Answering ‘What Are You Passionate About?’ In A Job Interview

Interviewing is stressful, and one of the most challenging questions to answer is “What are you passionate about?” It’s a tough question because it may be unclear how to answer it in a way that seems relevant to the job—and it’s uncomfortable to be under the interviewer’s microscope, feeling the pressure to put yourself in your best light.

Preparing for this question is important to getting the role though, because the job market is challenging and the competition is fierce. Fully 73% of people experience frustration with the job search process, according to a survey by The Harris Poll conducted for Bloomberg, and 73% also say they have declining faith in the system, based on data from Monster,

But if you are prepared to demonstrate your capability and your confidence, you can shine through the difficulty and increase your chances of getting the job.

Why Interviewers Ask, “What Are You Passionate About”

Why is this an important question that is often included in interviews? While it may seem too personal or unrelated to the job, interviewers have legitimate reasons for asking questions about your passions. They want to know what you’re interested in and what motivates you—and they want to know your strengths. They also want to know if you’re self-aware and able to reflect on what you most enjoy.

Employers understand that if you’re doing things that you like and that you’re good at, you’re more likely to be engaged, more satisfied, do great work and stay with the organization.

How Interviewers Ask About Your Passions

What are the different potential versions of the question, “What are you passionate about?”

You’ll want to listen for interviewers to ask a question about your passion in multiple ways. They may ask directly, “What are you passionate about?” But they may also ask questions like,

• What energizes you?
• What do you like to do outside of work?
• What are you most enthusiastic to do on the job?
• What do you do best?
• What kind of work makes you most excited?
• What do you find most engaging?

No matter how they ask the question, be sure you’re ready with the key themes you want to communicate as well as a few examples—so you have ideas prepared, especially if they ask multiple questions or ask follow up questions.

How to Answer “What Are You Passionate About”

So how should someone answer, “What are you passionate about?” in an interview? And what are key points or themes that should be included in the response? These are the specific ways you can answer the question most successfully.

1. Be Authentic

Perhaps most important is that you talk about something you’re genuinely passionate about. If you choose something contrived, the interviewer will be able to tell. A lack of transparency will detract from your credibility and ability to build rapport with the interviewer.

Communicate key points about what you’re interested in, what energizes you and what you’re drawn to.

2. Give an Example

Bring your answer to life by providing an example of how you’ve experienced your passion.

3. Provide a ‘Why’

You’ll make your answer relevant by clarifying why you love the activity—being sure to choose something that you can relate back to the job.

Perhaps you love tutoring children because you especially love to coach others and bring them along—and you appreciate working together with teammates to coach and guide. Or maybe you enjoy deep sea fishing because it requires knowledge of ocean currents and regional weather patterns, and you love the process of learning and expanding your capabilities—which you’ll be enthusiastic to do in the job as well.

4. Link Your Passion to the Job

Of course, the most important portion of your answer is how you link your answer to the job you’re applying for. You can connect almost any passion to a job by emphasizing your strengths or positive characteristics.

Coaching others or learning are examples. You might also talk about how much you love hiking and you appreciate not only being out in nature, but the analytical process of mapping the trails, planning for elevations and establishing best practices for taking necessary provisions—all of which relate to the analytical nature of the job you’re applying for.

Or you may love to travel, including the emphasis on managing the details of flights, hotels and scheduling tours—much like the project management aspects of the job you want. Or you may love painting or pottery—and creating something new and always applying fresh thinking—much like the ways you’ll apply innovative approaches to the job you’re seeking.

Be Yourself

When you’re talking about your passion, be yourself and let your enthusiasm come through as you answer. You’ll build trust with the interviewer when you demonstrate that you’re open and genuine about what you’re sharing.

You’ll also need to find the balance of sharing something real, and not sounding like you’re forcing a connection. You probably have a few different passions, so choose one that you can relate to the job you want—and ensure you can effectively and meaningfully articulate the links.

By letting your passion show, you’ll be able to give yourself a terrific advantage over other candidates—and get the job.