Okay, we need a place...
conference room!And a time of day...
10 a.m.!And a topic...
finding a job!What am I describing: An improv skit, or a job interview? A new
article in The Wall Street Journal suggests that these two scenarios might be more similar than we think. In an economy where many Americans are struggling to find work—or keep their current jobs—more and more workers have been turning to improv to sharpen their people skills for both interviews and on-the-job interactions.
Some improv companies have designated classes or even groups of instructors devoted to instructing business workers in group seminars, but many employees—laid off or otherwise—have been signing up for individual lessons for further training.
So, what does improv have to do with acting smooth in the office? WSJ broke it down into five simple concepts:
- Listening. Improv isn't like standup—it's less about what you say as it is how your words and actions fit in with a preexisting scene, and office interactions work the same way. Instead of thinking about what you want to say when your interviewer or coworker stops talking, listen to what's being said and respond to that directly.
- Adapting. Improvisers are constantly modifying their performances to adapt to changing scenes, a tactic that is also useful for workers. You can walk into a job interview with the ideal interviewer-interviewee conversation in your head, but if the person behind the desk steers the discussion in another direction, you have to be ready to follow. Same thing goes for on-the-job presentations—you have to be on your toes to handle time limitations, interrupters, difficult questions, etc.
- Knowing yourself. Even though improvisers are always playing different characters, they have to keep in mind what works for them—crazy accents, weird body contortions, whatever. During a job interview, you need to learn how to showcase your strengths by working them into the conversation. And at work, too, you should try to align yourself with tasks and projects that will highlight what you bring to the table.
- Using your body language. The funniest material in the world wouldn't get many laughs if the performers were standing around stiff as boards—body language is important! WSJ recommends asking your family and friends to evaluate your body language, and to generally avoid crossing your arms, staring with too much intensity, or gazing longingly out the window.
- Finding common ground. Whether you're bonding with an audience member, fellow performer, or boss-to-be, it's important to look for simple connections. Did you go to the same college? Grow up in the same town? Do you root for the same sports teams? Embracing your similarities can help you get on an employer's good side or pave the way for friendships with your coworkers.
Do you agree with this advice? How is finding/keeping a job similar to performing?Image Source
Comments (1)
Improv is by far my favourite style of comedy, since I can appreciate the fact that I know as an audience member, my suggestions are being heard and used and I can totally respect the effort, practice, and smarts that go into making an entirely made up scene absolutely hilarious.
I think it goes without saying that improvisation is a key part in holding a career successfully, often no matter what your job is. You have to be quick witted, you have to pay attention, and you have to know how to react and respond with good adaptability to different circumstances. If you stand in a situation dumb founded, no one is going to want to have you around, let alone pay you for it. People who have to pitch ideas especially would be nowhere without improvisational skills; one idea gets turned down, pop out another at the snap of a finger until you get something approved or else you've got no job!