"What motivates you?" answer template (A2, B1, B2)

How to use this template

Choose the level that fits your English and fill every blank with a true detail from your own work, in 3 parts: Real reason, Example and Link. Plan your example on the STAR worksheet, tick the checklist, then say the answer out loud.

A2 template: simple English

Short sentences, one idea in each. Good if your English is basic or you feel nervous.

  1. Real reason: I like ________ (one thing at work).
  2. Example: For example, ________ (short moment).
  3. Link: This job has ________ (that thing).

B1 template: linked sentences

Joins your ideas with because, and, then and so. Good for most interviews.

  1. Real reason: What motivates me most is ________ (real reason, for example helping people).
  2. Example: For example, ________ (moment at work), and that made me feel ________ (feeling).
  3. Link: This role gives me more of that, because ________ (reason).

B2 template: fuller answer

Adds a reason, a result and a little more detail. Use it if you can say it without reading.

  1. Real reason: I am mostly motivated by ________ (reason), more than by ________ (something less important to you).
  2. Example: One moment that showed me this was when ________ (situation), and ________ (what happened).
  3. Link: That is a big part of why this role appeals to me: ________ (link to the job).

STAR worksheet: plan your example

Your answer needs one true example. Plan it here in notes, not full sentences, then use it in the "Example" part of the template.

Situation

Where you learned about this employer or role: the advert, the website, a visit, a person.

Task

What you want from your next job, in one honest line.

Action

What you have already done that prepares you for it.

Result

What you will bring, and what you hope to learn there.

Checklist before you say it

Tick each point when it is true for your answer.

  • Real reason: Name one honest thing that gives you energy at work: helping people, a team that works well, doing a task properly, or learning.
  • Example: Give a short moment from work that shows it.
  • Link: Connect it to this job.
  • Avoided: Saying only "money." Pay matters, but it does not tell them how you work.
  • Out loud: I said the whole answer out loud, with only true details, in about one minute or less.

A finished answer to compare

This is one way a warehouse operative might answer. Compare it with your template: the same parts, with real details. Do not copy it.

Warehouse Operative answer

I am motivated by doing a job properly and seeing the results at the end of a shift. I like knowing my orders went out correct and on time. I also like working on a team where everyone does their part safely. A well-run site like this one is where I work best.

The full Warehouse Operative answer page

Learn more about this question

Questions people ask

Should I learn the template answer by heart?

No. Learn the order of the 3 parts (Real reason, Example and Link) and your own details, then say it in your own words. A memorised answer can sound flat, and an interviewer may ask a follow-up question.

Which level should I use for "What motivates you?"?

Use the level you can say without reading. If you are not sure, start with A2, say it out loud twice, and move to B1 when it feels easy. A short, clear answer is better than a long one that is hard to follow.

How do I print this template?

Use the Print or save as PDF button near the top of the page, or your browser's print menu. Only the template is printed, without the menus and buttons.

Practise this answer aloud

Say your answer to "What motivates you?" out loud or type it, and see what an interviewer may notice and what to fix first. Free to start, no card needed.

Practise this answer aloud

What this site cannot tell you

These pages describe what interviewers commonly look for. They cannot tell you what a specific interviewer decided, and nothing here guarantees an interview, an offer or a visa. Practising is preparation — it shows you what to fix next.