Use Mental Pictures to Get a Better Job

The late William Moulton Marston, well-known psy­chologist, recommended what he called "rehearsal prac­tice" to men and women who came to him for help in job advancement. If you have an important interview coming up, such as making an application for a job, his advice was: plan for the interview in advance. Go over in your mind, all the various questions that you are likely to be asked. Think about the answers you are going to give. Then "rehearse" the interview in your mind. Even if none of the questions you have rehearsed come up, the rehearsal practice will still work wonders. It gives you confidence. And even though real life has not set lines to be recited like a stage play, rehearsal practice will help you to ad lib and react spontaneously to whatever situa­tion you find yourself in, because you have practiced re­acting spontaneously.
"Don't be a ham actor," Dr. Marston would say, ex­plaining that we are always acting out some role in life. Why not select the right role, the role of a successful per-son—and rehearse it?
Writing in Your Life magazine, Dr. Marston said, "Frequently the next step in your career cannot be taken without first gaining some experience in the work you will be called upon to perform. Bluff may open the door to a job you know nothing about but in nine cases out of ten it won't keep you from being fired when your inexperience becomes evident. There's only one way I know to project your practical knowledge beyond your present occupation and that is rehearsal planning."