Rant: The "passion project" question wrecked my last interview in Denver

Interviewer asked me what I do outside of work for fun. I said I like hiking and reading. She looked at my resume, saw I've been at my current job for 6 years, and said "but what are you really passionate about?" I froze. I don't have a side hustle. I don't build apps. I just do my job well. She ended the interview 10 minutes early. I didn't get the job. Since when is "I like my actual work and have hobbies that aren't monetized" a bad answer? Has anyone else bombed this question? What do you actually say without lying?

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felixm2921d ago

Man, that question is the WORST. I had a buddy in Austin get asked the same thing and he told them he was really into restoring old bicycles. The interviewer kept pushing and asking if he sold them or had a blog about it. He said no, he just liked fixing bikes in his garage. The vibe went cold immediately. It's like they don't believe you can be good at your job and also just live a normal life. That lady probably wanted some influencer-type answer so she could feel like she hired a "hustler." Sorry that happened, it's total BS.