How to Answer: It is often said that a career in healthcare is a 'thankless job.' How can we keep you motivated and engaged, even on the days when you feel your work goes unnoticed?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Texas Children's Hospital job interview.
4. It is often said that a career in healthcare is a 'thankless job.' How can we keep you motivated and engaged, even on the days when you feel your work goes unnoticed?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The interviewer would like to know how they could motivate you, even on the most challenging days. They want to see if you require verbal recognition or are motivated solely by your team's success. Talk to the interviewer about how you have stayed motivated in the past.
Written by Krista Wenz on November 6th, 2022
Entry Level Example
"I am an easily motivated individual, and it does not take much to keep me engaged. I am fully aware that healthcare-related positions can seem thankless. Honestly, the best thanks I can get is a pat on the back now and then. The majority of my motivation comes from helping people."
Written by Darby Faubion
Experienced Example
"My chosen career was helping people at exactly the point they were least capable of censoring themselves or giving back. I stopped needing thanks from my patients. It's not that I don't need positive reinforcement. Everyone does. But I made a point to find it elsewhere instead of expecting it from my patients. Nowadays, I make an effort to expressly thank the people I work with when they do a good job. I focus on being grateful to be allowed to see private, raw, emotional parts of people's lives. And I make work-related goals I can achieve for satisfaction."
Written by Darby Faubion