Fake it 'til you make it. Like all cliches, this one also contains a substantial nugget of truth. So what if you're not the most confident person in the world? Pretend you are, and others will notice. Soon you'll begin to feel a real confidence circulating through your veins, nourishing every cell in your body. Start out playing the part of a confident person, and you'll actually become one.

Confidence is one of the most important traits a job seeker can possess because it's a kind of crystal ball, showing a potential employer the future one will have (or not) in any field or profession. It's a prerequisite for success.

Dramatic training not only gives teens the experience of taking direction and working as part of a team to achieve a goal, something most employers desire, but it also helps them gain that all-important confidence, or at least learn how to effectively portray the characteristics of a confident person.

In my experience, those who participate in drama are not necessarily the most socially adept people in their daily lives. I definitely wasn't. I was shy and a bit socially awkward, never quite comfortable in a crowd. But once on stage, I became a character, and that character could do anything. For me, performing in front of hundreds of people as someone other than myself was exhilarating. Giving a speech about my personal experiences and beliefs before a classroom of my peers, on the other hand, I froze, my heart pounded in my throat, and I soon became drenched with sweat. The difference was having the feeling of being protected, in the guise of a role one is playing, as opposed to feeling exposed and naked, opening oneself to judgement.

For introverted people like me, a job interview can have the same effect. Success depends on how I approach it: am I playing the part of a confident, capable future employee, or do I let my anxiety take over and shut me down?

Participation in drama, like any other creative pursuit, can affect more than one area of a person's life. Learning to express freedom and control, joy and sorrow, angst and elation can result in a brilliant performance on stage. That success can then seep into every aspect of one's life. Honing those same skills can improve a teen's schoolwork, social skills, and chances of getting a job. Building confidence on stage can lead to real confidence. Once that is achieved, there's no need to act.

Learn more about this author, Kari G.
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