Time to Improvise

Two week ago, I was writing to you on a train to NYC for my brother’s musical improv show. The show absolutely lived up to its hype. It was hilarious, irreverent and gave me a desperately needed opportunity to escape the world briefly and laugh.

As I was chatted with my brother, I mentioned how I had previously written about practicing improvisation for job seekers. Improv classes, role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, or simply playing pretend with a young child helps build valuable skills for the job interview. This practice gives you confidence you can articulately answer unexpected questions. But that’s not the only time during the job search when it can be helpful.

The golden rule of improv is to “Yes, And”. Don’t say no to another person’s idea. If they scream “Look at that dragon!” you don’t say, “No, that’s just a child’s kite.”

Instead, you go with it and add on more. “Oh no, it looks like it is spraying its mouth with a fire extinguisher. Time for an intervention!”

Seizing the Moment

Last Saturday, I was at a cider tasting event at my friend’s bottle shop. I struck up a conversation with someone from our county tourism organization, Destination Dutchess. I told her I always love learning about events happening in my community. It brings back some of my favorite memories from my morning/midday meteorologist days. I enjoyed the local guests who would come on the show and share interesting opportunities (and the free tickets/VIP passes were a wonderful extra bonus).

She suggested that I should become a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) for Dutchess County. She was going to be leading a 4-hour training that Tuesday a few miles away from my house. If I applied online that night, she’d squeeze me in even though it was past the registration deadline. Normally, my schedule is packed and there’s no way I could squeeze it in. But, by moving one meeting, I could make it happen! I went and by the end of 4 hours, I was certified (and my list of places I want to visit in Dutchess County is now enormous).

Towards the end of the meeting, our trainer Lauren invited us to a tourism networking event the next morning at the pavilion of the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum. Again, one adjusted meeting, and I was a yes! I caught a ride with my friend who owns the bottle shop, and we talked about being small business owners during the drive. I introduced myself to the CEO of the museum who has been on my “want to meet” list for more than two years.

It all happened because I was willing to improvise, saying “yes, and” to side excursions in my career journey.

Yes, And…

Here’s how you can improvise in your job search.

• If you see an event that interests you, check it out. Networking doesn’t just happen at “networking” events. Go to an art fair, attend a community festival, go to a book signing event. While there, chat with others about the event’s theme. Have your business card handy or connect with people on social media during the event or right afterwards to continue the conversation (more about this inNetwork, Network, Network)

• If you see a post or article that reminds you of someone, reach out to let them know. If you’re connected on social media, send them a message or tag them in the post. If they’re an email person, send an email. If they prefer text, shoot off a text. Heck, send them a postcard or a letter and REALLY stand out. Keep the message short. “I saw this and it made me think of you and _______ (insert something specific). Hope you’re doing well.” More about this in Perennials, part 2 of my 3-part series on gardening as a metaphor for networking.

• Sign up for a workshop or training that sounds interesting, even if it is outside the field you’re looking for work in. Take advantage of your new certification and create a “Celebrating a Certification” post on LinkedIn like I did (part of my post is below). Don’t just put up the generic announcement that LinkedIn creates for you. Instead, talk about what you learned, what you’ll do with your new knowledge and/or who else might benefit from the training. LinkedIn shares these posts widely (4x as many people saw this post as my next most popular!)

Take a chance and try something different. Because in a competitive job market, you need every advantage you can get.

Speaking of Opportunities…

I did a little improvising of my own last week. I changed the date of next week’s Using LinkedIn to be a Powerhouse Networker workshop. Here’s my LinkedIn post explaining why.

The live workshop is now Wednesday, May 21^st at 3pm ET / noon PT.

In it, we’ll focus on strategies for building your network on LinkedIn in a way that feels genuine, not gross. I’ll talk about how to connect and how to set up your profile to meet your needs.

I’ve also dropped the cost for those who register early.

And there’s MORE!

Register for the workshop and you’ll automatically have a spot on the LinkedIn Sprint team for Job Seekers kicking off the following week. This is a great chance to more deeply connect with your blossoming network.

If the sprint isn’t the right fit, share your free pass with another job seeker and spread the love. Two participants in my last round of the workshop did this and one of the recipients partially credits the sprint for the new job he found!

Resource Roundup

I’ve decided to mix things up in this section of my newsletter and share a variety of types of resources.

• Last newsletter, I mentioned the value of someone “putting in a good word” for you at a company. Having someone advocate for you behind closed doors is really important. In a Newsweek article, The Differences Between Mentorship and Sponsorship, Rosalind Chow (author of The Doors You Can Open) offers the following advice for job seekers. “Resist the urge to draw close and hunker down. Now is the time to take a careful look at your network and reach out to people for help, particularly if those people tend to spend time in different spaces than you do. And once you reach out, be forthcoming about your need for sponsorship, not (just) mentorship.”

• Looking for folks to follow on LinkedIn who regularly post job opportunities? Check out the list at the bottom of my newsletters from November 29, 2024 to January 16, 2025.

• Struggling after being laid off? Listen to the podcast, Proxy with Yowei Shaw. Yowei is the former host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia but was laid off in 2023. She started Proxy as a way of trying to understand why she felt so terrible. She began this new podcast with “The Layoff Trilogy”. This series does an amazing job of combining research and storytelling as it address a devastating situation with compassion and generous helpings of humor. This is a must-listen resource if you’ve been laid off or if someone you care about has been.

Hi! I’m Sara Kobilka, owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting.

I am a Renaissance Woman (what’s THAT? Good question! Here’s my answer). My wide-ranging background includes time as a TV meteorologist/reporter, non-profit leader, higher education program coordinator, curriculum designer, and now, business owner. During each leg of this journey, I gained new skills that I was able take with me in my next step. Now, I work remotely with clients to help them confidently tell their story and navigate the transition to the next leg of their career journey.

Take the Next Step

• Follow me on LinkedIn where I actively cross-pollinate impactful ideas across industries and disciplines (and regularly share job opportunities I come across)

• Check out my one-on-one career coaching program or join a cohort of job seekers for small group coaching

• Sign up for my workshop Using LinkedIn to be a Powerhouse Networker

• Participate in a LinkedIn Sprints (May is for job seekers)

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