Interview prep doesn’t have to be complicated, and partners are not required. If you’re wondering how to practice solo, try the Mirror Question Method.
Here’s how it works: Stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself a common interview question like, “Why do you want this job?” Then, say your answer out loud while looking at yourself. This simple technique helps you hear your tone, catch filler words like “um” or “like,” and observe your facial expressions.
The goal isn’t to memorize perfect answers. It’s to get comfortable speaking them out loud. You’re training your brain and mouth to work together under pressure, just like in a real interview.
So the next time you’re prepping, grab a mirror. Practice out loud. You’ll sound more natural, feel more confident, and be ready when it counts.
When most people think of public speaking, they picture someone on a stage with a microphone. But in reality, public speaking is any situation where you need to express ideas clearly and confidently—whether you’re addressing a crowd, leading a meeting, or having a one-on-one conversation that matters.
Here are 26 jobs where speaking skills are a hidden superpower:
Teacher or Tutor – Every lesson is a mini presentation.
Sales Associate – You’re constantly explaining and persuading.
Customer Service Rep – Clear communication solves problems fast.
Manager or Supervisor – You need to inspire and direct others.
Marketing Specialist – Ideas only work if you can pitch them.
Event Coordinator – You’ll be speaking with clients, vendors, and teams.
Entrepreneur – Your business depends on how well you tell your story.
Nurse or Medical Assistant – Explaining care plans builds trust.
Real Estate Agent – Selling a home starts with selling yourself.
Retail Team Lead – You’re the voice others follow.
Receptionist – First impressions? All about how you speak.
Fitness Instructor – Motivation comes through your voice.
Technical Support – Explaining complex things in simple ways.
Human Resources Specialist – Interviews, onboarding, conflict resolution.
Social Worker – Communication is the heart of support.
Workshop Facilitator – Keeping a group engaged takes skill.
Tour Guide – It’s storytelling and facts on your feet.
Financial Services Employee – Trust is built with every conversation.
Youth Mentor or Coach – Kids listen when you speak with confidence.
Career Counselor – Guiding others starts with a confident way of speaking.
Project Manager – You’re the voice keeping things on track.
IT Support – Talking tech in a way people understand.
Nonprofit Program Coordinator – You rally people through words.
Interviewee – Every interview is a performance.
Volunteer Leader – You influence others by how your voice makes people feel.
Truck Driver – From coordinating with dispatch to giving delivery updates, clear communication keeps freight (and the day) running smoothly.
Speak Up and Step Forward
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be willing to practice. Public speaking is one of the few skills that grows with you. The more you do it, the better you get, and the more confident you become.
Accountability, like the weather, is always shifting. Some days, it’s clear and our choices reflect honesty, responsibility, and strength. Other days, it’s cloudy and hidden behind excuses or fear.
But just like we prepare for storms or sunshine, we can choose to prepare ourselves through accountability.
Accountability isn’t about being perfect. It’s about checking the forecast, adjusting when needed, and walking into each day with purpose. Rain or shine.
Public speaking can be scary, especially when you’re starting out and need to share ideas in meetings or presentations. The good news is that you’re not alone, and there are easy ways to handle your nerves. Here are five common fears about public speaking and some practical tips to help you gain more self-confidence.
The Fear of Feeling Frozen: You’re worried your mind will go blank mid-sentence, and you’ll be left standing there in silence wondering what to say next.
The Solution: Prepare a simple outline or bullet points instead of memorizing your script. Practice speaking from your notes out loud. If you lose your place, just pause, take a breath, glance at your notes, and continue. Pauses are natural.
The Fear of Being Judged: You’re afraid people will think you’re inexperienced, unqualified, or just not a good speaker.
The Solution: Focus on your message, not yourself. Remind yourself that you were asked to speak for a reason. Confidence grows when you shift your mindset from “What do they think of me?” to “How can I help them understand this message?”
The Fear of Speaking Quickly: Nerves make us rush through our words, and we worry people won’t understand us.
The Solution: Practice slowing down by recording yourself and playing it back. Use natural pauses after key points or between slides to breathe and relax. Try this trick: take a silent breath every time you change topics. It helps to pace your delivery and keeps your audience connected.
The Fear of Not Answering: Someone might ask a question you can’t answer, and you’ll look unprepared.
The Solution: It’s okay that you don’t know everything. Prepare by reviewing common questions ahead of time. If you’re unsure, say, “That’s a great question and I’ll look into it and follow up.” This shows honesty and professionalism, not weakness.
The Fear of Your Body Language: You’re worried about shaking hands, a quivering or weak voice, or sweating in front of others.
The Solution: Channel that energy by standing tall, breathing deeply, and using gestures to express your points. The more you practice, the more your body will learn to stay calm under pressure.
Final Thought: Public speaking is a skill, not a talent, which means that it’s available to anyone who wants to use it. Like any skill, it gets easier with practice and preparation. Start small. For example, speak up in team meetings, volunteer to present an update, or join a webinar. Each time you take on one of these suggestions, you’ll build confidence and clarity.
Have you ever listened to someone speak and wondered, “How do they do it? How come they speak so well? How can I speak like that?”
It’s time to stop worrying about why you don’t sound like them and start focusing on your own growth.
Follow these three steps to transform your public speaking skills:
Identify Your Goals: Write down three things you want to change about how you speak.
Daily Practice: Each day, focus on practicing one of those goals.
