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Essay Samples on Someone Who Inspires Me

At its core, inspiration is a powerful force that ignites passion, propels dreams, and molds individuals into extraordinary beings. It is the vibrant pulse that surges through our veins, pushing us to achieve greatness even in the face of adversity. Crafting an essay about someone who inspires you allows you to shine a spotlight on the transformative power of such individuals.

How to Write an Essay on Someone Who Inspires Me

Here are some useful example you shpuld consider when writing a college essay about someone who inspires you:

Consider beginning with a heartfelt introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and sets the stage for the awe-inspiring journey to come.
Share a personal anecdote or a defining moment that sparked the connection between you and your inspirational figure, allowing the reader to empathize with your experience.
Delve into the qualities and actions that make this individual so inspiring. Explore their accomplishments, perseverance, and unwavering determination. Showcase how their words and deeds have impacted your life, shaping your values and aspirations. Be vivid and descriptive, illustrating the profound influence they have had on your personal growth and development.
Weave in personal reflections throughout your essay. Share introspective thoughts and revelations, highlighting the lessons you have learned and the ways in which your perspective has evolved. By doing so, you invite the reader to embark on a transformative journey alongside you, creating a powerful emotional connection.

To aid you in your writing process, we provide a sample essay about someone who inspires you. It serves as a guiding light, illustrating the structure, tone, and depth needed to craft an outstanding piece. Drawing inspiration from this sample, embrace your unique voice, infuse your essay with passion, and let your words leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of the readers.

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A Beacon of Inspiration: A Descriptive Peace about the Person I Admire

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Best topics on Someone Who Inspires Me

1. A Bond Beyond Words: Reflecting on My Relationship with Someone Special

2. A Beacon of Inspiration: A Descriptive Peace about the Person I Admire

3. A Person I Will Always Remember: My English Teacher

4. My Grandmother as My Role Model: Her Role in Shaping My Identity

5. My Role Model and My Heroes: Mother and Father

6. Audrey Hepburn: Life Of A Timeless Inspiration Of Mine

7. Oprah Winfrey and Ariana Grande: Women That Inspire Me

8. St. Bernadette: The Woman That Inspires Me

9. Simone De Beauvoir One of the Greatest Woman

10. Ned Kelly: American Hero Or Villain

11. Joan of Arc One of the Most Heroic Women in French History

12. Who Inspired Me to Become a Nurse

13. Mary Kom, The Person Who Inspired Me to Pursue My Dreams

14. The People Who Shaped Me

15. Three People Who Influenced Me Throughout My Life

Career Goals
Personal Experience
Personality

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Interview Questions

Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

Answers to “Who Inspires You?” (5 Examples)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 15, 2023

In a job interview, employers don’t just want to know you can do the job; they want to know about your life and interests.

So they ask interview questions like, “Who inspires you in your life?” or “Who is your greatest inspiration?”

And if you struggle to answer or give a response they don’t like, it could cost you the job.

Keep reading for tips on how to answer, “Who inspires you?” with example responses, mistakes to avoid, and more.

How to Answer the “Who Inspires You?” Interview Question

First of all, this is an incredibly open-ended interview question.

And while there are no wrong responses… some answers are better than others.

You could answer that your mother or father is your greatest inspiration. And that would be an okay answer.

But I recommend you look beyond a personal or family connection when answering, and consider the specific job you’re interviewing for.

Because the next question you’ll be asked, assuming you don’t expand on it in the first place, is “why?”

What did your mother, father, college teacher , or other personal connection do that was so inspiring? Was it their work ethic? Leadership skills?

Again, any of those answers are correct, but your answer will stand out and resonate more with the interviewer if you go into detail and ideally, tailor your answer to the traits required in the position you’re discussing.

Here’s a good example of how to answer this interview question by matching your inspiration to the job.

Imagine you’re looking for a career with a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide aid to the homeless, the sick, and the poor.

Claiming Mother Teresa as your greatest inspiration would be a sensible answer to the question.

She devoted most of her life to charitable work, helping the homeless, sick, and poor.

Or, if you were interviewing for a leadership position, you could use someone past or present who showed exemplary leadership as your inspiration.

Just be sure to pick someone you really admire because there’s a good chance your body language will give you away if you’re lying.

And yes, don’t be surprised if the recruiter or manager has some skill at reading body language.

The point is, your answer not only provides some insight into the person you aspire to be, but also highlights the type of behavioral patterns and attitudes you admire and respect.

