Interviews often go sideways before the first question—when nerves spike, your voice sounds tight, and you struggle to land your first point. The good news: you can dramatically improve your first 5 minutes with a short, repeatable warm-up.

Why a “warm-up” works (even for experienced candidates)

Think of interviews like a performance. You don’t want your first time saying your story out loud to be in front of the hiring manager. A warm-up helps you:

• Lower stress by creating familiarity
• Improve clarity (fewer rambles, fewer filler words)
• Project confidence through steadier pacing and tone

The 20-minute warm-up (do this right before any interview)

1) 3 minutes: Reset your body + breathing

• Sit tall, feet flat.
• Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds (repeat ~6 times).
• Roll shoulders back and down to open your posture.

Tip: If you’re on video, do this before you join the call so you arrive calm, not rushed.

2) 7 minutes: Rehearse your “first impression trilogy”

Practice these three answers out loud (record if possible):

• “Tell me about yourself” (60–90 seconds)
• “Why this role/company?” (45–60 seconds)
• Your top 2 strengths tied to the job (30–45 seconds)

Keep each answer in a simple structure:

• Present: what you do now
• Past: one proof point (achievement with numbers if possible)
• Future: why it connects to this role

3) 5 minutes: Prep your “proof points” bank

Pick 3 stories you can flex into multiple questions:

• A problem you solved
• A time you influenced or collaborated
• A time you improved speed/quality/cost/customer outcome

Write each as CAR:

• Challenge (context)
• Action (what you did)
• Result (metric or impact)

4) 3 minutes: Set up your environment (virtual + phone)

• Put your resume + job description at eye level.
• Close extra tabs; silence notifications.
• For video: camera at eye height, light in front of you, name displayed properly.
• For phone: stand if you can—your voice typically sounds more energetic.

5) 2 minutes: Decide your “closing line”

Have a confident final sentence ready for “Any questions?” or wrap-up:

• “Based on what we discussed, I’m especially excited about X. Is there anything I can clarify to help you feel confident I can deliver?”

Make it even stronger with a quick mock run

If you have time, do a 5-minute mock on VirtualInterview.ai focusing only on:

• Your opening answer
• One story
• One question you’ll ask them

Discussion prompt: What part of interviews throws you off most—your first answer, storytelling, or asking questions—and what warm-up step would help you the most?