I have a weird confession: I get really excited when I have a job interview. But I know exactly why…because I love improvising.
I always loved imaginative play with my friends, whether it was dolls, stuffed animals or pretending to be super heroes. My mom still has cassette tapes of 9-year-old Sara pretending to host a radio show (perhaps a sign of my future broadcast journalism career). Then there was piano, jazz band and theater. My professional career continued to center on this skill, especially when I was a TV meteorologist. After all, the entire weather forecast is improvised—no teleprompter for us!
But what if this isn’t you? Especially when you’ve reached a point of desperation in your job search, it’s easy to clam up during a job interview.
When you’re stressed out trying to find your next opportunity, the pressure keeps growing and your mental health can decline. So why not apply some “BOGO”-style thinking and address two issues at once: job interview preparation and joy in your life.
Here are some fun ways you can work on your improvisation skills:
- Sign up for an improv class, join an improv group or even start your own! The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy notes that we are in a pandemic of loneliness and this is a great way to connect with others.
- Join a group running a tabletop role-playing game like Dungeons and Dragons where spoken improvised storytelling is required.
- Play pretend with young children. Having worked with children for more than 25 years, I can guarantee you they will keep you on your toes. Babysitting could even be a source of extra income and remove another stressor in your life!
You deserve connection and happiness in your life, and if you can simultaneously better prepare yourself for a job interview…even better!
I’d love to hear what you end up doing! Shoot me a message here, on Facebook or through LinkedIn and let me know how things turn out. And if you need help finding an improv troop/classes or a D&D group, I have some connections that could help.
(Excerpt from “Take it With You Newsletter“, sign up to receive regular updates)