And that will translate into the type of person you would be on the job.

Here’s another example of thinking about the job when answering “Who inspired you in your life?”

Imagine you’re interviewing for an accounting position. The soft skills you’ll need are:

Problem-solving
Strong communication skills, both written and oral
Critical thinking
Time management

You could use some famous accountants as your answer, perhaps someone like William Deloitte or William Cooper, the founders of Deloitte & Touche and Price Waterhouse Coopers respectively.

Or you could think outside the box and use as your inspiration someone who was or is well known for their critical thinking or problem-solving skills.

Of course, if you go this route, you need to clearly communicate your reasoning to your interviewer.

If you were to throw out Albert Einstein as your inspiration, that might not make sense to the person or people interviewing you because he’s a well-known physicist. But dig a little deeper and he’s also famous for being a problem solver and critical thinker, so you could talk about how he inspired you in those areas.

Throw an answer like that out and trust me, you’ll gain some serious credibility points.

As you can see, there’s no one “right” answer to this interview question. The key is to be able to explain why you choose the person and connect the dots between their story and your career and life goals.

Who Inspires You? Example Answers

Next, we’ll look at word-for-word who inspires you examples using people, past or present, who led a life that meshes with your career path and interests.

Example #1 for Who Inspires You: Mother Teresa

Someone who inspired me in my personal life and work is Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to helping those less fortunate, and I’d like to achieve a similar story when I look back on my life. Also, I believe that her desire to help others made her a great leader, even though few would think of her that way. One of my favorite quotes by her is, “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

This sample answer would be excellent if interviewing for a position at a charitable organization or other socially conscious organization.

It’s also a good answer for any role utilizing soft skills like leadership, empathy, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and more.

No matter what your religious beliefs are (and I would recommend you don’t address them in the job interview), using this example answer with the reasons above would work in your favor and help you land any leadership role in an organization that values helping others.

Example #2 for Who Inspires You: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein has inspired me in my career. His theories and vision enabled some of the technology we take for granted today, like GPS, lasers, atomic clocks, and much more. He also struggled with and had to overcome self-doubt, like so many people do. The fact that even he faced self-doubt is inspiring and reminds me to be persistent and believe in myself.

Albert Einstein would be a great choice for the “Who inspires you” interview question for anyone seeking a position in a company that requires creativity. For example:

Any kind of artist
Authors/writers
College art, drama, or music teachers
Editors, print or video
Fashion designer
Industrial designer
Landscape architects

Example #3 for Who Inspires You: Michael Jordan

I’ve been inspired by Michael Jordan. He was talented, but more importantly, he was willing to outwork the competition and focus intensely on his goals. He was relentless and never stopped pushing himself to improve. One excellent piece of advice he shared was to never forget the fundamentals. “The minute you get away from fundamentals, whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation, the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.”

This is an interview answer that you could use for virtually any type of job.

In the corporate world, there are fundamentals critical to your success. Each job position will have its own fundamentals, but Jordan’s advice is that whatever they are, keep at them.

He also didn’t let failure stop him, which you can also say was inspiring to you. Ironically, when he was in high school, he was disqualified from the varsity basketball team because he wasn’t tall enough or good enough.

What did he do? Well, he eventually grew but more importantly, he practiced until he was good enough.

All of the factors above make Michael Jordan an excellent choice for someone you find inspiring.

Note that you could also choose a more recent athlete such as Kobe Bryant if you prefer (who happened to have a similar mindset, competitiveness, and mental toughness to Michael Jordan).

Example #4 for Who Inspires You: William Deloitte

Since becoming an accountant , I’ve been inspired by William Deloitte, one of the fathers of accounting. I’m inspired by his innovation, leadership, and interpersonal skills. These traits allowed him to make powerful connections and accomplish a tremendous amount in his career. He was ambitious and aimed high, too, which are values that are important to me. He started his career at 15 and opened his own practice at 25. He went on to found one of the largest accounting firms in the world, so his story is a reminder to stay ambitious and motivated in life.

This is a good answer to “Who inspires you?” if interviewing for any position in accounting or bookkeeping.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to consider the job you’re discussing when you answer this interview question.

