The Dreaded Interview Question

I've gone through my fair share of interviews lately. I'm starting to get a complex about not getting hired yet. But I also have enough confidence to know that the right job for ME will come around.

So far I've mastered most of the questions. But two questions came up yesterday that stumped me. I answered them, but afterwards wanted to put some more thought into them because I felt they were, aside from non standard interview questions (at least the ones I've gone through lately) but good questions to think about in general.

Question 1: Who do you look up to?
This one threw me. I hadn't really thought about people I look up to much. Politically there's no one. Spiritually there's really no one (God doesn't count). Professionally there's no one. So after pondering this question for a millisecond, I blurted out My mom. (Its really amazing how many people can pass through your grey matter in a millisecond). Then of course the follow up question was why. That was simple. She was basically me, just a bit older. We are two peas in a pod. In fact we have an internal joke about me being the apple that didn't even FALL from the tree, let alone fall far from the tree.

After I managed to get myself through the interview I thought about why I picked my mom. Why'd her name come up? And of course, she's my mom. But what about her did I admire. She was a professional woman who worked very hard for her career and managed to make her family her number one priority still. Everything she did, when growing up, the sacrifices she made, were for me and us kids. She's like the only over 50 woman I know who has more technical gadgets than me and usually keeps up with the Jones' in that arena. But overall, she's my best friend. I talk to her daily sometimes. She's my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, my biggest critic and my occasional loan officer. She's mom. She cooks like I cook. She bakes like I bake. She laughs at the same stupid jokes I do. She Some people worry about being their mom when they grown up. I don't have to worry about it....I'm already my mom. Oh crap.

Question 2: In one word describe yourself? Then why that word?
One word? Just one small little word? How on earth could I describe this person that has taken years to create? Years of work, blood, sweat (well anyone who knows me knows not that much sweat), grief, etc all into one word. Again, thousands of words passed through my mind in a millisecond. But the one that I blurted out was "Energetic". But then when I thought about how I approach project management, energetic really does describe it – er ah - me. In fact, just about any job or task I approach I do so with gusto.

When I got back to work, I asked my friend S what she would have used to describe me. She didn’t have to even think about it, she said “SelfAware”. Which is, I think actually two words, but if you put them together and not put the space between, its one word. She went on to say that she has not met someone who reflected inwardly as much as I do. I was immediately proud of the fact that not only was she accurate in her description, but that I have taken the time to reflect inward.

So how would you answer these questions? Who do you look up to? How would you describe yourself in one word?