Calm interview nerves

How nerves change your voice

Nerves affect speech in familiar ways: a faster pace, shallow breathing, more filler words, a tighter voice and a tendency to lose your thread. Most people have one or two of these, not all of them, and knowing yours tells you what to practise.

The interviewer usually notices far less than you feel. A racing heart and tight chest are invisible to the person listening.

Find out what nerves do to you

You can see your own pattern by recording the same kind of answer twice, once relaxed and once under a little pressure, and comparing them.

1. Record a relaxed take.

   Answer a question you know well, with no timer, as if explaining it to a friend.

2. Record a pressured take.

   Answer a question you have not prepared, with a strict two-minute limit and, if you can, someone listening.

3. Compare three numbers.

   Look at words per minute, filler words and hesitant pauses in each. Whichever changed most is your nervous habit. If your pace jumped from 140 to 175, practise slowing down; if your fillers doubled at the start of each answer, practise opening lines.

If your pace is what changes, read the guide to speaking slower.

In the days before

1. Rehearse aloud, not just in your head.

   Saying answers aloud makes the words themselves familiar, so you have less to work out under pressure.

2. Practise your opening.

   The first minute is often the most nervous. Rehearse “Tell me about yourself” until its first few sentences come easily.

3. Recreate the conditions.

   Practise against a timer, sitting as you will in the interview, and with someone asking the questions if you can.

4. Prepare for the question you dread.

   Write down the question you most fear and prepare an honest answer. It takes away some of its power.

Get through the first minute

Nerves usually peak at the start, which is also when the interviewer forms a first impression. Put your effort there.

• Breathe out slowly before the first question. Many people find a long exhale settles them more than a deep breath in.
• Start with the opening you rehearsed. Fillers cluster while you search for a way into an answer, so a line you already know removes the worst spot.
• Say the first sentence slower than feels natural. Nervous speakers usually start fastest, and a steady opening tends to set the pace for the rest.
• Ask for thinking time out loud. “Let me think about that for a second” is a normal sentence, and a pause of two or three seconds that feels endless to you rarely sounds long to the listener.
• Keep water nearby. A dry mouth is one of the most common physical signs of nerves.

If your mind goes blank

It happens to most people at some point. Pause, take a breath and say so: “Sorry, I’ve lost my thread. Could you repeat the question?” or “Let me come back to the main point.” Interviewers generally respond kindly, and a calm recovery leaves a better impression than pushing on in confusion.

Make speaking familiar

Recording yourself can feel uncomfortable at first, and that is part of the point: it is a low-stakes way to get used to speaking under a little pressure. Record an answer, review one thing and try again. After a few takes, the question and your answer will feel familiar.

If anxiety is severe or affects you beyond interviews, consider talking to your GP or a university or workplace support service.