Example #5 for Who Inspires You: Your Father

My father is someone who inspired me throughout life and is the reason I got into the marketing industry. When he was 19, he started a small local marketing firm and grew it to the point of having 200 clients throughout the state. He recognized that building strong relationships is just as important as being competent in your work, and he became excellent at both through consistent effort. He was also an inspiration because nobody told him to go down the marketing route, and he didn’t study marketing in school. Instead, he read local newspapers, saw opportunities to help businesses market themselves better in the local community, and went door-to-door to get his first clients.

As you can see, it’s okay to say a personal connection or family member inspired you.

But if choosing friends, parents, or other relatives/personal connections, you need to be ready to show something exceptional they did and exactly how that was an inspiration in your life and career. Otherwise, choose someone else as your inspirational figure.

Now you have 5 examples to the question, “Who inspires you?”

I’ve mentioned a few times that there are no wrong answers to this interview question. But there are some mistakes you should avoid when giving your interview answer…

Mistakes to Avoid When Answering “Who Inspires You?”

The #1 mistake to avoid when saying who inspires you in an interview:

If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last several years, it’s that there are some topics and people who are completely polarizing. Many people are one hundred percent for or against something or someone.

Why does that matter?

Because you have no idea where the person who’s interviewing you stands on the subject. And if you voice a strong like or dislike contrary to theirs, that could count against you.

So it’s best to stay away from anyone or anything highly controversial or polarizing, such as most political figures or issues.

Further mistakes to avoid:

If you do choose a famous person, make sure they really are someone you admire and respect. Otherwise you won’t sound convincing.
Don’t give an answer that’s more than 60-90 seconds. Be selective in sharing why someone has inspired you and just choose a few key points to share. You don’t need to share every detail you’ve read and researched about this person, and if the interviewer wants to hear more, they’ll ask.
Don’t ever answer without having a reason ready. If you choose your mother, father, a friend, or anyone related to you, be sure to have an appropriate reason.

8 Types of People You Can Say Inspired You

To help you gather more ideas for potential answers to “Who inspired you in your life?” here are some general types of people you can mention as your inspiration.

Historical figures
Mentors/coaches
Noteworthy people in your community
Parents, family, and friends

If you follow the steps and sample answers above, you’ll be ready to answer “Who inspires you?” in your next interview.

If you can’t think of someone to name and the examples above don’t work for you, don’t panic.

Google is your friend for coming up with more answers and people you find inspiring.

If you’re not sure what soft skills and traits are most important for the position your interview is for, you can do a search on something like “soft skills needed for…” and just fill in either the field or role you’re hoping to get hired for.

Also, look at the job description before your interview. Notice which skills and traits are mentioned first and/or most often.

Then, you can try searching for someone motivational that matches the soft skills required for the job. Try something like a search for “examples of people with a good work ethic.”

This preparation will help you wow the interviewer so you can land the job.

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Write an Essay on Someone Who Inspires You: Parent or Famous

Essay about Someone Inspiring

Everyone has or has had someone in their life who has encouraged them to change or keep moving forward in life. Someone to encourage them to keep fighting in life, push them to their limits, and assist them in realizing their goals.

To write an outstanding essay about someone who inspires you, start by choosing who to write about and why.

The next step is to write your outline. The outline draws attention to all points you want to make in your paper. Make a list of the person’s name and a few bullet points on what inspires you about them.

You can use examples to help you remember what you have learned.

People Also Read: Write an Essay about Family: From Introduction to Conclusion

Why is Someone who Inspires you a Good Topic for an Essay?

This type of essay could be enjoyable for you to write. Instead of being forced to write on a subject you loathe, you write about your favorite character. There should be no difficulty in focusing on the task at hand in terms of motivation .

Because the scope of work requires you to choose the individual yourself, you are in the unusual position of not having your teacher dictate to you.

This kind of essay offers you a great chance to show off your talents. However, with that chance comes the added strain of students feeling obligated to sing the praises of the person who has had the most influence on them. It is great to have someone to look up to as a role model.

However, before diving right in and writing about them, you should assess whether you have enough information about them to make the essay viable. There are various alternatives available to assist write your research arguments :

You have access to material on the internet
You are familiar with the individual
Textbooks are readily available

Seek out a distinct perspective. If you are writing about someone famous, you are probably not the first person to think of writing about them. Avoid using essays that are too identical to previous submissions. Try to cover it from a fresh angle, such as their personal lives or the reasons for their actions.

Take care not to sound like a sycophant. It is easy to appear as sycophantic when writing about someone you respect. You can still appreciate someone while acknowledging their weaknesses.

Everyone is a human being. Your instructor is likely to receive many hero-worship essays.

