How to Practice for an Interview by Yourself

To practise for an interview by yourself, pick ten likely questions, answer each one out loud while recording your voice, and listen back. Fix one thing at a time, then record the same answer again. You need a phone, a timer and about 30 minutes.

Why solo practice works

Most people prepare by reading their resume and thinking about answers. In the interview they have to speak, in order, with someone watching. That is a different skill. Practising alone lets you train it without embarrassment, as many times as you like.

A 30-minute routine

1. Choose ten questions (5 minutes). Take the job description and turn each requirement into a question. “Experience with budgets” becomes “Tell me about a time you managed a budget.” Add “Tell me about yourself” and “Why do you want this job?”
2. Write bullet points, not a script (5 minutes). For each question, note three points. A script sounds stiff and fails when the question is worded differently.
3. Record yourself answering (10 minutes). Use your phone’s voice recorder. Stand or sit as you would in the interview. Answer each question once without stopping, even if you stumble.
4. Listen back (7 minutes). You will not enjoy it at first. Listen for answers that were too long, answers with no result, and filler words.
5. Pick one fix and redo three answers (3 minutes). One fix at a time works better than trying to correct everything.

What to listen for

• Length. Most answers fit in 60 to 90 seconds. If you go past two minutes, cut the background.
• The ending. Does the answer say what happened? Stories that trail off sound unfinished.
• Filler words. “Um”, “like” and “you know” are normal in small amounts. Count them in one answer and aim for fewer next time.
• Pace. Fast usually means nervous. Slow down at the start of each answer.
• Your first sentence. If it is weak, rewrite it. A clear opening carries the rest.

Other ways to practise alone

• Use a mirror or the front camera. You will see your face, your hands and where your eyes go. For a video interview, practise looking at the camera lens, not at yourself.
• Time yourself. A kitchen timer is enough.
• Practise on a walk. Saying answers aloud while walking removes the pressure of sitting still and facing a question.
• Write your three best stories on index cards, one headline each. You can shuffle them and tell the one that fits.
• Teach it. Explain one answer to a pet or an empty chair. It sounds silly and it works, because you hear your own explanation.

Questions to put on your list

If you are unsure where to start, begin with these and add the ones from your job description.

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why do you want this job, and why this company?
• Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.
• What are you most proud of in your work so far?
• What would you do in your first month here?
• Do you have any questions for us?

Record the first two or three on day one. Add two new questions each day, and keep one old question in every session, so you see whether the old answers have improved.

Where solo practice falls short

Alone, nobody asks a follow-up and nobody throws in a question you did not choose. You also tend to pick the easy questions. Two fixes help: have a partner or an AI ask you the questions you would rather avoid, and run the whole thing from start to finish at least once, with the camera on, in the clothes you will wear. How to practise for an interview with AI covers the second option, and the behavioural interview guide gives structure for the story questions.

Practise this with PrepHint AI

PrepHint AI gives you something to talk to when you are alone, and it asks the next question without you choosing it.

1. Add or build your resume. Resume Maker is free forever with an account. Import a PDF or answer a few questions.
2. Create a mock interview for the job you are applying for.
3. Practise out loud, by voice, with the AI mock interviewer.
4. Read the transcript and choose what to fix, as in step 4 above.

Every new account gets 15 free minutes of live help and 1 mock interview, with no card needed. See pricing.

Use it where AI help is allowed. PrepHint AI is made for practice and for conversations where help from AI is allowed. Check the rules of the employer and the interviewer before you use it in a real interview. If the answer is no, use it to practise.

The day before

Do one full run-through, then stop. Pick your clothes, check your sound and camera, and put your resume and your questions for them where you can find them. If you feel anxious, how to not be nervous in an interview has steps for the hour before.