Interviewers often ask some seemingly easy questions, but they turn out to be the ones that are the most difficult to answer. One such question is, “What are you most excited about at work?” After all, this is not a complex technical question but a somewhat personal one that you should be able to answer because you know yourself, right?
However, that is not often the case. Although only you know what excites you about your job, it can sometimes be very difficult to articulate. Especially if you have to face a panel of interviewers and there is the added pressure of your employment depending on it.
What keeps you excited about work may differ greatly from what makes someone else enthusiastic about their work. Hence, there are no tried-and-tested answers that you can repeat and hope to make an impact. Trying to sound excited when you are not will make you seem fake, and your recruiters will see right through you.
As a result, the best approach to answering this question is to be honest and check a few factors that can help you frame your answer. The question can also have variations like, “What excites you about working for our company?” Here is how you can go about answering it.
Why Do Employers Ask the Question, “What Makes You Happy at Work?”
Employers often ask open-ended questions to their candidates to see how they respond when they are given a chance to express themselves. In addition, no one wants to work with an employee who lacks enthusiasm.
Over time, they become disinterested and disgruntled workers who become a liability. Employers want to know whether the candidate is truly passionate about what they want to do, as happy employees go out of their way to become assets to the organization. They use their problem-solving skills to come up with remarkable solutions to problems and, over time, emerge as leaders who want to give back to the organization that gave them a satisfying and meaningful career.
Besides, they also figure out whether the employee will fit into their work environment and if they have similar working styles and the same work ethics. Hence, understanding what makes the employee happy at work gives the employer an idea of whether their mutual interests are aligned and whether they will be willing to be a part of the company in the long run.
How to Answer the Question, “What You Are Most Excited About at Work?”
While talking about what excites you about work, try to answer in a manner that shows you are not just interested in the perks and benefits that come with the job but that you are genuinely motivated by the roles and responsibilities you undertake. And your answers would ring the truest if you genuinely meant what you said.
Here are some ways to figure out what indeed makes you excited about your work:
1. Professional Satisfaction
The first step towards answering this question is figuring out what professional satisfaction means for you. This could mean different things to different people, so you must understand what this means.
You and your coworker might be on the same sales and marketing team. But for your coworkers, professional satisfaction might mean meeting their quarterly targets. For you, it could mean your ability to communicate and convince people to trust you and the brand.
Going to work each day knowing that you can give people exactly what they need to live a better life keeps you excited. And this is what you need to convey to your interviewers based on whatever it is you are passionate about.
2. Healthy Work Environment
Talking about what a healthy work environment means could help you answer this question effectively. A healthy work environment will include a clean and safe workspace, supportive coworkers, competent managers, and an efficient and understanding boss willing to teach and extract the best out of their employees.
Some employers berate their employees every step of the way, hoping to compensate them with gift vouchers or travel tickets to enhance employee satisfaction. This approach hardly ever works in the long term.
Emphasizing that you would rather work for an understanding boss than just stay on for the perks can help you establish what is important.
3. Career Graph
No employee likes stagnation. Be it the compensation package or the enhancement in job roles, one of the things that keeps an employee excited is their ascending career graph.
You can talk about what this means for you and where you intend to see yourself in the next three to five years. You can say that you are excited about the skills you will learn on the job that will automatically come with your new role once you get a promotion. That, in turn, will prepare you for bigger roles in the future.
Do not be afraid to talk about your ambitions, because that is a key component that keeps employees motivated and excited about their jobs. Without progress, no employee would feel excited to come to work every day.
4. Trust in Handling Challenges
One of the things that you can talk about while stating what keeps you excited at work is your employer’s faith in you to handle challenges. While a manager would probably look out for you, it feels exciting when you are not micromanaged every step of the way and your employer trusts you with certain aspects of the job within your pay grade.
Knowing that you have the employer’s trust will only motivate you to deliver better and will keep you excited about the next project that comes your way. It also increases mutual respect and paves the way for better communication.
Your interviewers will know that you are someone who does not back away from a challenge and that you will do your best if they decide to trust you.
How to Align Your Sense of Excitement With the Values of the Organization?
While talking about what makes you happy at work, you must try to include the values of the organization with your personal goals and vision. And for that, you need to do some research about the company’s values and work ethics.
For example, if you say that you are excited about reaching out to more people online to increase the client base, this could clash with a company that believes in meeting people in person to maintain a more intimate and exclusive client base. Hence, it is very important to relate your sense of excitement in a way that aligns with the work culture of the organization.
Also, refrain from saying that the most exciting aspect of the job is the pay package or the travel allowances. Even if that is an important part of the deal, try to talk about something more related to your job role and relate it to the aspects of the employer’s mission that most excite you.
Sample Answers to the Question, “What You Are Most Excited About at Work?”
You will be the best person to answer this question based on your experiences and expectations from the job. However, here are some sample answers to help you frame your response. You can personalize them according to your job role and company objectives.
Sample 1
One of the best things that I love about my work is brainstorming, and being able to work with a splendid team always brings out the best in me.
I have heard your organization has an amazing body of employees, which is what I am most looking forward to. Collaborating and merging various ideas to create something unique has always excited me.
Sample 2
I love to tell stories, and I was a regular contributor to the college magazine. I knew from very early on that I wanted a career in publishing, and being an editor was one of the top jobs on my list.
I am excited to read new stories, get to know new writers and hone my writing skills in the process, and I believe that I can achieve all of that by working for your organization.
Sample 3
Analyzing data has been challenging for me, and the anticipation to see what the data reveals is what makes this job so exciting for me. I was initially apprehensive about becoming a data analyst, but now I love it.
For some, it might be just scrunching numbers and going through a lot of information, but for me, it is like finding gemstones in the sand. And I believe I will be able to learn a lot more in this field while working for your company.
Sample 4
The most exciting part of my job is to get things done systematically. It gives me immense pleasure to see all tasks completed on time, whether by me or my teammates.
I hope to be a manager one day, and it is important for me that everything remains as organized as possible. To stay on top of my work despite setbacks and challenges and yet deliver before the deadline is one of the most exciting things at work.
Sample 5
I have always loved kids. I used to babysit for my sister’s friends, and I started tutoring when I was in high school. Becoming a school teacher was very natural for me, and the opportunity to nurture young minds is something that I find both beautiful and exciting.
To see the little ones learning new things, reaching one milestone after another and most importantly, loving me with all their hearts is the most wonderful thing about my job. I have heard a lot about your school program and curriculum, and I am eager to be a part of it.
Conclusion
Figuring out what excites you the most about your job can be very liberating. Since you spend the better part of your week at work and your work becomes a part of your identity, understanding what excites you and keeps you going can be crucial. It will help you prevent stagnancy in your career and will keep workplace drudgery at bay.
It will help you make better career choices because you are sure about what you are passionate about. All of this will result in a very fulfilling career, and answering this question well during the interview will pave the way for the perfect fit with an organization that understands your dreams.
