INTERVIEWING: Forced Improv: Attacked by Questions From Relatives (Supplemental)
In an earlier post today, we looked at how improv can help you in job interviews, and a few ways to develop your improv abilities.
A few games were suggested. A few intentional games, that is. Sometimes you need to have improv abilities in order to make it through life.
There were times in my early twenties when I was not in a romantic relationship and did not have a career-type job. Since I come from a closely-knit extended family, I often had to answer highly personal questions during get-togethers. They'd always concentrate on my weak points and ask about my (lack of a) love life, my (lack of a) career, what I was doing with my (lack of a) life, and always phrase the questions in a way that assumed they already knew the answers. If your family is anything like mine, then you know what I mean.
Now, it would have been one thing to have one person ask me one question, to which I would provide one answer. But that never happened. If there were eight people at the table, then they would ask their questions in succession; first person, second person, third person and so on, until the last person served up his or her query. Once everyone had asked their questions, I had to answer person one, then person two, then three and so on until I had answered all of them. And then they'd fire more questions at me in the same format - usually follow-ups to their previous questions.
No, they didn't force me at gunpoint to do this format, and it wasn't planned (that I know of), but I was expected to answer the questions out of respect for my elders. Again, if your family is anything like mine, then you know what I mean.
That type of forced-upon-me improv training was gruelling. In fact, I hated it at the time. But it was the best training I could have ever, ever gotten for panel interviews. Hey - panel interviews were a piece of cake after dealing with nosy relatives prying into my personal life.
You don't have to endure that kind of trial by fire with relatives to get this kind of improv practice for panel interviews. You can do the same with a group of friends or colleagues. Have them ask you questions in succession, then answer them in succession.
If you can't line up people for this, well...take my family - PLEASE!
A few games were suggested. A few intentional games, that is. Sometimes you need to have improv abilities in order to make it through life.
There were times in my early twenties when I was not in a romantic relationship and did not have a career-type job. Since I come from a closely-knit extended family, I often had to answer highly personal questions during get-togethers. They'd always concentrate on my weak points and ask about my (lack of a) love life, my (lack of a) career, what I was doing with my (lack of a) life, and always phrase the questions in a way that assumed they already knew the answers. If your family is anything like mine, then you know what I mean.
Now, it would have been one thing to have one person ask me one question, to which I would provide one answer. But that never happened. If there were eight people at the table, then they would ask their questions in succession; first person, second person, third person and so on, until the last person served up his or her query. Once everyone had asked their questions, I had to answer person one, then person two, then three and so on until I had answered all of them. And then they'd fire more questions at me in the same format - usually follow-ups to their previous questions.
No, they didn't force me at gunpoint to do this format, and it wasn't planned (that I know of), but I was expected to answer the questions out of respect for my elders. Again, if your family is anything like mine, then you know what I mean.
That type of forced-upon-me improv training was gruelling. In fact, I hated it at the time. But it was the best training I could have ever, ever gotten for panel interviews. Hey - panel interviews were a piece of cake after dealing with nosy relatives prying into my personal life.
You don't have to endure that kind of trial by fire with relatives to get this kind of improv practice for panel interviews. You can do the same with a group of friends or colleagues. Have them ask you questions in succession, then answer them in succession.
If you can't line up people for this, well...take my family - PLEASE!
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