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How can I improve in future job interviews or potential public speakings?
I know eventually I would have to likely in front of a crowd and do interviews with others; How can I prevent myself from going blank when speaking and not looking nervous during a conversation. I also want to make myself look more presentable and to stand out more.
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6 answers
Updated
Lakshmi’s Answer
Hello Justin,
Great question! You're definitely on the right track. Knowing your goals makes it easier to focus on what matters.
Feeling blank when speaking in front of a group is common. Here's how you can handle it:
- Organize your thoughts before you speak. Take a moment to think about the key points you want to cover. If you forget something, don't worry. Pause, take a deep breath, or sip some water to give yourself time to think.
- Practice your topic if you know it in advance. The more you practice, the less likely you are to freeze.
- To calm your nerves, try controlled breathing and pausing. Make eye contact with a few friendly faces instead of looking at the whole crowd.
- Dress appropriately with clean, well-fitted clothes. Add one standout element like a bold tie or a unique accessory. Stand tall with your shoulders back to show confidence.
Hope this helps. Best wishes!
Great question! You're definitely on the right track. Knowing your goals makes it easier to focus on what matters.
Feeling blank when speaking in front of a group is common. Here's how you can handle it:
- Organize your thoughts before you speak. Take a moment to think about the key points you want to cover. If you forget something, don't worry. Pause, take a deep breath, or sip some water to give yourself time to think.
- Practice your topic if you know it in advance. The more you practice, the less likely you are to freeze.
- To calm your nerves, try controlled breathing and pausing. Make eye contact with a few friendly faces instead of looking at the whole crowd.
- Dress appropriately with clean, well-fitted clothes. Add one standout element like a bold tie or a unique accessory. Stand tall with your shoulders back to show confidence.
Hope this helps. Best wishes!
Thanks for the advice.
Justin
Updated
semi’s Answer
Hi there 👋
It’s completely normal to feel nervous about interviews or public speaking. The key is preparation and practice. Start practicing your answers out loud, not just in your head. When you speak your thoughts clearly beforehand, you’re much less likely to go blank.
Use a simple structure like explaining the situation, what you did, and the result. This keeps your answers organized. If you feel nervous, slow your breathing and speak a little slower than usual; pausing actually makes you look more confident, not less.
Confidence comes from repetition. The more you practice in small settings, the more natural it will feel in bigger ones.
It’s completely normal to feel nervous about interviews or public speaking. The key is preparation and practice. Start practicing your answers out loud, not just in your head. When you speak your thoughts clearly beforehand, you’re much less likely to go blank.
Use a simple structure like explaining the situation, what you did, and the result. This keeps your answers organized. If you feel nervous, slow your breathing and speak a little slower than usual; pausing actually makes you look more confident, not less.
Confidence comes from repetition. The more you practice in small settings, the more natural it will feel in bigger ones.
Thank you for the advice, semi.
Justin
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for sharing.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Attend communication course to learn the skills and practise
2. Try to read newspaper and story telling in front of a mirror at home and record the session. Replay to identify area to improve.
3. If there is event you need to do public speaking, prepare the script and practise. Do a rehearsal in front of your family or friends, seek comments.
4. For job interview, review the job description in details. Identify some commons questions the interviewers may ask and prepare the answers & practise. Arrive the venue early, prevent last minute rush.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Attend communication course to learn the skills and practise
2. Try to read newspaper and story telling in front of a mirror at home and record the session. Replay to identify area to improve.
3. If there is event you need to do public speaking, prepare the script and practise. Do a rehearsal in front of your family or friends, seek comments.
4. For job interview, review the job description in details. Identify some commons questions the interviewers may ask and prepare the answers & practise. Arrive the venue early, prevent last minute rush.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Justin
Updated
Misha’s Answer
-Use a framework and examples for competency questions in interviews (for example, the STAR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result).
-Practice with familiar faces in simulation interviews.
-Do your research on the company and the role.
