Feel confident on the day of interview
It might feel very obvious but small things make a huge impact on how you feel, present yourself and tackle the Interview day nerves.
Scorecards for reflection on interviews
Let’s face it, interviews can be stressful, and it’s easy to feel lost after. Getting feedback is tough. You’re often left wondering what went wrong (or right!) leaving you stuck in a loop.
We built Scorecards - to help you reflect, improve, and nail your next interview.
With Scorecard, you can
- pinpoint your strengths and double down on them.
- identify and target specific areas to improve for upcoming interviews.
- learn from your mistakes & avoid them in the future.
Scorecard will help you reflect on any interview across product, growth and marketing roles. These are built exclusively for GrowthX members. 💙
Getting to today’s topic
Last week we covered how you can prepare for interviews in the week/ couple of days prior. Today we talk about the interview day.
Your online interview is coming up, what do you focus on? Maybe you’re excited, nervous, or perhaps a bit of both. And that’s normal. The good part? It’s possible to go into your interview feeling calm and confident.
Let’s get straight into what will help you feel ready for your big day – simple, practical steps that are easy to implement and make a real difference.
1/ Setup your space
First things first: your environment matters more than you think. When you control your space, you’re less likely to feel bothered by distractions or unexpected glitches.
It’s not about being perfect; it’s about feeling comfortable in your space. If you know everything is in place – from the lighting to your wifi setup – it reduces anxiety. Puts your mind at ease.
Get everything in place -
Find a quiet spot
Pick a spot in your home that’s quiet and clean, and where no one’s going to barge in (no matter how cute your dog is).Good lighting = Good vibes
Make sure you’re sitting where the light hits your face. No need for fancy equipment, just sit near a window or turn on a lamp.Test your tech ahead of time
You’ve probably been in those awkward ‘Can you hear me?’ Zoom moments, right? Do a quick test the day before. Make sure your mic works, and you’ve got stable internet. Have a backup ready, in case the power gives up on you - your phone data can help.Camera view
Position your camera so that it’s at eye level and you’re in the centre of the frame. If you’re on a laptop, stack a few books under it to get the right height. It’ll make the conversation feel more natural.Virtual background
Put a pleasant virtual background that makes the face look bright & hides your real setup behind.
When everything is set up, you can stop worrying about the small stuff and focus on what matters: having a great conversation.
2/ Practice in your actual setting
Here’s a small but powerful trick: practice in the same place you’ll be doing the interview. It sounds simple, but getting used to the environment where you’ll take the call makes a huge difference in how comfortable you feel.
Here’s what it does - It takes away the element of surprise. You’ll already know what your setup looks and feels like, so there’s less ‘newness’ to throw you off during the actual interview.
What you can do is -
Do a mock interview
Use Zoom or Google Meet to run through a mock interview with a friend or record yourself. This way, you get used to speaking to a camera (it can feel weird at first, but you’ll get the hang of it).Check your body language
Watch your recording back. Are you fidgeting, or do you keep looking off-screen? Small tweaks like keeping eye contact with the camera (not the screen) and sitting up straight can make you come across way more confident.
It may feel awkward at first, but after a couple of run-throughs, you’ll feel way more relaxed when the real thing happens.
Also, you can request a 1:1 mock anytime for your upcoming interview & we will help you prepare.
3/ Have your notes handy
A one-pager note takes the pressure off. If you get stuck or need a reminder, you can glance at it without missing a beat.
Nerves can mess with your memory, especially when you’re trying to think of the perfect answer. With a few key points written down, you’ll have a safety net if your mind goes blank.
Make a quick list
On a sticky note or a Word doc, write down a few bullet points: your key strengths, a couple of projects you’re proud of, data and numbers of the impact, and questions to ask the interviewer.Visual reminders
Keep a post-it note on your screen with a couple of calming reminders, like “breathe” or “listen first, take a 10 sec pause”.
This note is what will keep you on track, if nerves kick in – it’ll help you stay focused.
