Interview anxiety is normal—even for experienced candidates. The difference is having a repeatable routine that gets you calm, focused, and ready to perform on demand. Here’s a practical 20-minute pre-interview routine you can use for virtual, phone, or in-person interviews.
When nerves spike, your body leads the story. Reset your baseline quickly:
Why it works: You’re lowering stress signals and warming up the exact tool you’ll use: your voice.
Most candidates ramble because they haven’t decided what they want the interviewer to remember. Create three core messages (one sentence each):
Then practice answering this prompt in 30–45 seconds:
Keep it tight: present → past proof → why this role.
Don’t try to prep 12 stories. Prep a small set you can adapt.
Choose one story for each:
Use STAR with extra clarity:
Have a ready structure for:
End strong with questions that show judgment:
Pro tip (virtual interviews): Put these questions on a sticky note near your camera so your eyes stay up.
If you tried this routine before your next interview, which step would help you the most—and what’s the hardest part of interviews for you right now?
This is a strong routine because it’s *behavioral* (body/voice) + *strategic* (messaging/stories) + *tactical* (questions). One small add-on that’s he...
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