So, make sure you portray your subject as the actual person, not the one who their followers see all the time. What motivates you about them? You may ignore this one to ignore, but whatever you do, remember to incorporate the reasons behind your inspiration.

It is easy to construct a bio about someone without mentioning their original scope of work.

People Also Read: Technical Plagiarism: definition, examples and How to Avoid

How to Write an Essay about Someone Who Inspires You

1. explain the person.

When you say someone or something is inspiring, you imply that they motivate you or others to do or accomplish something. Your aim in this paragraph is to introduce this person to the reader.

Offer some key information about their life, and describe why you chose them and why you find them inspiring.

2. Craft your Thesis about the Person

Each paper should begin with a 3-5 sentence introduction. A thesis sentence should be one of those sentences. The thesis statement informs the reader of the paper’s major point. When writing about someone who inspires you, the same thing may happen.

You do not have to write the introduction first, even though it is the first part of your paper. It can be easier to compose your introduction paragraph after you have finished the rest of the paper. Your thesis sentence, on the other hand, should be written first.

This will help you stay focused throughout the essay on developing your thesis sentence.

The introduction determines the quality of your work and the accuracy of your findings and conclusions. Make sure you start with a compact, engaging, and flowing introduction. It makes your readers appreciate your analytical skills, writing style, and research technique.

A hazy, disorganized, or poorly written introduction will give a negative first impression. The introduction ends with a brief paragraph describing how the paper is structured.

3. Write your Arguments about him/her

Expand the major points into individual paragraphs to build the body of your essay. A topic sentence supports the thesis in each paragraph of the five-paragraph body. The rest of the paragraph backs up and develops on that topic sentence. The rest of your essay supports and develops your thesis statement.

Whether your essay is a short essay or long one , you can still use this basic format. The difference is that you will have more than one paragraph in the body of your essay to support your claims, or you may have more than three points to make that support your thesis.

4. Recognize his Achievements

Acknowledge the accomplishments of the person who inspires you. For instance, say Albert Einstein inspires you. You can point out that some of the technology we take for granted today was made possible by his theories and vision. It includes lasers, GPS, atomic clocks, and much more.

Like so many others, he suffered with and had to overcome self-doubt. The fact that he, too, struggled with self-doubt motivates me to persevere and believe in myself.

5. Cite and reference

Use citations or references to credible sources to support your essay.

What Do You Think About Someone Who Inspires You

I admire everyone who strives to live in harmony with themselves, others, and the environment.

What is the other people’s take

We all have role models or individuals we admire, people who inspire us, and people we want to be like in our lives. It includes our parents, friends, entrepreneurs, scientists, activists, singers, artists, etc.

People who have left a lasting impression on the planet.

People Also Read: How to Find Answers to Homework Worksheets Online

9 Examples of People Who Inspires You

Abraham Lincoln
Mahatma Gandhi
Albert Einstein
Mother Teresa
Michael Jordan
Barrack Obama
Nelson Mandela
Winston Churchill

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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How To Answer “Who Inspires You?” (Examples Included)

September 15, 2022 by Hannah Morgan

“Who inspires you?” is a fairly broad interview question that gives you a lot of wiggle room with your answer. There are so many fascinating and inspirational people out there, so who do you choose?

This resource will help you come up with a great answer when picking your biggest inspiration, so you can use this question as an opportunity to impress.

Why interviewers ask “who inspires you, how to answer this question, what you shouldn’t say in your answer, best example answers.

Contrary to what some people think, job interviews aren’t always tough conversations that exclusively focus on the job at hand. While every question is relevant, they don’t always appear to be at face value. “Who inspires you?” is an example of this. It’s an open-ended question that cleverly provides more insight into who you are as a person.

The main reason why interviewers ask this question is that it sheds light on your motivations. Hiring managers want to know why you pursued this opportunity and whether or not it’s something you’ll continue to be inspired by moving forward. Money is always a significant factor in your job search, but companies want people who are there for more than just monetary gains. They want people who are naturally motivated to succeed and boost the organization’s bottom line.

When you talk about who inspires you, you’re indirectly telling the interviewer what paths you respect and values you hold. Most people gain inspiration from the people they respect most. It’s who you aspire to be like one day.

Your response is an excellent opportunity to show the interviewer who you are in a more creative way than your typical job interview answers. How you answer this question says a lot about you and could help your chances of getting hired.

