#19 This Job Interview Question Showed Me How I Can Add More Joy to My Life

I was so excited to answer it!

A former office crush once told me that I should actively go on job interviews, even if I have no plans on leaving my job. Apparently, it would be a good exercise. I didn’t really understand what he meant, but I told him off because why the hell would I want to entertain other opportunities when I was perfectly happy working with him ‘til death do us part?

Kidding aside, since that conversation I’ve changed jobs thrice, shifted careers, and jumped to the other side (that is, from the “client side” to the “agency side”). So, yes, I’ve gone through more than a handful of interviews. Needless to say, not all of them have been successful. But for all the hassle and anxiety that job interviews cause, I’ve learned to see an underrated benefit from subjecting yourself to them: They facilitate self-clarity.

Preparing for an interview forces you to pause, revisit your experiences, ask yourself simple but critical questions (What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? What’s your goal? How does this opportunity align with yourself?), and articulate your answers as well as you can.

Sometimes, however, it’s the interview itself that can reveal or elucidate something about yourself. And I’m here to tell you about such an experience—or more specifically, about one question that helped me clarify what really brings me joy. And let me just say: this is probably the most invigorating, most gratifying question I’ve had the pleasure of answering in a job interview.

But before I share the question and the pleasure of answering it for yourself, I want you to promise me something: Capture the first thing that comes to mind. This isn’t the time to overthink. (When is it ever?) We are after your most visceral truth. Okay?

Okay. Here it is:

What gives you wings?

…

…

…

I know this question has various, rather vanilla alternatives: “What motivates you?” or “What fuels you?” or maybe even “What’s your passion?” But what makes this version so powerful to me is the imagery. When I was asked this, I instinctively imagined myself high up in the air. And I had to think: What’s making it possible for me to fly?

In hindsight, I’m surprised by how simple my response was. So now I’ll briefly share it—and how I’ve been able to lead with this insight!

My first answer was people. (Yes, I insisted on giving two answers. After all, wings come in pairs, right?) Truthfully, it came as a bit of a shock given that I can’t say where exactly I lean more on the introvert-extrovert spectrum. But, much as I love and need my alone time, I realize that connecting with people really gives me so much life.

This is one big reason why the digital nomad/self-employed life had very fleeting appeal to me. (I’ve written about it in length here.) I’m not saying people who are employed as such have lives that are void of human connection. But I find that connecting—finding, building, and nourishing those connections—is just more inherent to the nature of a regular day-job. I like that I get to be part of a team—be around a fixed set of people—and have a mentor (maybe even two!). I like that we all operate within a structure where we are not only bonded by a mutual goal, but also have the chance to get to know each other outside of our jobs. There are also plenty of opportunities to learn from and be inspired by new resource people.

Deep relationships, rich interactions, incredible life stories—these give me wings.

Which brings me to my second answer: stories.

Stories give me wings in a 360 degree kind of way. I feel it when I get to create, edit, polish, publish, present, consume, tell, share, listen to, and lift from them. Few things in life can buoy my spirit the way that a compelling and masterfully-told story can. This is why I write and make space for my craft in my daily life.

And there you have it. One lovely and enlightening question: What gives you wings?

But wait! This can’t end with just an answer! Insight is nothing if not acted on. If you already know what gives you wings, how can you champion it? What can you do to inject even just a little bit more of it into your life?

Feel free to share in the comments your answer/s! It is a safe space for your honesty. :)

If you liked this, help your girl out & like this post! Or recommend it to someone who might relate. You can also comment on the post or reply to this email. In any case, it’ll really motivate me! (which I definitely need, lol) ♡