How to Answer: What motivates you in life?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Fundraising job interview.
19. What motivates you in life?
How to Answer
The interviewer wants to know that you are a dedicated and motivated worker. Explain to them what motivates you to achieve goals in your personal and/or professional life. If your motivation comes from a sincere connection to the organization's mission and values, it will greatly improve your answer to highlight that.
Written by Isaiah Swanson on April 19th, 2022
Pro Tip
You can think in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors. Intrinsic motivation comes from within yourself and can manifest as personal ambition to arrive at a specific position in life. Extrinsic motivations come from family, friends, or societal expectations. Reflecting on your motivations and the reasons they exist can help you better prepare for answering this question.
Written by Isaiah Swanson on April 19th, 2022
1st Answer Example
"In terms of personal motivations, my devotion to making a comfortable and happy life for my kids drives me to be the best mother I can be. This also motivates me to work harder toward my professional goals. Ever since I began my fundraising career as a small gifts coordinator, I have had the ambition to direct fundraising efforts for refugee empowerment programs. Having personal goals fuel my professional ambitions is ultimately what drives me to achieve success in fundraising."
Written by Isaiah Swanson on April 19th, 2022
2nd Answer Example
"Watching my grandmother slowly succumb to Alzheimer's disease kickstarted my desire to work in this industry. I witnessed the devastating impact of the disease on her and our entire family, and I knew that I needed to channel those emotions into work that could find ways to stop it. I learned everything I could about Alzheimer's as a research assistant in graduate school, and I also learned that life-changing research only happens with the proper funding. From there, I decided I could have the greatest impact by applying my sales background to a career in fundraising for Alzheimer's research. My personal connection to this work motivates me every single day."
Written by Isaiah Swanson on April 19th, 2022