“Who inspires you?” is a question that also provides more practical insight. In addition to telling them more about your values, it shows off your personality and provides a glimpse of how you can connect and communicate with others. It may even lead to a conversation about soft skills that are relevant to the job. Ultimately, this question tells the interview important personality details that no resume could convey.

“Who inspires you and why?” is a question that requires some thought to answer effectively, but it’s not as challenging as you think. Everyone’s response is different, and you should focus on talking about people who truly matter to you.

However, you can use a few tricks to ensure that you’re providing an effective answer that will leave a great impression.

1. Pick Someone with a Personal Connection

The first tip is to choose someone you have a genuine personal connection with. You don’t have to be super close or even know them personally. But it pays to talk about someone who truly inspires you and your professional career.

Avoid picking people you think the interviewer wants you to talk about in your answer. For example, avoid the obvious attempt at flattery, such as choosing the company’s CEO. Unless they genuinely inspire you, avoid those cliches.

It’s easier to talk about someone that actually means something to you. There’s a good chance that you have strong feelings about what that person has accomplished. You’ll sound more genuine if you have a solid connection to them.

There are many types of people you can talk about with this response. It could be a family member or close friend. Alternatively, you can choose historical figures, industry leaders, authors, or fictional characters. The sky’s the limit here, so think about the biggest inspirations in your professional career.

2. Keep Your Answer Relevant

“Who inspires you?” is a question that is best answered by choosing someone relevant to the job. Sure, you can select a person that has nothing to do with your industry. But that may not provide the insight that the interviewer is looking to get.

The best thing you can do is choose someone related to your field. They should have some connection to your industry, the company you’re applying for, or the position you’re trying to land. Any thread of similarity is something you can lean on when formulating your response.

For example, you can talk about an industry leader. Influencers or thought leaders in your industry are well-known and likely have exciting backstories to draw inspiration. The same goes for innovators within your field.

You can also look towards historical figures that played a part in your industry becoming what it is today. Anyone with relevance to your industry is a great way to go.

3. Dig Deeper

When you’re explaining who inspires you and why, try not to lean heavily on the obvious traits of the person you’re discussing. For example, saying that the thing that inspires you most about an inventor is that they created a product isn’t exactly groundbreaking.

Go further.

Think about what makes this person so inspiring and what you connect with personally. Think about what this individual has done for you, your industry, and society as a whole.

One great technique is to explain what signature behaviors or traits about that person you want to emulate. Talk about the characteristics that inspire you and how you want to apply them in your professional career.

Put thought into this response and avoid the obvious cliches. This will help you create a captivating answer that the interviewer hasn’t already heard many times before.

4. Keep It Brief

At most, your response should be around a minute to a minute and a half.

“Who inspires you?” is an interview question that has the potential to draw out long, rambling answers. You probably have many strong feelings about the person you’re talking about, but that doesn’t mean you should talk about them non-stop. Keep your answer relatively concise.

Hit all your main points – state who inspires you, explain why, and move on. Long answers can seem disjointed. Not only that, they’re difficult for you to remember.

A short answer that’s well-thought-out is more likely to leave an impact.

5. Practice

Our last tip is to practice as much as you can.

That doesn’t mean you should type out a scripted response and memorize it verbatim. That would have the opposite effect you want. Over-rehearsed answers come off as inauthentic.

Instead, decide why the person you’re highlighting inspires you, jot down a few key points, and know the basic structure of your answer. Practice responding in many different ways. The goal is to be confident in your words, not recite a scripted answer.

While you have a lot of freedom to answer this question how you want, there are a few things you want to avoid. The following mistakes could hurt your chances, so keep them in mind when crafting your response.

Typical Family Answers

Most people have nothing but loving things to say about their parents or close family members. But unless you have a compelling or unique reason to talk about them, it’s best to avoid typical responses regarding your family.

Interviewers are more interested in hearing about individuals who inspire your professional pursuits. You can talk about family if their story is relevant to your field. But talking about how much you love someone in your family or how their support made a difference doesn’t provide the insight interviewers are looking for.

Political or Religious Figureheads

Most workplaces have unspoken rules about discussing politics, religion, and other controversial topics. Your interview should be no different.

While hiring managers can’t discriminate against you, subconscious biases can come into play. The last thing you want to do is talk about a controversial figure that the interviewer doesn’t like. It automatically puts a negative cloud over the interview experience and creates biases that are difficult to shake.

It’s better to steer clear of anyone divisive or remotely controversial when talking about who inspires you.

