How cute is a 3-year old who is always asking, “why”? After the 87th time he asks you, you want to scream, but answering is how he is learning about the world and you want him to learn EVERYTHING.
In your job interview, your goal is to answer the interviewer’s “why?” You want him to learn EVERYTHING about why you are the perfect fit for the position. To do this, you must first ask yourself this same question. “Why do I do what I do? Why am I the best person for this job? Why should XYZ hire ME over all others?”
As for me…
Why do I help people with their resumes? I write resumes because I love serving others; helping them achieve their goals. My parents owned a family business while I was growing up. I witnessed first-hand their joy as they served others. Owning a business was my parents’ dream come true. My goal is to help others pursue their dreams. Our family business was an ice cream and donut shop in the 1970’s…decades before Baskin Robins joined forces with Dunkin’ Donuts. It was aptly named, The Happy Place, and that is exactly how I remember it…a very happy place for all.
Think about your “why”. What is the story behind your passion? Are you a nurse because your sibling was ill as a child and you want to help others through tough times as the nurses helped your sibling? Are you a teacher because you loved school and truly just wanted to be able to go to school every-single-day for the rest of your life? Are you a writer because your favorite place in the world was the library, reading, and you want to be able to recreate that joy for others? Are you a tax accountant because you love to solve puzzles and searching out the missing pieces? If you don’t know your “why”, then you will not be able to articulate it to others.
Your ”why” doesn’t just define you. It defines who is going to join your tribe, support you, want to hire you, trust you. Human nature draws us to people with whom we share a common passion, goal, purpose, beliefs. Effectively communicating your “why” builds a genuine rapport with others beyond the number of FB Likes, Instagram Followers, or LinkedIn Connections, that have become psuedo benchmarks of success in today’s society.
Embrace your purpose. Own your “why”. Discover your tribe.
There are many blogs out there that can help you identify your “why”. One that I like is Dean Bokhari @ MeaningfulHQ.com, check out his podcast, “The Meaningful Show” if you are looking for inspiration.