-Utilize calming techniques, practice, meditation & breathing - it's also okay to ask for a minute to reflect and think before answering!
-Make it a 2 way process, have questions you want to ask.
Courtesy of Cloudera New Hires: Abdul, Calvin, Mark, and Cyntia
-Practice with familiar faces in simulation interviews.
-Do your research on the company and the role.
-Utilize calming techniques, practice, meditation & breathing - it's also okay to ask for a minute to reflect and think before answering!
-Make it a 2 way process, have questions you want to ask.
Courtesy of Cloudera New Hires: Abdul, Calvin, Mark, and Cyntia
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
Many people worry about forgetting what to say during interviews or when speaking in public, so you're not alone. Practicing beforehand can really help. Think of some common questions or topics and practice answering them out loud, either by yourself or with a friend. The more you practice speaking your thoughts, the easier it becomes to organize them when it's time to speak.
It's also helpful to slow down. Nervousness often makes people talk too fast, which can lead to forgetting what to say. Taking a small pause before answering a question is perfectly fine and can make you appear more confident and thoughtful. Instead of memorizing full answers, focus on a few key points to make speaking feel more natural.
How you present yourself can also make a difference. Simple things like good posture, making eye contact, listening carefully, and speaking clearly can have a big impact. Confidence usually grows with experience, so the more you speak in class, join discussions, or practice interviews, the more comfortable you will feel over time.
It's also helpful to slow down. Nervousness often makes people talk too fast, which can lead to forgetting what to say. Taking a small pause before answering a question is perfectly fine and can make you appear more confident and thoughtful. Instead of memorizing full answers, focus on a few key points to make speaking feel more natural.
How you present yourself can also make a difference. Simple things like good posture, making eye contact, listening carefully, and speaking clearly can have a big impact. Confidence usually grows with experience, so the more you speak in class, join discussions, or practice interviews, the more comfortable you will feel over time.
Updated
Folayemi’s Answer
The best way to prevent going blank is simply practicing out loud as much as possible — there is a big difference between knowing something in your head and being able to articulate it smoothly under pressure. Try recording yourself on your phone or practicing in front of a mirror. I have done this multiple times, and I can say that it works.
For nerves, the biggest shift you can make is reframing them — nervousness and excitement feel almost identical physically, so training yourself to think "I am excited" rather than "I am nervous" genuinely helps. Deep breathing before you speak also makes a bigger difference than most people expect.
In terms of not looking nervous, eye contact and body language are the two biggest giveaways. Practice holding natural eye contact, avoid fidgeting, and stand or sit with an open, relaxed posture — it signals confidence even when you do not fully feel it yet. If you feel that you cannot hold eye contact, then you can look above the listener's head. You can also hold onto a stress ball for starters, till you get more acclimatized to the whole concept of Public speaking.
For standing out, how you carry yourself matters just as much as how you dress. Speaking clearly, listening actively, and dressing appropriately for the setting all leave a strong impression. If you want structured practice, Toastmasters is a great and supportive environment specifically designed for this. Confidence in speaking is just a skill — it gets better the more you put yourself out there.
For nerves, the biggest shift you can make is reframing them — nervousness and excitement feel almost identical physically, so training yourself to think "I am excited" rather than "I am nervous" genuinely helps. Deep breathing before you speak also makes a bigger difference than most people expect.
In terms of not looking nervous, eye contact and body language are the two biggest giveaways. Practice holding natural eye contact, avoid fidgeting, and stand or sit with an open, relaxed posture — it signals confidence even when you do not fully feel it yet. If you feel that you cannot hold eye contact, then you can look above the listener's head. You can also hold onto a stress ball for starters, till you get more acclimatized to the whole concept of Public speaking.
For standing out, how you carry yourself matters just as much as how you dress. Speaking clearly, listening actively, and dressing appropriately for the setting all leave a strong impression. If you want structured practice, Toastmasters is a great and supportive environment specifically designed for this. Confidence in speaking is just a skill — it gets better the more you put yourself out there.