What are you passionate about?

After the “so tell me about yourself” ice-breaking prompt, one of the most common questions my Clients are asked by Companies interviewing them is “what are you passionate about?”

My initial reaction has always been “it is none of your @&@& problem.” Why on earth should it matter to my future employer and colleagues what I am passionate about. They shouldn’t care how I spend my free time outside work. Whether it is collecting 19th-century stamps or observing the puzzling reproduction cycle of seahorses.

And obviously, I was wrong.

My initial reaction was based on a simple misunderstanding. For me, passion is automatically directed towards my personal centers of interest. Whether it is ultra-endurance sporting events, mountaineering, or even paragliding. I did not realize that the “actual” question is “what are you passionate about - at work?”

Don’t worry most candidates make the same mistake. And almost systematically, a candidate will share what she does on weekends.

Once you realize that the hiring team wants to explore your passion at work you will certainly come up with a more pertinent answer.

The idea of passion is closely associated with one of purpose. At work, you tend to be passionate about results that matter not only to you but also to a broader audience. The “change the world” motto is not only for dreamers and entrepreneurs. Even large companies want to have a positive impact on the world and the communities they interact with.

If what you do or what you are engaged in truly matters to you - ie purpose - you are likely to be passionate about it.

And this is where the original question is aiming at.

Positive psychology has demonstrated that passion is an essential foundation for long-term motivation.

And - guess what - motivation is a sustainable fuel for performance.

And future - sustainable - performance is actually what all hiring firms are looking for when assessing candidates.

"Passion turns into Motivation which translates into Performance"

Hence, the answer to the question “what are you passionate about?” shall be focusing on what is important for you at work. What challenges are critical to you. And why do you want to be part of the solution? How do you plan to tackle those challenges? And what skills, competencies, and personality traits do you bring to the table to support your selection as a candidate for the role at stake?

If you read those lines, you now realize that what appeared initially as a rather innocuous and somewhat irrelevant question turns out to be the most penetrating one.

If you want to work with me to prepare for your next interview and to make sure you nail this critical question, book a free Career Coaching introductory session now!