How to answer what motivates you?

When answering "What motivates you?", it’s important to show the interviewer what drives you to succeed in your role and how your motivation aligns with the company’s goals. Here’s how to structure your answer:

1. Align Your Motivation with the Role

Show how your motivations are connected to the responsibilities of the job you’re applying for. Focus on elements of the role that genuinely excite you.

Example:
"What motivates me the most is solving challenging problems and seeing the impact of my work. I enjoy working in fast-paced environments where I can apply my technical skills to make a tangible difference. In my last role, I was motivated by the opportunity to streamline the workflow of a project, reducing processing time by 20%. I'm excited about the potential to do similar impactful work here."

2. Show Enthusiasm for Growth

Talk about how learning and growth opportunities drive you. Companies value candidates who are motivated by personal and professional development.

Example:
"I’m highly motivated by opportunities for continuous learning and personal growth. In my previous job, I took the initiative to upskill by learning new programming languages, which helped the team improve our system’s efficiency. I'm excited about this role because I see opportunities to grow and learn, especially in [specific area related to the job]."

3. Focus on Positive Impact

Explain how being able to contribute to the success of a team or company motivates you. Emphasize your desire to make a difference.

Example:
"I'm motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the success of a team. I thrive on collaboration and seeing projects come to life. Being able to support my team and help the company achieve its goals is what drives me, and I’m eager to do that in a larger and more impactful way in this position."

4. Emphasize Intrinsic Motivation

Mention any intrinsic motivation, such as a passion for the industry or a specific field of work, that makes you eager to contribute.

Example:
"I’m passionate about developing AI solutions that can solve real-world problems. The chance to work on innovative projects and see how they can make an impact motivates me to push the boundaries of what’s possible. This role would allow me to do just that, which is why I’m so excited about it."

Tips for Answering:

• Be Genuine: Share something that truly motivates you rather than giving a generic answer.
• Relate to the Job: Make sure your motivation ties directly to the responsibilities or goals of the role you're applying for.
• Show Enthusiasm: Let your excitement for the job and the industry come through in your answer.

This approach will help you provide a thoughtful, authentic answer that resonates with the interviewer and highlights your enthusiasm for the role.