The Two-Minute Rehearsal

Practice your answers out loud with a timer. Aim for 60 to 120 seconds each — long enough to say something real, short enough to hold attention. Record one and play it back; you will hear every filler word and weak phrase you'd never catch in your head.

Drill your weakest answer, not your best one. The question you dread is the one your boss will circle back to, and two runs at it close more ground than ten polish-ups of the easy stuff.