7 Ways Being A Dancer Can Help You In A Job Interview

January 23, 2024

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There are obvious reasons dance is a blessing in our lives: It is an emotional outlet. It connects us with others. It keeps us in shape.

And like… it’s pretty darn fun. In addition to these perks, dance teaches us lessons. Some that we don’t even realize we’re learning at the time.

These lessons enrich us as dancers, people, and even as professionals!

Here are 7 surprising ways you’re already getting geared up for the workplace by being a dancer.

**The next time you have a job interview, plug these dance-learned qualities as a way you’d bring value to the company. ;) #HIREME

1. You Embody A Mission

7 Ways Being A Dancer Can Help You In A Job Interview

Whether it’s being part of a team, planning an event, or dancing in a video, any dance “project” has some sort of end goal.

This goal requires several people to put in work, no matter how tedious or inconsequential it may feel.

In a similar way, every company has a main mission statement that every worker has to understand, agree with, and live by.

Even if it feels like the nature of the job is unrelated to the business, the work still plays a role in pushing the team toward a collective purpose.

For example, inputting data for a fashion brand doesn’t feel very fashionable or impactful.

But if the mission of the company is to manufacture affordable high-quality socks and you’re allllll about affordable high-quality socks, the job won’t sock at all.

Not to say you’d enjoy every second of it, but you would understand that it’s not so much about what you’re doing, it’s about why you’re doing it.

In a team, every move of every dancer counts. Quite literally. Every push-up, every mark, every run-through... even all the cleaning (my least favorite!)... It all matters.

We experience first hand how instrumental training and preparation is, so work your butt off for the cause.

Tell your interviewer:

“Once I find purpose in a mission, I find purpose in any action, however menial, that supports that mission. Hire me!”

2. You Know How To Manage Your Priorities

Wall Street Journal writer Laura Vanderkam says,

“Instead of saying "I don't have time" try saying "it's not a priority," and see how that feels…

Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don't like how we're spending an hour, we can choose differently.”

All of us juggle our many obligations. School, work, social lives, and special events are important to us... so we make time for them.

Because we have so much to do, we become efficient at managing our priorities. We study during downtime at rehearsals and choreograph during lunch breaks at work.

Smart time management doesn’t just mean planning ahead, it means fitting tasks in between.

We learn to make sacrifices when we can’t do it all. Often, we sacrifice sleep. Other times, we sacrifice going to a social event because of our commitment to dance.

How many times have you declined an invitation to hang out by saying “I can’t, I have rehearsal…” sigh, #dancerproblems

Dance pushes us to tackle a lot, but it also teaches us to balance it all.

Tell your interviewer:

“I have learned to prioritize my tasks and execute them in the most efficient and effective manner. Hire me!”

3. You Have Self-Discipline

The roadblocks we run into as dancers are both mental and physical tests.

You struggle to hear what a choreographer is hitting. You feel insecure about entering a cypher.

Your team is putting together a themed set and you need to design the costumes.

You’re in 5 out of 6 pieces of a really tiring set. You condition your core in order to have more balance and control. You want to master an air flare.

These challenges often call for “motivation” to get through. But the word “motivation” has so much of an emotional undertone…

In actuality, what you really need is discipline. Self-discipline.

We learn to (as Nike says,) just do it.

You listen to develop better musicality. You freestyle, suck, suck less, then get kinda good.

You do a Google search on a theme and start piecing together a dope costume.

You implement cardio to our training to prepare for a tiring set. You do crunches. Hold planks. And practice the crap out of that air flare.

As dancers, we don’t just sit still to get better. We take action. We move.

See Related Article: 12-Week Dance Training Intensive On STEEZY Studio

Tell your interviewer:

“I believe in the power of doing – as much as inspiration and motivation get make us feel more compelled to, nothing is a bigger motivating factor than the momentum gained from executing. Hire me!”

4. You Demonstrate Excellent Communication And Presentation Skills

As valuable as it is to be rational, perceptive, and analytical, it is also equally important to be able to communicate your brilliant ideas.

Dance teaches us how to perform.

Whether you were born a natural star or had to learn to swallow your stage fright, you’ve learned how to work the audience, how to time certain moments, how to improvise in the face of unexpected events, etc.

Being on stage for dance prepares us to showcase on more professional stages as well.

If you have ever taught a class, you know how challenging it is.

You have to convey your intent, your moves, and your technique.

You employ metaphors, sound effects, and even acting and comedy in order to communicate with students.

You have to gauge the students’ responses both vocally and through body language, then shift your teaching techniques accordingly.

The same applies to class-takers, who have to absorb the information given, ask the right questions, and elaborate on a piece of choreography with their own interpretation.

These presentation skills come in handy in the studio, the workplace, and any situation involving interpersonal interaction.

See Related Article: How Dance Can Make You A Better College Student

Tell your interviewer:

...Well, I guess it’s not what you tell them, but how you say it!

5. You Are Open To Learning And Collaborating

Every one of us, even the most amazing of dancers, started as a beginner.

We saw someone or something that sparked an interest.

We took classes from teachers and took direction from our leaders. We discovered other dancers to be inspired by.

We binge watch YouTube videos and are constantly blown away by the amount of talent and creativity that exists in other communities around the world.

It is only through humility that we are able to discover, train, and grow.

It is only by being a student that we have come to accomplish what we have.

Dancers are so open to learning from and collaborating with each other because we are always eager to expand.

As Henry Ford says,

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

This openness translates to professional settings as well. Companies aren’t looking to stay stagnant, they want to grow.

And companies grow only when they employ people with a growth-minded attitude. Like you!

See Related Article: Keone & Mari’s eBook Opens Up A New Chapter In Dance

Tell your interviewer:

“I have a natural hunger to learn and innovate. I love what (Company Name) does and am excited to bring in new ideas for its even brighter future.”

6. You Are A Jack Of All Trades

Besides choreographing and teaching, a lot of other technical skills can be learned through being a dancer.

Most of us have an interest outside of dance, but we merge that interest with the dance community to somehow hone that skill and serve other dancers.

For example, dance cinematography didn’t exist in the capacity it does now just 5 years ago.

Now we have whole media crews at events and independent videographers booking concept video shoots.

Events have taken center stage as well, and people are learning about event production, stage cues, lighting, etc.

I mean, I’m a writer who writes about dance.

Perhaps dancing itself wasn’t the exact destination, but our relevant experiences definitely helped us get to places we wanted to be professionally.

What are some things you learned through dance? Were you a team leader? Did you organize fundraisers? Did you book choreographers to teach workshops? Did you run a social media account? Bookkeep finances?

Include these miscellaneous skills in your “relevant experience”! Though it may not seem like it, knowing Final Cut Pro can totally give you a leg up on the competition.

Tell your interviewer:

“In addition to (ALL THIS STUFF IN THE JOB REQUIREMENT) I can do (ALL THIS EXTRA STUFF!!!) HIRE ME.”

7. You Think Creatively To Solve Problems

Our dance community isn’t in its suuuuper early grassroots anymore, but we’re still developing. It’s exciting that a lot of us are trying things out for the first time.

Whether it was for ABDC or large-scale dance competitions, dancers have had to just...

Figure it out.

How? By utilizing equal parts curiosity, fearlessness, and creativity.

We make mistakes, but we try. We fail, but we try again. We succeed, and we go on to try something new.

We come to see that anything is possible – as long as you’re willing to try.