As Ms. Livingston stood up from behind her desk, James rose quickly out of his chair. He smiled broadly. The impeccably dressed interviewer extended her hand and James shook it with confidence and gladness. He had just been offered the job!

If a teen has the opportunity to be involved with a drama class in his educational studies, he should participate with gusto. By becoming an expert in the dramatic arts he may well win his dream job. There are at least three specific skills that a teen can learn from this type of training that will help employability: active listening ability, clear speaking skills, and a knack for improvisation.

Perhaps the most important skill one learns in a drama class is active listening. Listening is not just hearing, staring blankly at the speaker with one's mouth closed. Rather it is responding to the speaker through relevant questions and non-verbal cues to fully understood what is being said.

When a teen develops empathy, as she would in a drama class by reading an acting partner or the audience, she becomes a much better listener. An empathetic person is one who can understand quickly and correctly the point of the message of what the other party wishes to convey. When one understands what is being communicated, one can then respond in a clear and concise manner.

And this is the second main benefit of dramatic training - developing an outstanding speaking skill. Talking is a teenager's specialty, though they generally do it all wrong.

In drama exercises, teens learn to speak with clarity and confidence, articulating words, emphasizing main points and maintaining good diction. They quickly learn that if they speak poorly, the audience can not hear nor understand them, and then the audience will lose interest and the performance will be a failure. How much better to learn this lesson in a high school auditorium than through the rejection letter after interviewing for a desired job!

An interesting part of dramatic training involves breathing exercises. Students learn how to control their diaphragm, pushing air from deep within their lungs to power their vocal cords. This action lowers the voice and makes it sound more relaxed. Especially for teen girls, or those with high pitched voices, this technique is useful to improve the delivery and perceived authority of one's voice.

Finally, improvisation is at the heart of the business world and drama classes alike. During an interview a teen most likely will be thrown unexpected questions. Combined with the unfamiliar settings of a strange office building and answering questions about an industry that the teen may know very little, the interview can be an intimidating experience.

Luckily, he has practiced acting and speaking in cases where uncertainty was built into the exercise. Having a quick and adaptable mind that one develops by practicing improvisation helps one answer the tough unexpected questions in an interview.

It also gives confidence to the young woman before she walks into the interview, for example. She knows that she will be able to think on her feet and answer any question that the interviewer delivers. She has done it before, in her drama class.

Expensive specialized dramatic training courses are offered to senior business executives for good reason. When a well dressed young man stands up straight with his head held high, smiles in a friendly manner and says his point with ease, his counter party is bound to be impressed.

Learn more about this author, J. Henry Stewart.
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