Interview preparation is synonymous with interview success!
Preparing for an interview not only helps you anticipate possible questions, but also helps you feel comfortable and in control of the situation. This is to make sure you look your best.
Also, an interviewer can tell right away if you are prepared or not. If you take longer to respond to routine questions, e.g. B. "Tell me about yourself or what inspires you," this shows you are unprepared and poor at reflecting.
Personal questions, like what inspires you, can deter candidates if not prepared in advance. So don't throw away your chance to get your dream job and prepare well for the interview.
Read on to understand how to answer the "What inspires you" interview question with sample answers.
Get an insight into the following FAQs:
- Why do recruiters ask the question "What inspires you?"
- How can you answer what inspires you in a job interview?
- How do you approach the question "What inspires you?"
Why do recruiters ask the question "What inspires you?"
Questions like “What inspires you?” help the recruiter understand you. It gives you insight into:
- What motivates you
- what you appreciate
- What do you like to do
- How well would you fit into the team?
Also read: What are the most common interview questions in 2022?
What inspires you answers
A good interview answer for what inspires you is both concise and includes examples from previous experiences. A good response also includes instances where the skills and abilities required for the job were used. For example,
What inspires you at work?
Example answer 1:
Achieving set goals within deadlines motivates me because it gives me a sense of accomplishment and allows me to look back and say, "I did it." Tangible results also motivate me. For example, knowing that our bi-monthly industry overview would be read by thousands of people filled me with pride and motivated me to achieve more.
Also read: Interview questions 2022
What inspires you at work?
Example answer 2:
What inspires me the most is the drive to be the best at what I do. I master programming skills that allow me to work on complex projects and really make a difference with my work. But I keep asking myself, is this the best thing I can do? Is learning another programming language the next step? Or should I aim for a master's degree? I want to challenge myself at every step and keep studying and improving my talents.
What inspires you at work?
Example answer 3:
As an architect, I think I'm most excited when my work takes shape and blends perfectly with the environment. I am a strong believer in sustainable living and spend weeks designing for projects.
It takes a lot of planning to reduce the negative environmental impact of a building by improving the efficiency and moderation of resources, energy, development space and the ecosystem. It immediately brightens my day when I see my project come to life with a happy family inside after months of hard work.
Also read: Top interview questions for 2022
What inspires you at work?
Example answer 4:
It inspires me to think ahead, set goals and achieve them. I fear living a mediocre life and understand that it takes effort to achieve our dreams. I have set goals and work towards achieving them every day and have chosen a career path where I have a vision of what I could end up doing 10 years from now. So far it has worked and I want to be the best in my field.
What inspires you at work?
Example answer 5:
I don't intend to change the world, but the stark difference between rich and poor drives me. I have a desire to help others and a longing to fight for social change and human rights. Talking to the underprivileged, understanding their concerns and working at grassroots level drives me to achieve more in life. I have lived a privileged life and social work gives me an opportunity to give back to society and pass on the lessons learned through experience.
What inspires you to come up with creative answers?
Example answer 1:
Music is very important to me. Listening to my favorite songs while doing stressful tasks lightens my mood and motivates me. It is a powerful neurological tool that positively changes my thinking and mood. Music has also helped change my perception of the world, making it more enjoyable and open-minded.
Music always brings me inner peace and helps me deal with the problems of my personal and professional life. So I listen to it every day, both in the morning and before bed.*
Also read: How do I answer the "walk me through your resume" interview question?
What inspires you to come up with creative answers?
Example answer 2:
It's inspirational for me to read about people who made it big while fighting against the odds. For example, when I read about Oprah, Ellen, etc., it drives me to keep working and to do my best for every project I'm involved with.
Fortunately, there are many people I find inspirational. I read their stories when I'm feeling down and need a nudge in the right direction.
What inspires you the most?
Example answer 1:
As an artist, I observe the world closely. I often turn to nature for creative inspiration. I find inspiration in everyday things that escape the ordinary eye. They arouse different emotions in me such as curiosity, awe, frustration or boredom. What exactly is it about our surroundings, environment and nature that makes us think creatively or feel inspired? Why can it bring about a change of perspective? It inspires me to find answers to these questions.
Also read: What are some of the top questions in phone interviews in 2022?
What inspires you the most?
Example answer 2:
My uncle inspires me the most. He was born in a poor family of farmers and sheep farmers. Despite this, he built his business from the ground up through hard work and the right attitude. Today he is 60 years old and continues to work with the same passion as at the beginning. He inspires me to be better, to try harder and to be a good husband.
What inspires you the most?
Example answer 3:
Many people inspire me, but I feel like my high school math teacher, Ms. Winona, was the most influential in my life. Every day she came to school with a grin on her face and a desire to help every student in their classroom and beyond. She challenged the students to use their imagination, intellect and expectations.
I want to work in a position where I can come every day knowing I will be able to serve in a similar way. I feel like as a lead teacher I can do this on a daily basis for both my students and my department.
Also read: Questions for interviewers in 2022
How do you approach what inspires you?
When answering the question “what inspires you”, consider the following points:
Be concise
Decide ahead of time what you want to talk about—one or more people who inspire you, values you uphold, and past projects you want to highlight. Keep the answer short to show that you have prepared well.
Explain why they motivate you
Share why the person inspires you. What inspires you about them? Do you have certain values that you desire? Do these values match your vision?
