of your work or career, instead of just talking about your kids or making money for example.  The interviewers or recruitment managers are not interested in your love for trivial things like cats, coffee, news, etc. Rather, the question is meant to give the interviewer an idea about your deepest passion and things that stimulate your career and professional growth.

The answer(s) you give to this question will to some extent, determine your suitability for the role and the organization at large. In addition, the question presents you with a great opportunity and an ample chance to stand out amongst other applicants, as well as enable your potential and prospective employers to see what you are made of. Therefore, this article will aid job seekers and applicants with valuable information on how to come up with impressive and authentic answers to the interview question- “What gets you out of bed in the morning?”

Things To Consider When Answering The Question

Enumerated below are essential points to consider and emphasize when answering the question;

• Be detailed and give specific examples
• Think about your personal and professional motivation
• Relate your motivation to your career path
• Be honest
• Sharpening your skills

Be Detailed and Give Specific Examples: Details are paramount in every facet of life as is giving relevant and specific examples. Therefore, it is advisable to talk in detail when answering this question. Talk about your stand-out skills, expertise, and background. Also, let your interviewers know what makes you unique as an individual. Although answering in detail is vital, giving relatable examples is arguably vital as well.  Try and support everything you mentioned about your skills with relevant and specific examples from your academic pursuit, previous work experience, and every other endeavour that fits perfectly into the specified job requirements.

Think about your personal and Professional Motivation: Thinking/talking about your personal and professional motivation is another thing to consider when answering this question.  Be free to talk about big goals; most individuals are motivated by achieving set goals which could be earning a promotion, completing a project, or providing solutions to difficult problems.  Sharing your personal and professional goals with your interviewer or potential employer gives them the opportunity to understand and know you better, as well as your professionalism. This will enable the interviewer to decide if you will fit the profile and culture of the organization.

Relate your motivation to your career path: Once you have described your career goal and briefly outlined your plan of getting there, connect your answer back to the job you are interviewing for. Make sure you demonstrate that you have really thought about the position, and how it will fit into your life and career trajectory. Telling your prospective employer about your future goals and how you are inspired by them enables you to demonstrate how sharp and proactive you are by thinking far in advance about your career.

Be Honest: Most recruitment managers are interested in knowing the candidate(s) in front of them. They also want to know how working with each applicant will be like. Therefore, you should be honest while answering this question. Think deeply and find out what really gets you up and running in the morning.

Sharpening your skills: Practice they say makes perfect. Enhancing your skills and sharpening your talent is a great motivation to get out of bed in the morning. If you wake up every morning with the drive to improve, let your interviewer know. This will show him/her that you will be an employee who is constantly improving and striving to do better. There is nothing more attractive to a prospective employer than someone who is both motivated and trainable.

Mistakes To Avoid When Answering The Question- What Gets You Out Of Bed In The Morning

Some mistakes to avoid when answering the question include;

1. Don’t give a broad statement that is applicable to any or everyone: You should avoid using vague and brief statements like “my love of finance” because it doesn’t answer the question effectively. However, explaining why you love finance and relating it to aspects of the job you find exciting will help a lot.
2. Don’t state your motivations for wanting this particular job: This question has nothing to do with why you are interested in this particular job. You should therefore deviate from relating your answer to your motivation for applying for the job.

Examples Of Answers To The Question

1. My family is my biggest motivation in life. They inspired me to go back to school to study engineering. It is an area I have always been fascinated by, and through intensive courses, two internships, and one entry-level position, I slowly but surely learned to become an accomplished engineer. I get out of bed every morning to keep growing in my field so I can one day take on a management role, and provide my family with the best life possible.
2. I am extremely motivated by helping less privileged kids from low and middle-income settings. That has led me to do numerous humanitarian and voluntary works in the area during my University days. It is easy to develop a passion for something meaningful, but it’s vital to me due to my background and where I come from.
3. Getting good feedback, reviews, and praise for a job well done is my motivation for getting out of bed in the morning. I feel satisfied when people believe and appreciate the work I do because I put in my best. I feel fulfilled knowing that my work yields positive results that matter to people everywhere.

Interview Questions

Tags: How to answer interview questions, Interview questions, Interview questions and answers, Interviewing questions