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Career Exploration

Can an Improv Class Really Help Your Career?

By Skip Horne
Improv class.

Improv class.

© 2018. Published in Law Practice Today, August 2018, by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association or the copyright holder.

Skills learned in improv can certainly be fun and silly, but applied to everyday life, and especially your career, they can help you sit in the drivers seat as you shape your career. From critical listening skills to opening yourself up to new ideas, the “yes, and” mindset can have you excited about exploring new career possibilities.

"Career-wise, “Yes, and…” thinking encourages you to consider possibilities, explore options and become an active participant in shaping your future.
Used in concert with accepting offers and resisting blocking, “Yes, and…” can be a powerful tool as you contemplate your next career move. You’ve listened fully, you’ve responded, and now it’s time to build on the conversation. Who knows where the conversation—and your career—will lead?

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Skip Horne

Chair, ABA Career Center

Skip Horne is the senior assistant dean for external relations at Santa Clara University School of Law and wrote this article on behalf of the American Bar Association Career Center. He finally took his first improv class three years ago. Contact him at [email protected] or 408.554.2706.