Career Planning Finding a Job Interview Strategies Interview Question: What is Your Work Philosophy By Alison Doyle Alison Doyle Alison Doyle is one of the nation’s foremost career experts. learn about our editorial policies Updated on August 26, 2021 In This Article View All In This Article What is Work Philosphy? Determining Your Work Philosophy What the Interviewer Expects Share Examples Photo: Eric Audras / Getty Images Interviewers for professional positions will often ask about your work philosophy, and they’ll want to hear examples that illustrate your philosophy in action. You’ll get this question most often in careers that involve counseling, nursing, teaching, and executive management. What is Work Philosphy? Your work philosophy is the approach you adopt in your work. It shows your potential employer whether or not you will fit in with the style or culture of the company. Interviewers ask these types of questions to build up a picture of your values and to determine whether your philosophy is consistent with the orientation of their organization. Note Think of your philosophy as your brand, a clear-cut statement of who you are and how you apply that to your work. Determining Your Work Philosophy Don’t be daunted trying to define yourself. There are tools you can use to create a philosphy that includes your personal and professional goals. Do a self-assessment for your career. Think about what makes you good at what you do. For example, are you resourceful, someone who can think outside the box and find a solution no matter the limitations? Or are you a hard worker, giving that 110% effort every day? Are you a team player, someone who sees teamwork as essential to a successful organization? These are categories of attitudes toward work that make up a personal philosophy. Other categories include creativity, learning from failure or mistakes, being a visionary, dedication to helping or serving, motivation, being adaptable to new or constantly changing circumstances, ability to balance, thriving on uniqueness, being focused, or providing strong leadership. No one is just one of these categories. Note If you have any network connections at the company, you can also set up an informational interview to learn about the workplace culture. What the Interviewer Expects Your interviewer wants to hear many things in a job interview, but most of all, a potential employer wants to know what to expect from you as an employee. So be ready with a well-thought-out, intelligent answer. Keep it Focused Before you even start thinking about the details, keep in mind that honesty about yourself and your philosophy goes without saying. Don’t just makeup things about yourself to fit the job. If you have to do that, then that job probably isn’t right for you. As your craft, your philosophy, remind yourself to be real and be consistent. Explain Your Philosophy Interviewers want to see a philosophy that reflects enthusiasm for your work, a strong work ethic and the depth of your experience. For some positions, potential employers may also be testing to see if you’ve kept up with trends in your field. Your resume details your work experience, but your philosophy sums up how you approach your work and what makes you successful at it. That gets to the heart of the matter for interviewers. Note If you have any network connections at the company, you can also set up an informational interview to learn about the workplace culture. It may help to review some of the theorists who have shaped current practices in your field, but it is acceptable to mention that you are eclectic in your approach, tailoring your actions based on the situation. Just make sure you can describe the specific approaches you most often take to back up your answers. Share Examples When asking follow-up questions, interviewers may ask for examples of how you have applied your philosophy. So be ready to describe specific situations, the actions you took, and the positive results you generated through your approach. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. ResearchGate. "The Philosophy of Work—Based on Four Stories." Accessed Aug. 29, 2021.