What gets you up in the morning is a question that we hear often these days in interviews, especially in senior leadership interviews conducted in recent years.
In an interview, the interviewer always tries to get a look at the interviewee’s life so that they can know and understand their personality as well as their suitability for the job. They ask all sorts of questions to know more so that they can hire the best suitable candidate out of many who come for an interview.
Each interview has some questions which repeat again and again and a few questions which are asked according to the situation and the requirement of the job. In the time of the internet and globalization, it is easier to prepare for the job interview to match the standard which makes the interviewer ask a question that is different and can help.
The interviewer tries different tactics to get the information out of the interviewee. The best way to answer the question is to use your mind properly and understand what interviewer trying to ask.
In this article, we are going to discuss how to answer “what gets you up in the morning?” properly so that you can turn mood in your favor. Read this article to know more about how to answer such questions without any hitch.
The very first thing you need to know when it comes to answering a tricky question is how to understand what interviewer trying to ask you properly. You can only answer when you understand the question clearly.
Before answering any question, you must know a few important aspects of the interview question.
Reasons for Asking this Question:
Interviewers nowadays not only focus on subjective knowledge but also looks for candidate having soft skills like communication skills, behavioral skills, problem-solving skills, etc.
Any question asked in an interview by the interviewer would be having a special purpose, so while giving answers, the candidate needs to focus on it and then answer. Some of the reasons would be,
- How good are you as a team member
- What do you value the most in life
- What are the things that motivate you
- What are your passions
On the whole, he wants to know more about the candidate other than work experience and skills.
So it is better to make use of such opportunities to tune in yourself and stand out among others.
How to Prepare Your Answer For What Gets You Going:
- Provide the details on how your special skills would benefit the organization
- Showcase your background as well as strengths
- Make use of examples to make your answer convincible
- Mention a few special skills that you are good at doing
- Explain the values that impacted your life the most
- Speak about your career goals and plans on how to execute them
- Talk to them on what inspires you both professionally and personally
How to Answer “What Gets You Up in the Morning?”
1. Understand the question:
Understanding the question is not an easier task especially when you are sitting in an interview. There can be a different meaning to a question based on the way the interviewer asking the question as well as the organization you are giving the interview for.
You can deliver up to the marked answer only when you understand the hidden meaning behind the question, as questions are the testaments where interviewer test interviewee to know they are qualified or not. Understanding the question is the first step of the successful interview which involves you getting the job.
2. Find the actual motive of question:
There can be a different meaning to a question or different intentions as it all depends on the interviewer and what he wants from you. It is important for you to find the actual motive of the question to know the level of the question and how deeply it’s going to impact.
Observe the body language of the interviewer, the tone he is using for the question and the manner he delivered the question, these are the observation which will help you in finding the actual motive of the question and help you in answering the response interviewer is looking for.
3. Do not indulge in too many details:
It is good to give some much-needed information with your answer but if you love explaining till the end then it may create problems for you as you have limited time and there are other candidates as well.
In actual, the way you answer to show your personality and the way you handle the situations in your workplace, too much detailed information leaves the impression that you are trying very hard to impress and your lack of knowledge.
So, be careful while delivering your answer, give information which is important and directly related to the question. Do not indulge in the details which are not needed at the moment.
4. Use personal as well as professional experience while explaining:
A few examples here and there can help a great deal in answering the question because they make our sentiments more clearly in the answer which helps in answering, interviewer asking for.
When you share your experience while answering the question, it makes your answer more true and realistic. You can use your experience as an example from your personal and professional life but avoid too many details as it will look like you are praising yourself. Prefer example from your professional life over personal life as your professional life examples have more effect than a personal one.
5. Give a brief description with a clear point:
Giving answers as per need is not something everyone can do, as it needs experience, patience, and knowledge but when you sitting in an interview and answering the question, keep your descriptions brief.
Making a clear point also helps in delivering the message you want to the interviewer. Choose your word carefully while answering. Give a brief description and a clear point to increase the power of your answer.
It is important to understand the question before the answer. “What Gets You Up in the Morning?” this is the question that can create trouble for you if you don’t understand the meaning behind it.
You need to answer cleverly so that you can use this question as an opportunity to benefit your overall interview as well as can impress the interviewer. Here are a few steps which can help to answer the question
Steps to Answer Interview Question: What Gets You Up in the Morning?
1. Listen carefully:
Yes, a very first step in answering this question. Listen to your interviewer very carefully throughout the interview as his/her questions are the gateway for your job.
When an interviewer asks the question “what gets you up in the morning?” he/she simply tries to know your personality and how you are as a human being which helps a great deal in selecting the right candidate for the job. Listen to question carefully as it helps you in preparing your answer and what you are going to say.
