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Top Culture Fit Questions

How to Answer: What are you Passionate About?

 The reason interviewers ask this question is because they’re trying to get a sense of who you are beyond your resume, and to know that you can commit to something and see it through to completion. This is a great chance for you to show what makes you a unique and well-rounded person and to demonstrate the value you could bring to the team!

Here are some interview tips that will help you nail this answer.

Talk about what excites you.

Your personal values and interests are part of what makes you unique, and talking about them is a great way of showing how your passions have shaped who you are both personally and professionally. Talking about what excites you is also a great way to humanize yourself in the interview and become more than just a resume. Plus, it’ll help the interviewer to remember you.

Show how you’ve made your passion a part of your life.

Whether you’re interested in animal rights or basketball, the passion itself is not as important as how you talk about it. Be specific and give the interviewer a sense of how that interest fits into your life. For example, if you’ve been an animal rights advocate for a long time and you volunteer at a shelter, explain how that experience has shaped you and what you’ve learned from it.

Say something like: “I’ve always loved animals and I had several dogs growing up. During my first semester of college, I started volunteering at the local animal shelter. I’m passionate about working with animals because so many pets end up abandoned and I want to help them find good homes.”

Pro Tip: Whatever your passion, make sure to clarify that devoting time to it won’t change the time and commitment you’re able to put into your work.

Show how your passions drive you to succeed.

Once you’ve established what your passions are and shown that you’re dedicated to them, talk about how those passions have driven you to succeed. This will show the interviewer that you’re able to use your personal interests to set goals and achieve them!

No matter what the passion, showing that you’re able to turn your interests into achievements is a great way to demonstrate long-term thinking and to show employers that you could help them meet their goals.

Say something like:Volunteering has given me the chance to not only work with animals but to also learn about nonprofit organizations, which has given me hands-on experience of company operations and helped to shape my career goals.”

Answering “What are you passionate about?” is a great way of showing potential employers that there’s more to you than what they can see on a resume. In addition to showing that you’re a well-rounded person, it’s also a great way to prove that you’re able to set goals and achieve results based on those goals. Added bonus: You may find out you have some things in common with the interviewer!

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Dress for a Job Interview at a Bank and find answers to common interview questions such as What Gets You Up in the Morning?