INTERVIEWING: Teething on Improv
Improvisational comedy is big fun to watch, but hard for the untrained to perform. Those who have improv experience seem to handle almost anything thrown at them without breaking a sweat.
And that's why improv is a great way to train for job interviews. By training yourself to think on your feet and to be "on," you'll be better able to answer questions from hiring managers during job interviews.
The good news is you don't have to be on the cast of the legendary Second City, Saturday Night Live or even Whose Line Is It Anyway? You can get improv practice in nearly every city across the U.S. And, if you can't find a group to cut your improv teeth, there are other ways to get improv experience:
Play Whose Line. There are several games that were regularly played on the Drew Carey-hosted show. One involved coming up with as many things as possible within a given time frame with the props provided. Another had one person hosting a party and trying to figure out who his/her party guests were without being told. These are also excellent improv games to play whenever you have a party or go to one because A ) they're fun; and B ) they train you to think on your feet - just like you need to do in job interviews.
If. The game If requires participants to answer questions based on situations. You might be asked, "If you could invite six people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?" You could be asked "If you knew your romantic partner was cheating on you, what would you do?" These situational questions are great to get you in the right mind frame for answering questions in situational interviews.
Table Topics. Readers of The Daily Machete know Toastmasters is a great place to network, as well as practice public speaking and leaderships. One of the three portions of all Toastmasters meetings is devoted to Table Topics. In Table Topics, participants don't know they're being called on until the "Table Topics Master" calls upon them. Nor, for that matter, do they know the question they'll be asked until they are called on. And, to make it more challenging, participants must use at least one of the two key words provided in their answers. This is a tremendously beneficial (and yes, stress-producing) exercise for anyone who will ever be in a job interviews.
IN THE CARAVAN: Improve your interviewing skills by developing your improvisational skills.
LATER TODAY: Forced Improv: Attacked by Questions From Relatives
NEXT THURSDAY: Your Last Words
Check out last Thursday's posts:
INTERVIEWING: How to Use Your Voice: Vocal Inflections
INTERVIEWING: How to Use Your Voice: Watch the Professionals
And that's why improv is a great way to train for job interviews. By training yourself to think on your feet and to be "on," you'll be better able to answer questions from hiring managers during job interviews.
The good news is you don't have to be on the cast of the legendary Second City, Saturday Night Live or even Whose Line Is It Anyway? You can get improv practice in nearly every city across the U.S. And, if you can't find a group to cut your improv teeth, there are other ways to get improv experience:
Play Whose Line. There are several games that were regularly played on the Drew Carey-hosted show. One involved coming up with as many things as possible within a given time frame with the props provided. Another had one person hosting a party and trying to figure out who his/her party guests were without being told. These are also excellent improv games to play whenever you have a party or go to one because A ) they're fun; and B ) they train you to think on your feet - just like you need to do in job interviews. If. The game If requires participants to answer questions based on situations. You might be asked, "If you could invite six people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?" You could be asked "If you knew your romantic partner was cheating on you, what would you do?" These situational questions are great to get you in the right mind frame for answering questions in situational interviews. Table Topics. Readers of The Daily Machete know Toastmasters is a great place to network, as well as practice public speaking and leaderships. One of the three portions of all Toastmasters meetings is devoted to Table Topics. In Table Topics, participants don't know they're being called on until the "Table Topics Master" calls upon them. Nor, for that matter, do they know the question they'll be asked until they are called on. And, to make it more challenging, participants must use at least one of the two key words provided in their answers. This is a tremendously beneficial (and yes, stress-producing) exercise for anyone who will ever be in a job interviews. IN THE CARAVAN: Improve your interviewing skills by developing your improvisational skills.
LATER TODAY: Forced Improv: Attacked by Questions From Relatives
NEXT THURSDAY: Your Last Words
Check out last Thursday's posts:
INTERVIEWING: How to Use Your Voice: Vocal Inflections
INTERVIEWING: How to Use Your Voice: Watch the Professionals
Want more Interviewing advice? Check out these posts and The Lion's Pride section of WildJobSafari.com!
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