Feeling Nervous or Anxious About Interviewing?

Positive Interview Skill-Building Action Plan

This structured, daily practice plan will facilitate building skills to manage anxiety, enhance confidence, improve focus, and communicate effectively during interviews.

Foundational Step: Using Big Interview Platform: University of Pittsburgh | Big Interview

The Big Interview Platform provides a controlled, structured environment to practice interview scenarios with realistic prompts. This foundation allows you to build skills in a consistent way, tracking your improvement with each practice session. Big Interview exercises reinforce interview techniques and reduce anxiety.

Here are some daily and weekly activities for you to incorporate in your practice sessions, either alongside your industry-specific interview practice through Big Interview, or independently:

Daily and Weekly Activities

Holistic Approach in General Interview Wellbeing Days (1-3)

Day 1: Self-Awareness and Emotional Regulation – Activity: Practice 4-7-8 Breathing

  • Purpose: To calm the nervous system and center your attention before or during interviews.
  • Instructions: Use before practice or mock interviews. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8.

Day 2: Emotion Identification and Labeling – Activity: Cognitive Labeling

  • Purpose: Labeling emotions (e.g., “I’m feeling tense”) reduces intensity and increases focus.
  • Instructions: Before beginning each interview, whether practice, mock or Big Interview session, identify any stress emotions and label them.

Day 3: Cognitive Reframing – Activity: Replace Negative Thoughts

  • Purpose: Cognitive reframing can help shift to a positive mindset.
  • Instructions: When feeling uncertain or negative about a response, immediately reframe with evidence-based thoughts like, “Each interview is a step forward.”

Core Practice Days (4-7)

Day 4: Personal Introduction Script – Activity: Practice Self-Description

  • Purpose: A structured, memorized introduction provides consistency and control.
  • Instructions: Craft a 30-second intro about your skills and experience, then practice delivering it confidently on Big Interview.

Day 5: STAR Method – Activity: Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) Format in Responses

  • Purpose: STAR structure keeps answers clear and focused.
  • Instructions: Practice answering 3 Big Interview behavioral questions using the STAR format.

Day 6: Trigger Identification – Activity: Identify and Document Triggers on Big Interview

  • Purpose: Recognizing triggers helps control your responses.
  • Instructions: As you answer questions, note any moments you feel anxious, defensive, or “derailed.” Document these patterns in a log.

Day 7: Preemptive Response Planning – Activity: Develop Responses for Triggers

  • Purpose: Pre-planned responses help you regain focus and control.
  • Instructions: Based on Day 6 triggers, write and practice neutral responses (e.g., “Thank you for your feedback; I’m excited to keep growing in this role”) and use in Big Interview responses.

Weekly Confidence and Focus Building

Daily (or Weekly): Self-Affirmation – Activity: Affirm Your Strengths

  • Purpose: Affirmations improve self-confidence and mindset.
  • Instructions: Write down 2–3 factual strengths daily and read them before practice and interviewing.

End of Each Day (or Interview Practice): Reflective Journaling – Activity: Reflect on Progress

  • Purpose: Reflection helps identify progress and areas for improvement.
  • Instructions: After each practice, journal answers to:
    • What went well?
    • What can I adjust?
    • What were my emotional responses, and how did I manage them?

By following this structured plan daily and using Big Interview as the central practice tool, you’ll develop a strong, consistent skill set to manage anxiety, present strengths confidently, and stay focused in interviews. Each day builds on the last, preparing you for effective, professional communication. You’ve got this!

Ingrid Beute, M.M., M.A. – Pitt Career Center