The Words in Our Head: Rewiring the Brain Through Fun and Connection
February 13, 2025
Few things are more nerve-wracking than a job or college interview. So much is at stake; a lackluster performance could be all that stands between you and your dream education or your dream career! Even if your resume is filled with accomplishments and qualifications, that may not be enough to get the nod. You have to show to the person interviewing you that your resume is not just padding, but reflects who you are and what you have done. You have to know your stuff, and you have to make sure the other person knows you know it too. And beyond that, you have to show that you can laugh and have fun; in other words, that you are a pleasure to work with.
Interviewing is a skill that needs to be learned, but schools rarely teach it. Even when they do, they may teach skills that work for some people, but not everyone. Interviewing well is more than just learning a few techniques for presentation; it’s a matter of adapting to changing circumstances, following a conversation wherever it leads, all while looking relaxed and natural despite the artificial setting. In short, it’s a matter of improvising.
Now improvisation can be taught; it’s been a staple of the theater and comedy worlds for decades. But improvisation is something that people in all walks of life can benefit from. Thanks to Applied Improvisation (AI), everyone from high school students to experienced professionals can learn important life skills in a low-stakes environment. Through AI workshops, participants have the opportunity to practice and even master these skills — including verbal and nonverbal communication, metacognition, memory and recall, listening, asking questions, and executive functioning — in a fun, lighthearted atmosphere.
What can AI do for interviewing skills? Consider the results of a recent study in which a group of 9th to 12 graders took three 4-hour classes in AI. Before the classes, the students were asked the following series of questions about their attitude and self-image:
- I am able to maintain an accurate and positive self-concept
- I am able to identify and express my individual strengths
- I am able to identify my weaknesses and willing to put in time and effort to improve upon them
- I am able to articulate and communicate my thoughts, feelings, and ideas
- I am aware of my audience when I am speaking
- I am able to manage stress and regulate my emotions
- I am able to establish and maintain relationships with diverse individuals and groups
- I am able to use creativity and coping skills to problem-solve and resolve conflicts
- I am able to collaborate well with others in a variety of settings
- I am able to identify short-and-long term personal, academic, and career goals
After the classes, the students were asked the same questions again to see if the AI techniques they had learned had any effect on their responses. The results? There were significant changes across the board! Let’s go through some of them individually.
For the first question, “I am able to maintain an accurate and positive self-concept,” 5.6% of students said before the classes that they found this Very Difficult; 16.7% said they found it Difficult; 44.4% said they found it Easy; and 33.3% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, 0% (that is, no one!) said they found it Very Difficult; only 5.6% said they found it Difficult; 55.6% said they found it Easy; and 38.9% said they found it Very Easy. Simply by practicing the techniques of AI, these students were able to boost their self-esteem, perhaps the most important thing you need when going into an interview.For the second question, “I am able to identify and express my individual strengths,” 22.2% of students said before the classes that they found this Difficult; 33.3% said they found it Easy; and 44.4% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, only 11.1% said they found it Difficult; 55.6% said they found it Easy; and 33.3% said they found it Very Easy. So AI can not only help you better articulate what you’re good at, but also help those who may be overconfident take a step back and see what they bring to the table.
For the third question, “I am able to identify my weaknesses and willing to put in time and effort to improve upon them,” 27.8% of students said before the classes that they found this Difficult; 38.9% said they found it Easy; and 33.3% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, only 11.1% said they found it Difficult; 44.4% said they found it Easy, and 44.4% said they found it Very Easy. In this way, Applied Improvisation encourages honesty with oneself and learning how to improve. Anyone who has struggled in an interview with the question “What are your greatest weaknesses?” can appreciate how important honesty is.
For the fifth question, “I am aware of my audience when I am speaking,” 11.1% of students said before the classes that they found this Difficult; 44.4% said they found it Easy, and 44.4% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, while the same percentage of students said they found it Difficult, only 33.3% said they found it Easy, and 55.6% said they found it Very Easy. Interviewing is, in a way, a performance for an audience of one or a few, and knowing how to perform for an audience, no matter how small, can mean the difference between failure and success.
For the sixth question, “I am able to manage stress and regulate my emotions,” 11.1% of students said before the classes that they found it Very Difficult; 22.2% said they found it Difficult; 38.9% said they found it Easy; and 27.8% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, 0% (again, no one!) said they found it Very Difficult; 16.7 % said they found it Difficult; 50% said they found it Easy, and 33.3% said they found it Very Easy. As mentioned above, for most people, interviewing is a stressful experience, but the practices of AI can help manage your fears, letting you roll with the punches and focus on doing your best.
For the seventh question, “I am able to establish and maintain relationships with diverse individuals and groups,” 16.7% of student said before the classes that they found this Difficult; 38.9% said they found it Easy, and 44.4% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, 0% (no one!) said they found it Difficult; 27.8% said they found it Easy, and a whopping 72.2% said they found it Very Easy. When interviewing, you are seeking to form what you hope will be a long and fruitful relationship with people who might well be strangers, a challenge for even the most outgoing people. With AI, this no longer has to be a roadblock, but an opportunity for new and amazing experiences.
For the ninth question, “I am able to collaborate well with others in a variety of settings,” 5.6% of students said before the classes that they found this Difficult; 50% said they found it Easy; and 44.4% said they found it Very Easy. After the classes, 0% (no one!) said they found it Difficult; 22.2% said they found it Easy; and 77.8% (wow!) said they found it Very Easy. At the heart of AI, as in the workplace, is working together: not only do you perform well, but you make your partners look and feel good as well. Demonstrating skill at collaboration in an interview can be a valuable asset.
