eGigHow to answer “What motivates you?”
Employers want to know what keeps you engaged so they can judge whether you will enjoy this job and do it well.
How to answer
- Be honest about what genuinely motivates you.
- Choose a motivation that fits the role.
- Give a short example of it in action.
Sample answers
Use these as a starting point. Swap in your own experience and numbers, and practise saying your answer out loud.
I am motivated by learning something new and then seeing it work. During my internship I learned how to build simple dashboards, and the day the manager started using mine in her weekly meeting was the best part of the whole internship. I want a role where I keep learning and can see my work being used.
Targets genuinely motivate me. I like knowing exactly where I stand each week and planning how to close the gap. Last quarter I was 20% behind in the first month and finished at 108% by focusing on my top 15 accounts.
Helping people feel better is what keeps me going. As a nurse, the moment a patient who arrived frightened goes home smiling makes the long shifts worth it. I want to keep doing work where I can see the difference I make.
Mistakes to avoid
- Saying only money motivates you.
- Motivations that clash with the job, such as working alone for a team role.
- One-word answers.
Practise for your job
Mock interviews with the questions employers ask for each job, a 2-minute timer and model answers.