Rehearsal beats intuition.
Most people practise interviews by re-reading questions. That's memorisation, not rehearsal. Here's the 20-minute method that actually moves the needle.
Why re-reading questions doesn't work
When you re-read a question list, your brain rewards recognition. “Yes, I know this one.” Recognition is not retrieval. And interviews test retrieval under pressure.
Rehearsal is different. It forces you to speak the answer, out loud, in the shape you'd give it live. That's what your brain will actually reach for at the interview.
The 20-minute method
Minutes 0–5: Pick one question. Set a 60-second timer. Answer aloud, first attempt, no re-do.
Minutes 5–10: Score against three rubrics — structure, specificity, closing. What did you miss?
Minutes 10–15: Answer the same question again. Timer running. Fix one rubric.
Minutes 15–20: One net-new question. Timer running. Score. Note.
Three rubrics that matter more than the words
Structure — situation, action, outcome. If you skip one, you leak signal.
Specificity — real numbers, real names, real dates. Vague answers feel rehearsed. Specific answers feel lived.
Closing — land the plane. “And that's what led me to X.” Interviews without a landing feel like unfinished sentences.
What to do the week before
20-minute rehearsal, daily. Two questions. Different every day. Record if you can.
On day 5, run the whole interview back-to-back. No breaks. Feel the fatigue — that's what the actual interview will feel like.
On day 6, sleep. Real sleep. Rehearsal without rest is memorisation with extra steps.
Tools for this essay
FAQ
- Should I write out answers first? No. Speak first, edit later. Writing rewards structure your voice will not follow live.
- How many questions do I need? Fewer than you think. 30 well-rehearsed questions beat 200 skimmed ones.
- Does the Interview Studio replace a coach? No — it's a rehearsal room. Coaches teach. The Studio drills.