As you can see, Applied Improvisation can be a platform on which people of all ages can organically master the skills of interviewing and presentation that can make all the difference in the world when it comes to getting ahead. Consider having an experienced AI professional come to your school or workplace to facilitate an AI workshop for your students or colleagues. Contact us to see how we can enhance your communication, collaboration and creativity.
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Christiana Frank
Christiana Frank is a certified speaker, coach, consultant, program developer, and mentor. Since 1999, she has been helping corporate teams, educational institutions, and mental health facilities connect to themselves, each other, and the world at large. Founder of KidScape Productions and with a strong passion for helping all ages, you can typically find Mrs. Frank in areas of wellness and empowerment, applying evidence-based approaches that draw from modern-day neuroscience and psychology. Since 1999 she has been designing and leading training’s with a mindful approach to collaboration, communication, and creativity. Mrs. Frank’s passion is deeply rooted in facilitating teams and individuals to communicate effectively and feel confident with ambiguity and change.
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14 thoughts on “Benefits of Applied Improvisation for Interviewing Skills”
I work with kids a lot, and It’s cool to see how improv classes can help with real world everyday issues. I think that getting out of your comfort zone in a comfortable environment can set off a spark in kids that lets them expand their limits, allowing them to excel in new and stressful environments. Super cool!
This is what I have personally witnessed over the years of observing kidscapeproductions:
what students have experienced and how they have grown in self confidence.
Simply put it is the definition of confidence:
–feelings or consciousness of one’s power of reliance on one’s circumstances.
–faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper or effective way [without suggestion of conceit or arrogance]
————-perfect confidence in the ability to succeed.
————-meets risk with brash confidence
————-having every confidence of success
————-self possession in trying or challenging situations
————-Assurance
————-Self control
[Best worded by Merriam Webster Dictionary, perfect explanation of what exactly is gained from kidscape classes.]
I have witnessed how this class successfully teaches the confidence to succeed with the important tools to do so.
Proven success every child [and adult?] would benefit from.
Fabulous article!
I’m passing it along to all the kids and coworkers I know who are looking for jobs because it will surely help them
Our daughter began with KidScape Appiled Improvisation when she was in third grade and we have experienced the positive impact that Applied Improvisation has had on her life. Our daughter is now excelling in college and using the skills she gained to secure coveted internships in university physics labs while pursuing her passion of improvisational theater and stand up comics. She is never uncomfortable in a new situation and I cannot say enough about the positive impact KidScape had on her life.
This is one of the best article I have read recently. I have forwarded it to our Work Force Development team, so they can share it with the students.
This is a great program, The teachers are excellent at assessing each students needs and applying the needs to them individually
Great to see practical research supporting the benefits of improvisation.
Learning improv has really helped me create and maintain healthy relationships with the people around me as well as my own personal insecurities. When doing improve you don’t realize it but you are both tearing down your old conversational filter and building another more adaptable filter at the same time. When I was younger I was very against talking to new people but just the other weekend I was at a volleyball tournament and I decided I wanted to talk to these Canadian girls, which most normal people wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to a team they just beat that is also from another country but thanks to knowing all of my improve skills I was able to have a healthy conversation with these girls about the game without seeming like I was gloating and at the same time making sure neither of us was uncomfortable. I like to think that helping teach improve has allowed me to develop even more because you gain a deeper understanding from teaching something than you do from just learning and applying it. Applying improve in my daily life especially as a high school freshman has definetly improved (no pun intended) my self esteem and outwards body image and the way I interact with people on an everyday basis.
Kidscape is using the communication skills of improv to help all kids. I’ve been doing improv for years and it truly is something I will continue to recommend. The way that improv teaches kids communication skills is so amazing to watch. Children who won’t say a word will become the most outgoing people you’ll ever meet. I know because I’m one of them. I was shy and couldn’t talk to adults, after improv I found it so much easier to talk to people. When I present and sow give goes wrong or I forget what I’m saying I can come up with a response quicker than my peers. I recommend improv to everyone of all ages.
This is an incredible process producing meaningful results. A valuable program and fantastic article that demonstrate the positive impact individual by individual. Thank you for the difference you are making.
[…] to different situations will help you form healthy interpersonal relationships. And as we have discussed in another article here on Kidscape Productions, dramatic skills and emotional intelligence can even help in practical situations such as job […]
AI worked for my grandson. He has really benefited from participating and working in a team setting. Today he is more confident and I’m aware of his ability to problem solve and has had to resolve conflicts with his co-workers. In all cases these were resolved in a positive manner. Than you Kidscape Productions
As I was going through the intense college interview process and now auditions and job interviews, I have never been so appreciative of my theatre and improvisation training. I started at a young age and as I reflect I realize how much of an impact it had on me and my communication skills. I think I had always taken for granted skills like making eye-contact, positive body language, etc. because improvisation had helped it become second nature for me. I used to be so incredibly nervous auditioning but the act of putting myself in those nerve wracking settings over and over again through improv and outside of classroom helped get me ready for the interviews and auditions I go on now! I so believe in what KidScape does.
Improv has helped my interviewing skills so much. When I interviewed for a scholarship I was thrown some unexpected questions, due to my improv skills I could come up with a good response on the spot and wasn’t fazed by the different questions. I found out I was better at awnsering questions faster and more thought out than others participating.