Facebook is one of today's most sought-after employers. It regularly lands on LinkedIn's list of the most attractive employers, due to factors like high employee engagement, demand and retention. Even as Facebook stock has weathered a turbulent month, the company remains one of Silicon Valley's hottest employers.
It should come as no surprise then that many companies are borrowing the social media giant's interview practices in order to find great employees, asking its go-to interview question: "On your very best day at work— the day you come home and think you have the best job in the world — what did you do that day?"
"Knowing the best way to answer it needs to become a key part of your job-hunt preparation," bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch tells CNBC Make It.
Unlike interview questions that focus on identifying your skills, this query tries to "suss out what you love doing."
And, Welch explains, even if what you're good at and what you love doing are different, you should always deliver an honest answer to this question. She provides this example from her own career: "I'm a good editor, and I enjoy working with journalists as they craft their stories — but I love helping people navigate their careers. We have skills and we have passions. It's okay if they're different."
Welch says that when asking this question, "every hiring manager knows there can be a gap between a person's passion and their skill set."
You should never simply say what you think a hiring manager might want to hear. Instead, she suggests being transparent with your interviewer about the things that excite you, whether it's "crunching numbers until a solution pops out, winning over a difficult client or coaching a junior colleague through a tough assignment."
"Mention the stuff that makes your heart sing," she says. "Don't be afraid to go there."
"Being honest about what you love doing," Welch emphasizes, "won't diminish the skills you have. In fact, being enthusiastic about what you love doing can make you a better, more rounded, more real candidate. And what's not to like about that?"
Suzy Welch is the co-founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute and a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker. Think you need Suzy to fix your career? Email her at gettowork@cnbc.com.
Video by Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo
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