Today find out two unexpected questions that one listener was asked in a job interview.
This listener is from South Korea and has been applying for jobs in New Zealand.
When we interview in a new culture there can be many questions that are unexpected.
We can learn a lot about the values of a company and even about the values of a culture based on the questions we get.
The listener has been on five job interviews and in every single interview he has been surprised to get questions about both passion and commitment.
This seemed surprising to him.
These are not typical questions in interviews in his home country.
This is not surprising to us in the United States.
These are common questions in American culture and probably they are common in New Zealand where he is interviewing as well.
Passion and commitment are a big deal when it comes to your career in the US.
Many people in the US want to have their career be their passion.
Tips on passion in your career:
- Work in an area that you’re passionate about. We spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in our job. We have to enjoy it.
Phrases to say you are passionate:
- “This work satisfies me because…”
- “The thing I am most passionate about in my work is….”
- “I am passionate about _____”
Phrases to show your commitment:
- “As you can see from my previous work experience I am committed to my work”
- “When I start a project I commit to it 100%”
- “I like to see things through to completion”
We did an episode back in 2013 about passions versus strengths in our career.
Also you can listen to Episode 220 with Laura Garnett about The Zone of Genius.
What’s the takeaway?
- Be prepared for these questions about passion and commitment
- Expect job interview questions to be different in a new culture
- Use these phrases and prepare by thinking about what aspect of your career you are passionate about
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Let us know what you thought about today’s episode.