For the last-minute interview prep, we have also built Cheatsheets you can refer to.
4/ Dress for confidence [yes, even online]
Even though it’s a virtual interview, what you wear matters. Not for them – for you. Dressing up like you’re going to an in-person interview helps you feel more prepared and professional. It sounds silly, but when you’re fully dressed – from your shirt to your shoes – you’ll feel more ‘in the zone.’ It’s a mental switch that puts you in a professional headspace.
Full outfit
Wear what you’d normally wear to an in-person interview. No, you don’t have to wear a suit (unless that’s your style), but something that makes you feel sharp and confident. Avoid pyjama bottoms – and, yes it makes a difference.Comfortable but polished
Make sure you’re comfortable. You want to be able to sit through the whole interview without fidgeting.
Dressing the part puts you in a more focused, confident mindset – and that’s half the battle won.
5/ Breathing breaks to calm your nerves
When you’re anxious, your brain is in overdrive. Taking a few deep breaths brings your body back into a calm state and lets you think more clearly.
5-minute reset
Before you log on, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. Do this for about 5 minutes. You’ll feel more grounded and focused.Visualisation
While you’re doing this, picture the interview going smoothly. Imagine the conversation flowing, you answering questions confidently, and connecting well with the interviewer.Stretching
A quick stretch (even if it’s just standing up and rolling your shoulders) can help release any built-up tension.Hydrate
Keep a glass of water within reach and take sips before the interview starts. Even in between if you need it.
This quick reset helps you walk into the interview feeling calm, clear-headed, and ready to go.
6/ Remind yourself why you are here
Finally, remind yourself why you’re interviewing for this job in the first place. When you connect with your purpose, it becomes easy to answer confidently.
Write down a couple of sentences about why this job excites you or how this role fits into your career goals. Keep it somewhere visible during the interview.
Example: "I want this role because I believe in the mission of this company, and I’m excited about the chance to help them grow."
When you write down your ‘why,’ you’ll feel more grounded, and your passion will come through naturally.
Next time you have an interview coming up, get these six steps right and you will feel the difference it makes. The interview day is not about learning new technical skills and forcing new information into your brain thinking you will answer with that, it is about feeling confident.
Putting it all together
Your space and how you dress matters, maybe not for the interviewer but for you to feel confident. Practicing in your actual interview setup, having visual cues/ notes in front of you helps you maintain your calm.
By taking these simple steps, you’ll show up to your virtual interview feeling calm, confident, and ready for whatever questions come your way. It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being prepared and feeling good about the conversation you’re about to have.
We hosted Jaimit this week ✨
170+ members joined [on a Wednesday night] to learn from the marketing OG.
We covered topics that mid-senior & early-stage marketers usually don't have access to, to plan careers well and think long-term, without getting lost in reactive decision-making -
How do you grow your marketing career? Be it becoming a CMO/ CGO.
How do you create a surface area for yourself to pull CMO opportunities?
What does the interview process for a CMO/ CGO role look like? What works, what doesn’t?
Here’s one of the many takeaways -
"If you are not willing to put your job at risk every day, then you cannot think about growth - it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission" - Jaimit, on taking risks.
We will be compiling the learnings and launching it here, incase you missed attending.
Featured role this week ✨
Senior Product Marketer [Growth team] at Uniqode
They offer a complete QR Code lifecycle management & analytics solution that is used by over 50,000 businesses around the world.
Curated resources for you 🚀
Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Thinking [recommended by Jaimit]
Become an AI PM with no experience [written by Aakash Gupta]
[Online session] Build your resume in 90 mins, reserve your slot here.
[Masterclass] Omni-Channel Growth with Jeetesh Agrawal, VP - Global Business Growth at Lenskart.com [GrowthX member since 2022], RSVP here.
AI for Customer experience, find the summary and notes from the session here.
This is the 9th edition of the newsletter, and we would love to know what have you applied from the learnings so far, and how it helped you.
Thank you for reading. See you next week.