Example-Free Responses

This mistake happens more frequently than it should! You might have people in mind who inspire you, but unless you can talk about why they inspire you, the answer is incomplete!

Here’s where adequate preparation comes in handy. Think about why those individuals inspire you and what traits you want to emulate in the workplace. “Who inspires you?” is an interview question that should always warrant an example during your answer.

Talking About Multiple People

You probably have many people you admire or view as a source of inspiration, but try limiting your response to just one.

Talking about several individuals can make your answer seem disorganized. Covering multiple people will likely make your response a bit too lengthy.

Self-Absorbed Answers

Finally, please don’t go with the “I inspire myself” response. That might sound groundbreaking to you, but it’s nothing but self-centered and a bit awkward to everyone else.

It can paint you negatively, making the interviewer think you’re arrogant or not a team player. You’ll have other opportunities to talk about how great you are, but this question is not it.

“Who inspires you?” is a question that offers plenty of room for creative thinking. Give it ample thought and use our tips above to mold a perfectly crafted response. To give you some inspiration about talking about who inspires you, here are a few stellar examples.

The first example is for a job-seeker looking to get into the accounting field. The person they choose to talk about is a well-known figure in the accounting world. He’s the namesake for a large, multinational accounting firm.

But more importantly, the inspirational figurehead is someone who exemplifies the necessary skills and character traits to succeed in accounting. It’s a fine example of an applicant knowing their stuff and doing their research.

“One of my biggest inspirations is William Deloitte, who is often considered the grandfather of accounting.’ There are many things about Deloitte’s life that inspire me. He started his career at 15, opened his own accounting practice at 25, and eventually founded one of the largest firms in the world that continues to operate today!

He was incredibly motivated and continually aimed high. He never let obstacles get in his way, a trait I aspire to have. Deloitte also had impressive interpersonal skills, a natural inclination for leadership, and an eye for innovation.

All those characteristics made him one of the most prominent names in accounting. His story constantly reminds me to be ambitious and strive for excellence in this field.”

In our second example, the applicant isn’t talking about a well-known figure. Instead, they’re choosing to highlight a teacher who significantly impacted their life. They’re interviewing for a journalist position, and this teacher helped hone their skills while cementing unteachable traits.

This response works well because the applicant has a genuine connection to the individual. They discuss how that person made a difference and connect it all back to the position they’re trying to get.

“There are many people who inspire me in my career, but I believe that my senior-year English teacher, Mr. Smith, is the greatest inspiration in my life. Before Mr. Smith’s class, I was relatively indifferent to journalism. But after only a few weeks in his class, I discovered the power of words.

He pushed me outside my comfort zone, encouraging me to write about life experiences. Mr. Smith inspired us to write about challenging topics, teaching us to stand behind our words while using them to connect with readers.

Mr. Smith came in every day with an evident passion for writing. He did more than have us complete simple worksheets or fluff essays. His assignments were impactful, and I continue to use his lessons to ensure that every piece I write is authentic.

I admire his dedication to the craft, and I hope my words can inspire others as much as he inspired me.”

Our last example is about a difficult subject to create an answer for: A family member. Earlier, we mentioned that providing simple responses about a family member is not wise. But here’s an example of when you can talk about someone close to you while still keeping it relevant and thoughtful.

The applicant is trying to get a sales job and decides to talk about their father. While their father works in a slightly different field, they bring up relevant traits that matter to the position they’re trying to get.

“My biggest inspiration is my father. Not only has he inspired me throughout my life, but there are so many details about his career that I find aspirational.

He started in marketing at the age of 19. In just a few short years, he established a small, local firm. It continued to grow until he had a client portfolio that was 250-strong throughout the state.

My father taught me that building solid relationships with clients was paramount. He always stressed that communication and maintaining a professional relationship with clients were just as important as competence in your work.

For years, I watched him speak to clients as if they were old pals, and they had great respect for him. I hope to take that same dedication to customer satisfaction in my career, building a loyal customer list that sticks around for years to come.”

“Who inspires you?” is an interview question that you should prepare for like any other. It doesn’t matter if it seems less serious than others, because interviewers will pay close attention to your answer.

Pick someone relevant, find a unique angle and practice. If you follow these steps, your answer will be just what the interviewer was looking for!

Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success .

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Hero / Someone Who Inspires Me

Someone Who Inspires Me Essay Examples

What motivates me: a personal reflection.

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