2. Centralize your thoughts on the question only:
The preoccupied minds always cause unnecessary trouble and in the case of an interview, a potential job. When you sit in an interview centralize your mind and thought on the question only, especially to this one as it reveals about you as a person as well as what approach you use for life. The concentrated mind can only deliver a thoughtful answer so keep all your thoughts centralize on the question and clear your mind of all other issues.
3. Understand the reason for the question:
There is always some motive behind every question the interviewer asks, they do their best in their abilities to choose the right candidate for the job and they will not waste precious time over useless questions. Try to understand the reason why the interviewer asking such a question by reading body language, a way of speaking and tone him/her uses to ask a question.
When you know the reason behind the question, you can answer more strategically to satisfy the interviewer as well as this question holds your image as a person overall, so understanding the reason becomes more important.
4. Answer strategically:
Answering the question in an interview is not an easy task as most interviewees get nervous and make silly mistakes. It is important to plan your answer strategically while answering a question like “what gets you up in the morning?” as they are tricky questions that give an insight into your personal life and what kind of person you are.
Planning your answer in a way that works in our favor is called strategy and a smart interviewee always understands the importance of a well-planned answer.
You cannot recite your answer beforehand as you don’t know the answer so plan how you are going to tackle questions so that you can easily answer such questions.
5. Connect with job applying for:
It is good to connect your answer to the job you are applying for. When you connect your answer to the job, it shows how compatible you are for the job and increases the chance of you getting the job.
Do not force an unnecessary connection between your answer and the job you are applying for because the question as such is asked to know more about the interviewee, but you can relate how productive he is in the job.
Many things depend on the fact who you are and how you live your life and when you connect questions like “what gets you up in the morning?” to your job, it shows how dedicated you are for your working.
6. Be honest:
Do not feed a lie to your interviewer as truth will eventually come out. Be honest while you answer in an interview because honesty always helps you in effectively presenting yourself. When you give the honest answer, you let go of the fear of finding out the truth later on and the reciprocation of it. Stick to honesty is the best policy as it will always help you in every situation.
But, being honest doesn’t mean being an idiot. There are so many ways to say the same thing which changes only their effect, not the meaning so, use this tactic if you have any trouble speaking honestly while answering this question.
7. Be detailed:
While answering this question, enhance the outcome of the answer as the answer without any example or detail will not work as it should be.
Include important points and information as well as some positive thoughts about yourself while giving details, as it will present the answer more acceptably and the interviewer has more points to consider while selecting you for the job.
8. Tell how it helps in shaping your career:
‘What gets you up in the morning?’ is kind of question you can easily relate to your career and how it helps you in giving positivity to work and your life.
While answering this question tell the interviewer how it helps in shaping your career and motivate you to achieve more and learn every day. Tell all the positive things and effects it has and how you cherish it.
Mistakes to Avoid While Answering What Gets You Up in the Morning
There are a few mistakes every interviewee makes when answering an important question like “What Gets You Up in the Morning?” A good answer helps in more than one way if delivered correctly and effectively. Avoiding such mistakes can help a great deal in a successful interview.
1. Constant apology:
When you apologize for your mistake you show that you acknowledge your mistake and it presents you as someone responsible but, an apology without mistake looks stupid in an interview.
Do not apologize unnecessarily as it will show you have no backbone and self-respect, apologize for only situation demand or you feel the need for it. Do not just waste your apology for no reason.
2. Overconfidence:
Your confidence is your greatest tool but it tends to get to the head and ruin things. Do not let your ego and confidence to get to your head.
Being overconfident will do no good to you, on the contrary, it will put you on the risk of wasting the opportunity in the form of an interview. Keep your confidence in check as sit in an interview and use it as your greatest tool, not your fallout.
3. Hiding truth:
Don’t try and hide the truth when you sit on the chair of the interviewer and answer the questions asked by the interviewer as truth is bound to come out and it will create problems only.
Telling truth is better than hiding and keep worrying, it also put your job at risk so, do not hide any truth which can ruin your job.
4. Nervous and shy behavior:
It is natural to be nervous in an interview as the interviewer has a potential job in his/her hand and it depends on how the interview went for one to get the job. But overly shy and nervous behavior can work against you as it shows you as an incompetent candidate for the job so work on your shyness and nervousness.
Best Answers For “What gets you up in the morning?
Sample Answer 1:
Sample Answer 2:
Sample Answer 3:
Conclusion:
In this article, we have talked about How to Answer “What Gets You Up in the Morning?” in detail to help you. We hope this article can help as clearing an interview, isn’t an easier task and we give our best wishes.