Master Your Skills: When you feel ready, move on to the next goal, and finally master the third.
Soon, you’ll have accomplished three new speaking goals that will make you feel more confident.
Remember, public speaking is a skill that can be developed with dedication. And it is fine to be inspired by other speakers, but you also need to put some action into becoming the best speaker you can, so practice, practice, and practice more!
The moment has come for you to start on your speaking journey and watch yourself transform into a speaker that others admire.
Interviews are a form of public speaking, and strategically adding in a touch of humor to your next job interview can help you stand out and make a great first impression in front of your audience. Here’s how to do it without going overboard:
1. Know the Company Vibe. Do some research on the organization to see if humor fits with their culture. For example, a funny comment might go over well at a creative company, but it might not be a good idea in a more traditional type of business.
2. Limit Self-Deprecation. It’s okay to laugh at yourself a little but don’t make fun of yourself over and over again during the interview. A bit of humor about needing your morning coffee can make you seem down-to-earth, but don’t make this comment come across as a flaw.
3. Make Your Humor Relevant. Tie your funny story to something in the interview. One example is to share a story about how you used humor to overcome a work challenge. This demonstrates how you can stay positive when you have to put your problem-solving skills to work, and using humor will make the story more relaxed.
Use humor wisely, and impress your future boss. And best of luck with your next interview!
Job interviews are a reality now more than ever, so stay with me and let’s run through how you can feel more confident before an interview using a simple and fun tip.
Have you heard of tongue twisters? A tongue twister is a wacky sentence that is tricky to say because the words have the same sounds. When you try to say the twister fast, your tongue gets all mixed up! Why does this matter?
Tongue twisters teach you to speak more clearly and all this makes your mouth and tongue stronger, think of it like a workout for talking. For example, try saying, “Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers” really fast without messing up—it’s like a wonky challenge for your voice!
Here’s why it’s important to do a pre-interview warmup using tongue twisters:
1. Clearer Enunciation – Tongue twisters force you to pronounce words precisely, helping you avoid mumbling or speaking too fast. This ensures your answers are easily understood.
2. Better Breath Control – Practicing tongue twisters helps regulate your breathing, preventing you from running out of breath mid-sentence. Lack of breath is a nightmare!
3. Increased Confidence – Successfully saying a challenging tongue twister raises your confidence, making you feel more in control during the interview.
4. Improved Articulation – These phrases train your mouth and tongue muscles, making it easier to pronounce tricky words.
5. Reduces Nerves – Focusing on a challenging exercise before an interview can help reduce anxiety and warm up your voice, so you sound more relaxed and natural.
Try saying a few tongue twisters slowly and then gradually increase your speed before your interview. This quick warm-up can make a noticeable difference in how clearly and confidently you speak, which is a game changer during an interview.
If you don’t have time to find your own tongue twisters, visit my course for tongue twisters, breathing exercises, and affirmations for public speakers.
Remember an interview is a presentation and this means you are a public speaker.
Losing a job is never easy, and navigating the job market in 2025 can feel particularly daunting. But here’s the silver lining: this period of transition is also an opportunity to sharpen your skills and present the best version of yourself.
One critical skill that can make a significant difference in your job hunt is public speaking—yes, you read that right. Think of an interview as a chance to shine just like a public speaking engagement.
During interviews, clear and confident communication is key. Yet, it’s understandable that many of us might not have interviewed in a while, making it all the more important to show confidence in our speaking abilities. At the heart of speaking with confidence is the act of breathing correctly.
Let’s explore three straightforward breathing techniques that can help you stay calm, collected, and articulate during your next interview.
444 Breathing
This method is a fantastic way to reduce anxiety and ground yourself before an interview. Here’s how it works:
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.
Repeat this cycle three times. The technique calms your nervous system, setting a steady rhythm for your body and the mind.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Often referred to as “belly breathing,” this technique ensures that you are using your diaphragm to breathe deeply, which can enhance your vocal strength and clarity.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand as much as possible while keeping your chest relatively still.
Exhale slowly through your mouth.
Practice this technique daily to train your body to breathe more efficiently and support your voice. Try to NOT raise your shoulders when you breathe.
4 x 4 Breathing
This technique helps you to manage your stress and to maintain focus during high-pressure situations, such as interviews.
Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Repeat for a few minutes. This tip helps regulate your breathing so you can feel like you have enough air to speak.
Remember, the job market in 2025 is not just about your qualifications or experience; it’s also about how well you can communicate your value. By using these simple breathing techniques, you can enhance your public speaking skills, making you more confident and composed during interviews.
So take a deep breath, trust in your abilities, and step forward with confidence into your next interview. You’ve got this!
Public speaking can be daunting, especially for those who feel extremely anxious. Starting your presentation with a personal story about your own nervousness can break the ice and make it easier to connect with your audience. The benefit of this approach is that it humanizes you, making your audience more empathetic and engaged.
The way to do this is to share a brief story about a time when you felt really, really nervous. For example, you could say: “A few years ago, as I stood in front of my audience, I found myself trembling and sweating, and I could not say one word.”
By being vulnerable and authentic, you create relatability, showing that nervousness is something that we all experience. Plus, this technique can make you more comfortable, which allows you to transition smoothly into your presentation.
So the next time you feel like your nerves are going to be the worst experience ever, change your mindset, embrace your anxiety and let the audience know how you feel.
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