Connect these values to your job
Explain how the values you stand for would help you professionally. Do these values inspire you to deal better with stressful situations? Do these values bring out the best version of you?
The central theses
Preparing for the interview will help you feel more in control and appear calm and collected to your potential employers. Prepare well to increase your chances of being shortlisted.
- Personal questions like “What Inspires You” open a door to your life for the interviewer. It shows yourpersonalityto the recruiter.
- It reveals yoursvalue systemand if you would fit well into the team.
- Keep your answerkurzby thinking about it beforehand.
- Containanecdotesabout people, personalities or entities that have influenced you. Explain why such stories or cases were important to you.
- Finally, connect these values to your job. Explain how these values help you at work.
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FAQs
How do you answer what inspires you in an interview? ›
- meeting deadlines, targets or goals.
- mentoring and coaching others.
- learning new things.
- coming up with creative ideas to improve something, or make something new.
- analysing complex data in order to draw clear and simple conclusions.
- working well as part of a team.
“Who inspires you?” is a question that is best answered by choosing someone relevant to the job. Sure, you can select a person that has nothing to do with your industry. But that may not provide the insight that the interviewer is looking to get. The best thing you can do is choose someone related to your field.
What motivates and/or inspires you interview question? ›You might want to include an example from your previous job to explain the kinds of projects or tasks that motivate you. For example, if you say that you are driven by results, give an example of a time you set a goal and met (or exceeded) it.
What inspires you to work? ›Having a sense of duty, a place to go, things to accomplish and achieve is a great motivation. Having a sense of duty is necessary for the development of a strong identity. Having a career provides us an important role to fulfill that is backed by strong values.
What inspires me examples? ›- Ambition. Ambition can be defined as being eager or hungry to aspire and accomplish something; it is one thing I can't get enough of. ...
- Past. ...
- Doing new things. ...
- Challenges. ...
- My parents. ...
- Friends. ...
- Charity. ...
- Faith.
Past days inspires me because it teaches me not to do mistakes as I do now. I got inspired by my parents in my life. My parents inspired me in my life they faced so many problems in life but they never give up and do hrad work for us. They are the only ones who always supported and motivates to achieve my goal.
How do you describe a person who inspires you? ›Inspirational people don't just talk about what is important to them; they act upon it. They find a way to overcome every obstacle. These individuals are innovative and forward-thinking. They dedicate their lives to their cause, for the better of everyone, not just themselves.
What inspires people? ›Inspiring traits usually pertain to themes of self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-discipline. However, a person can be inspired by anybody who emulates the characteristics they desire for themselves. People who inspire those around them often make for more effective leaders.
What inspires you or keeps you motivated at the workplace? ›A great work environment
“The workplace environment often has the biggest impact on how motivated you are at work. You thrive when you are part of an upbeat, supportive environment that gets you "in the zone" that you need to be in so that you succeed.
Inspiration is more a person reaching a point of wanting to act, whereas, motivation is more of giving people reasons to act. That's the difference between babysitting and empowerment, incentives or influence, fire-starters and fire extinguishers. There is a need for both inspiration and motivation.
What are the most inspiring things? ›
- Forgive. ...
- Help. ...
- Empathize. ...
- Teach. ...
- Love. ...
- Persevere. ...
- Learn. ...
- Believe. So many people believe only in what they can see, hear and touch, and refuse to look beyond what's right in front of them.
Seeing progress is a great motivator in itself, and also improves your self-esteem. Continue to set new goals. Think about what you want to achieve next week, next month and next year. Tackle one goal at a time so you don't feel overwhelmed.
Who has inspired you the most until now why did you select this person? ›“My parents inspired me in my life. They are the only one in the whole world who have always supported and motivates me to achieve my goals. Through thick and thin my parents have walked with me shoulder to shoulder. They taught me to see dreams and inspired me to achieve through endeavor.
What inspires you definition? ›If someone or something inspires you, they give you new ideas and a strong feeling of enthusiasm.
What motivates inspires you to go to work each day? ›The 3 real reasons that motivate us to work hard every day
Autonomy: Our desire to direct our own lives. In short: “You probably want to do something interesting, let me get out of your way!” Mastery: Our urge to get better at stuff. Purpose: The feeling and intention that we can make a difference in the world.
Example answer for someone motivated by new experiences
“I'm driven primarily by my desire to learn new things—big or small—and take on new responsibilities so that I'm constantly growing as an employee and contributing more to my team and organization.
But it turns out that each one of us is primarily triggered by one of three motivators: achievement, affiliation, or power. This is part of what was called Motivation Theory, developed by David McClelland back in 1961.
What do you call someone who inspires others? ›A leader is someone who inspires others to want to help.
How do you write a speech about a person who inspires you? ›1) Everyone has one person that inspires them to take every decision in their life. 2) My mother is the person in my family who inspires me the most. 3) She supports everyone and is the backbone of our family. 4) Her selfless and unconditional love for family inspires me to be like her.
How do you inspire someone with words? ›- Additional tips for motivating, inspiring, and persuading others at work:
- Say the word 'you' more than 'I. ...
- Use names. ...
- Practice the three As: Appreciate, Acknowledge, Ask. ...
- Use positive words and phrases.
- Convince with cause-and-effect phrases.
What do you call a person who motivates others? ›
mo·ti·va·tor ˈmō-tə-ˌvā-tər. plural motivators. : one that motivates or impels someone or something.