How to Calm Your Nerves Before an Interview

10/28/2026

By Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, licensed speech-language pathologist

Short answer: you can't switch off interview nerves, but you can make them easier to manage. Practice your answers out loud in the days before, warm up your voice on the day, take a few slow breaths right before you start, and plan what you'll do if your mind goes blank.

I'm a speech-language pathologist, not a mental health professional, so I don't treat anxiety, including interview anxiety. These are the speaking strategies I use with my clients to help them feel well prepared. If anxiety affects your daily life, talking with a mental health professional can help, too.

What Nerves Do to Your Voice

When you're nervous, it usually shows up in how you speak:

You rush. Plan pauses between phrases.
Your voice gets quiet or shaky. Breathe low and slow, and speak on the exhale.
You say "um" and "like" more. Swap filler words for a short, silent pause.
Your mind goes blank. Plan a main point for each answer, so you always have something to come back to.

Each of these is a skill you can practice before the interview.

In the Days Before

Practice out loud, not in your head. Saying your answers out loud is what makes them feel familiar. Use bullet points, not a full script, so you sound natural.
Know your first sentence. For your most likely questions, plan the first sentence of your answer. A planned first sentence makes it easier to get started.
Practice in the real format. If your interview is on Zoom, practice on Zoom. If it's an MMI, practice short answers with a timer. If it's a panel, practice with more than one person listening.
Do a mock interview. Ask a friend, a mentor, or a coach to ask you questions you haven't seen. Each time you practice with feedback, the situation feels a little more familiar.
Remove the small worries. Plan your route, or test your camera and sound, the day before.

The Morning Of

Warm up your voice. A few minutes of gentle vocal warm-ups gets your voice ready to speak. Try my six vocal warm-ups.
Say your opening answer out loud. Two or three times is enough. The goal is to get your voice and your words moving, not to memorize.
Sip water. A dry mouth makes speaking harder.

Right Before You Start: Breathe

When you're nervous, your breathing gets shallow and high in your chest, and your voice has less air to work with. Before you walk in or click "Join," take a few slow breaths: breathe in through your nose and let your belly expand, then breathe out slowly, making the breath out longer than the breath in.

In my article Nervous? Breathe like THIS!, I teach diaphragmatic breathing and three short exercises for nerves before speaking: box breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, and the physiological sigh. Practice them when you're calm, so they feel familiar when you need them.

During the Interview

Pause before you answer. A short pause shows you're thinking. You can also say "Let me think about that for a moment."
Slow down your first sentence. A calm start makes a steady pace easier.
Speak on the exhale. Take a breath at each natural pause, and let your words ride on the air going out.
If your mind goes blank, take a breath, repeat the question back, and go to the main point you planned. It's fine to say "Let me come back to my main point."
If you lose your place, sum up: "So, the main thing I learned was..." and finish there.

For video interviews, see my Zoom interview tips.

Practice With Feedback

In admissions interview coaching, we practice your answers in your interview format on Zoom, and work on your breath, voice, pace, and clarity, so the real interview feels familiar. Coaching is $250 an hour, and the Planning Session is free.

See interview coaching

International medical graduates preparing for residency interviews can see residency interview coaching for IMGs. For a job interview, see professional voice training. For speaking anxiety in everyday situations, see reducing speaking anxiety.

Common Questions

How do I calm my nerves right before an interview?

Take a few slow breaths, letting your belly expand as you breathe in and making the breath out longer than the breath in. Then say the first sentence of your opening answer out loud once or twice, so your voice is warmed up and you know how you'll start.

Is it normal to be nervous before an interview?

Yes. Feeling nervous before an important interview is common. It often shows up in your voice: you speak faster, your voice gets quieter or shakier, or your mind goes blank.

What should I do if my mind goes blank in an interview?

Pause and take a breath. You can repeat the question back, or say "Let me think about that for a moment." Then go back to the main point you planned for that topic.

Can a speech-language pathologist help with interview nerves?

I don't treat anxiety. As a speech-language pathologist, I help you prepare: we practice your answers out loud, work on breath support, pace, and clear speech, and rehearse in your interview format, so the interview feels more familiar.