Three Vocal Exercises to Try Before Your Interview

A job interview is a vocally demanding event; chances are, you'll be talking continuously for at least an hour. To help prepare your body, perform a few simple vocal exercises. A warm voice sounds more natural and feels more comfortable, leaving you more at ease during the interview.

Many job candidates are alone in the hours before a job interview. During that time, the throat can tighten up due to stress and a lack of use. Vocal exercises release tension, prepare the throat for extensive use and help your voice sound its best. They are used extensively by actors to limber up the vocal mechanisms before a performance. If your interview is in the morning, these simple warm-ups can help remove the slightly hoarse sound that happens after a night of sleep. They are an ideal complement to your other interview preparation activities.

Gentle Warm-Up

If you've just woken up or you've spent a few hours without talking, it is important to warm-up your voice gently. One of the best vocal exercises for this purpose is a hum, according to the Voice and Swallowing Institute at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Pick a note that feels comfortable — lower is better in the beginning — and hum it gently. Count to five while you hum and then release the breath. Breathe in deeply and hum again. When your voice starts to feel looser, start humming higher and lower notes. This exercise is easy on your vocal mechanisms, so it is the perfect option for an early-morning interview.

Connecting with the Breath

Pre-interview nerves have a tendency to leave job seekers breathing irregularly or in a shallow manner. As a result, your voice can sound thin, weak or uncertain. Vocal exercises can help you connect to your breath and produce a full, confident sound. Stand straight with your shoulders down and place a hand on your stomach. Say "ha" loudly, filling it with air. Keep it short and see how it fills the room. Say "ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," making sure to keep each word resonant and full. On each "ha," your stomach should contract and move inward, causing your hand to move with it. This exercise gets your breath flowing through your voice, giving you better control.

Increasing Flexibility

Before a performance, singers do vocal exercises that loosen up each part of the voice. As a result, they can sing and speak at very high or very low pitches without discomfort. This type of vocal flexibility is also useful during an interview because it helps you express personality and talk extensively without going hoarse. Pick a pitch that feels easy to sing and use it to start the song, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Sing, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are." Then, pick a slightly higher pitch — a half note higher, if you read music — and start again. Continue gradually moving higher until it starts to feel uncomfortable. Articulate each word carefully to get your lips, teeth and tongue warmed up.

These three vocal exercises can get your vocal mechanisms moving and remove all signs of stress or exhaustion from your voice. With 10 minutes of warm-up, you can enter the interview sounding relaxed and refreshed.

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