How a Thespian Can Succeed in a Marketing Career
Marketers are known to be creative, inquisitive, and passionate. Little did you know, so are thespians.
Theatre is not just an ordinary extra curricular activity. It also is not a sport that focuses on physical endurance or strength. Although many people do not believe it is useful in the business world, they are wrong. Theatre creates many useful life skills including:
Oral Communication Skills
These skills are gained by building confidence on a stage in front of others and can be applied at work by having confident conversations with co-workers and clients as well as presenting new ideas.
Creative Problem Solving Abilities
Building scenery, helping with lighting techniques, and making things look real are just some of the creative problems that need to be solved in the theater environment. This helps with solving problems in the work environment and help think outside of the box.
Commitment and Motivation
Being in a show is a lengthy commitment. The rehearsals typically begin 1-2 months prior to the performances. It takes a strong motivation to want to create a story to be committed to the late nights and weeks long of rehearsals and preparations. This is a great trait to have towards projects in the business environment.
Going Above and Beyond
As actors, it’s normal to continue practicing and perfecting things even after the first performance. Whether it’s a new costume, or adding in the accent that you couldn’t quite get the first time. There is no such thing as too much. This trait in the workspace is rare and highly sought out. Doing something great that you weren’t told to do will take you far.
Taking Direction
In theater, directors will constantly give direction to help bring the show together. It’s important to listen, write down, and apply the direction quickly. They are your “boss” and this is their project.
Teamwork
You don’t get to pick your cast, just like you don’t get to pick your co-workers. Learning to work with a diverse group of people is a great advantage. It allows for different techniques and ideas to be applied.
Working Independently
Actors are required to memorize lines, movements, songs, and notes. This isn’t something that is done with other people but instead needs to be worked on independently. Different tactics work for different people. It’s important to know what works best for you and then it can be applied to the work environment as well.
Promptness
As mentioned earlier, shows are created in a limited amount of time. Actors are on a time frame to get their work done and put it to show. This is a quality that’s important for any job.
Ability To Learn Quickly
A short amount of time means a short amount to learn. Many times, new skills must be taught, such as an accent or new choreography. As a marketer, it’s important to keep up with new technology and software as well. The more quickly you learn, the more efficient you will be at it.
Ability To Work Under Pressure
Putting on a show is already a time crunch but having the capability to perform live is even more of a crunch. Costume changes, props, set equipment - these are just some of the things that need to be remembered and changed during a performance. It’s a fast-paced environment and every little detail matters. This is a hot quality in the marketing world. To perform well under pressure will take anyone far.
As someone who has been acting and performer for over 20 years, I’ve not only used these attributes in the working world but also in my every day life. If you want to succeed in the business world, it’s not a bad idea to get involved in the performing arts world too. It will most likely strengthen many skills you thought you couldn’t.
